In a festive, devotional, and emotional atmosphere, the Bangladesh Puja Association (BPA) celebrated its tenth Mahalaya in Sydney. The event was held on Sunday, October 4, at the Roselands Community Centre, 645-671 Pennant Hills Road, Carlingford, New South Wales. With a large number of expatriate Bengalis in attendance, this Mahalaya event transformed into a sincere gathering blending religious ambiance, Bengali culture, and expatriate life.
The entire event reflected the special emotion that the arrival message of Sharadiya Durgotsav creates in the minds of Bengalis. Through Chandi path, music, and stage performances, the timeless atmosphere of Mahalaya was portrayed. An equally important aspect of this event was introducing the religious and cultural heritage of Bengalis to the new generation born and raised abroad.
At the beginning of the event, the President of the Bangladesh Puja Association delivered a welcome speech to all attendees. In the speech, the President briefly highlighted the history and the religious-cultural significance of Mahalaya. At the same time, memories of the early days of BPA's Mahalaya celebrations in Sydney were recalled. A brief description was given of how the Bangladesh Puja Association started this event ten years ago, and how that limited initiative gradually turned into one of the most well-known Sharadiya events for expatriate Bengalis. The journey of the Bangladesh Puja Association's Mahalaya celebrations began in 2016. This year's Mahalaya stage production was conducted under the supervision of Sumita Dey and Anupam Goswami. Through their planning and direction, music, recitation-based presentations, and various stage performances, an effort was made to evoke the arrival atmosphere of the fortnight of the goddess. Throughout the program, there was an invocation of autumn, the arrival of the goddess, and a symbolic expression of the awakening of benevolent power.
One of the main attractions of the event was Chandi path. Jyoti Biswas performed Chandi path with Joydeb Roy assisting on the tabla. The sound of Chandi path combined with the rhythm of the tabla created a deep spiritual atmosphere at the venue. This coordination with music and stage performance transported the attending audience back to the familiar Sharadiya environment of Bengal for some time.
The presence of community members from various parts of Sydney made Sunday's event even more lively. Meeting familiar faces after a long time, exchanging mutual greetings, and sharing the joy surrounding the upcoming Durgotsav turned the event into a social gathering as well. Towards the end of the program, Bangladesh Puja Association Secretary Dibakar Samadder delivered the vote of thanks. Through this tenth Mahalaya celebration, the Bangladesh Puja Association welcomed the upcoming Sharadiya Durgotsav and spread the arrival message of the goddess's fortnight among the minds of expatriate Bengalis.
Durga Puja at Pal Bari in Sydney
Details of 'Debipakkha'
Schedule Published
Marking the autumn Sharadiya Durgotsav, the traditional Sydney Durga Puja (Pal Bari Puja) titled 'Debipakkha' is going to be organized in Sydney. This festival will be celebrated with deep religious solemnity and enthusiasm on Monday, October 19, at the Carnes Community Hall in Sydney. According to the organizers, the main objective of this event is to bring devotees together under the slogan 'Celebration of faith and the tradition of bonding'.
The event will run continuously from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM. The detailed schedule of this colorful day-long event includes – 12:30 PM: Maha Ashtami Anjali, 1:00 PM: Distribution of Prasad, 4:00 PM: Kirtan performance, 5:00 PM: Debi Bandana and Aarti, 6:00 PM: Cultural program, 8:30 PM: Dinner. Venue: Carnes Community Hall, Carnes, New South Wales.
Expatriate Hindu devotees have been invited to attend and participate in performing religious rituals and celebrating the tradition.
