KOLKATA: The Indian diaspora, especially those with roots in the City of Joy, soaked in the four-day Chhath festivities ending on Monday.
Bracing the November chill, Kolkata-born Biharis in London came together for their first big community Chhath, which saw a considerable Bengali participation as well.
“We usually get to meet our brethren from Bihar during Durga Puja.In reciprocation, we invited our Bengali friends in London to take part in the Chhath event at Northamptonshire’s York Cottage,” said Captain Om Prakash, secretary, Bihari Connect UK, which witnessed the grandestChhath Puja gathering ever.
“All this time, Chhath festival was observed privately, inside our homes. This time, we at Bihari Connect UK, the driving force behind this inclusive cultural exchange, decided to take Chhath out of the doors to the larger community,” joint secretary Sandeep Gupta, who has migrated from Kolkata’s Beliaghata, said. Instead of the small basins used at individual homes, they had an artificial water body created inside the sprawling Easton Lane venue, located between London and Midland.
“The £20,000 fundraising has covered all expenses from Saturday to Monday, including the making of 10,000 thekuas for over 2,000 participants,” Capt Om Prakash added.
Indeed, the spirit of Chhath Puja resonated across the serene landscapes of England to the various parts of the US and on to sunny Dubai as well. Dubai-based engineer Naveen Tiwai, who has a house in Behala, said, “We started in 2016. Then only women would take part in the festivities. Now, we have scores of Biharis, from Ranchi, Kolkata and Patna, assembling and celebrating together, offering puja at the Mamzar beach.”
San Jose-based software engineer Tarun Kailash spoke how normal it was to do Chhath Puja in this part of the US. “People are so used to it that you get all puja ‘samagri’ (materials for offerings) in the local stores. For instance, a few years ago we procured bamboo ‘soops’ (in which the offerings are made) from India. But not any more,” said Kailash, who organized Chhath for the ninth time. Around 1,700 gathered for the puja at Quarry Lake in Fremont, California on Sunday. The air was vibrant with devotees adorning themselves in traditional clothes and creating elaborate offerings decorated with sugarcane stalks, colourful fruits and earthen pots.
Kailash, too, took over from an all-women festival and turned it into a much inclusive participation. “This year, we saw the local administration come to the lake front to support us in our endeavour,” said San Jose resident and YouTuber Swasti Pandey.
“It feels great to be able to follow the rituals to the hilt and keep the family traditions alive, so far away from home,” said Tiwari.
Bracing the November chill, Kolkata-born Biharis in London came together for their first big community Chhath, which saw a considerable Bengali participation as well.
“We usually get to meet our brethren from Bihar during Durga Puja.In reciprocation, we invited our Bengali friends in London to take part in the Chhath event at Northamptonshire’s York Cottage,” said Captain Om Prakash, secretary, Bihari Connect UK, which witnessed the grandestChhath Puja gathering ever.
“All this time, Chhath festival was observed privately, inside our homes. This time, we at Bihari Connect UK, the driving force behind this inclusive cultural exchange, decided to take Chhath out of the doors to the larger community,” joint secretary Sandeep Gupta, who has migrated from Kolkata’s Beliaghata, said. Instead of the small basins used at individual homes, they had an artificial water body created inside the sprawling Easton Lane venue, located between London and Midland.
“The £20,000 fundraising has covered all expenses from Saturday to Monday, including the making of 10,000 thekuas for over 2,000 participants,” Capt Om Prakash added.
Indeed, the spirit of Chhath Puja resonated across the serene landscapes of England to the various parts of the US and on to sunny Dubai as well. Dubai-based engineer Naveen Tiwai, who has a house in Behala, said, “We started in 2016. Then only women would take part in the festivities. Now, we have scores of Biharis, from Ranchi, Kolkata and Patna, assembling and celebrating together, offering puja at the Mamzar beach.”
San Jose-based software engineer Tarun Kailash spoke how normal it was to do Chhath Puja in this part of the US. “People are so used to it that you get all puja ‘samagri’ (materials for offerings) in the local stores. For instance, a few years ago we procured bamboo ‘soops’ (in which the offerings are made) from India. But not any more,” said Kailash, who organized Chhath for the ninth time. Around 1,700 gathered for the puja at Quarry Lake in Fremont, California on Sunday. The air was vibrant with devotees adorning themselves in traditional clothes and creating elaborate offerings decorated with sugarcane stalks, colourful fruits and earthen pots.
Kailash, too, took over from an all-women festival and turned it into a much inclusive participation. “This year, we saw the local administration come to the lake front to support us in our endeavour,” said San Jose resident and YouTuber Swasti Pandey.
“It feels great to be able to follow the rituals to the hilt and keep the family traditions alive, so far away from home,” said Tiwari.