UKHCA 2022 - Annual Brochure

Sharodiya Durga Puja 2022

শারদীয়া দুর্গোৎসব ১৪২৯

UK Hindu Cultural Association

Annual Brochure

Artwork by: Ashmita Khemka

For donations please pay to: Sort Code:20-06-72 Account No:50740896

Account Name: United Kingdom Hindu Cultural Association

www.ukhca.community

Registered UK Charity No. 1069932

ukhca.info@gmail.com

Scan the QR code to be part of our journey and become a member of the UKHCA family



Table of Contents

Durga Puja 2022 Schedule and Arrangements.................................................................................... 4

Editorial Message.................................................................................................................................. 6

Executive Committee Introductions................................................................................................... 9

Thank You - You will be missed.......................................................................................................... 11

Message from a First Time Attendee of UKHCA Durga Puja.......................................................... 11

President’s Note................................................................................................................................... 12

General Secretary’s Note.................................................................................................................... 14

Treasurer’s Note................................................................................................................................... 16

Our Puja Sponsors for 2021 - 22......................................................................................................... 17

Annual Accounts 2021 - 22................................................................................................................... 18

In loving memory of Dr. Supriya Bandyopadhyay.............................................................................. 21

Glimpses of our celebrations................................................................................................................ 22

Articles and Write Ups

Agomoni ~ Arunima Saha.................................................................................................................... 24

Ascot Dream - A Journey ~ Dipti Jain................................................................................................ 26

Royal Ascot in Sarees - The UKHCA Experience ~ Roshmi Kumar.................................................. 28

India and I, Together ~ Sravan Kumar Banerjee................................................................................ 30

My Heaven on Earth, my garden ~ Bhagya Reddy............................................................................. 32

Celebrating the beauty of a life lived ~ Abhha Sandill....................................................................... 34

The Taste of Indian Summers In UK ~ Rama Karmakar................................................................... 36

চিঠি ~ শ্রেয়সী বড়াল ......................................................................................................................................................................... 38

পুরুলিয়়া ~ রোবনী চক্রবর্গ ী................................................................................................................................................................. 40

Art and Photography

Colours of India ~ Joyanto Kumar Choudhury................................................................................... 43

Indian Tiger ~ Diyasha Mukherjee....................................................................................................... 44

Paintings ~ Debaditya Chatterjee......................................................................................................... 44-45

Krishna and Maa Durga ~ Kalpa Joshi............................................................................................... 45

Famous Indians ~ Aadya Karmokar..................................................................................................... 45

Krishna ~ Asmi Chatterjee.................................................................................................................... 46

Dancer ~ Sreela Halder......................................................................................................................... 46

Photography ~ Sanjoy Basu................................................................................................................. 48-49

Photography ~ Rama Karmokar........................................................................................................... 49- 50

Recipes to try this festive season

Chicken Chapli Kabab ~ Debesh Mukherjee (Swaad Samrat)............................................................ 52

Basa in Chilli Passata ~ Pearly Banerjee............................................................................................. 54

Choppy Chop ~ Debashree Chatterjee................................................................................................... 55

We are wholly reliant on the kind donations from all of you to be able

to organise our pujas and events.

Scan the QR code to donate and support our efforts


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Saturday

1 st October 2022

Sunday

2 nd October 2022

Durga Puja 2022 Schedule and Arrangements

We will be celebrating our Durga Puja in 2022 over 5 days between

1st October 2022 - 5th October 2022

at Swanley Town Hall, Alexandra Suite, St. Mary’s Road, Swanley BR8 7BU

Maha Shasthi

Maha Saptami

Durga Puja 2022 Programme

5PM to 7PM

11AM to 1PM

6PM to 8PM

Bodhan | Kalparambha | Sasthi Puja

| Amantran | Adhibas | Pushpanjali |

Prosad Bitoron | Arati

Saptami Puja | Pushpanjali | Bhog |


Sandhya Arati | Pushpanjali

Monday

3 rd October 2022

Tuesday

4 th October 2022

Wednesday

5 th October 2022

Maha Ashtami

Maha Nabami

Bijoya Dashami

11PM to 2PM

5PM to 8PM

11PM to 2PM

6PM to 8PM

11PM to 2PM

6PM onwards*

Priest: Debanjan Mukherjee

Ashtami Puja | Pushpanjali |Bhog |


Sandhi Puja | Pushpanjali |Dipannita

| Arati

Nabami Puja | Pushpanjali |Bhog |

Bolidan| Arati

Homa | Pushpanjali | Prosad Bitoron

| Arati

Dashami Puja | Pushpanjali | Dahi

Karma | Arati | Bishorjon | Sindur

Khela

Cultural Programme and Bijoya Sammelani

Lunch and dinner served everyday after puja for guests. Please register on Eventbrite to get an accurate

estimation of guest numbers so we can cater for all the guests.

*Maa Durga idols will be moved after Sindur Khela so there will be no idol in the evening of

Wednesday 5th October in the hall during cultural programme and Bijoya Sammelani

Our Venue

The Alexandra Suite is located at the heart of Swanley opposite Orchards Academy on St Mary’s Road. The

venue is easily accessible for members and devotees living in Bexley, Bexleyheath, Bromley, Dartford, Orpington,

Eltham, Greenwich, Catford and adjoining areas without joining any motorways.

Directions from Kent: Members from Kent and other parts of London and the South East, the venue is easily

accessible from A20/M25.

Parking: The venue provides off-street parking for over 80 cars. Please enquire about parking arrangements

when you arrive at the reception. On-street parking is also available in the immediate vicinity after 6:30PM

(Monday to Saturday).

Train: Swanley railway station is 4 minutes walk away with frequent services from London and Kent.

Covid protocol

For both your own safety and safety of others, we politely request you not to attend the puja if you or

your family members have fever or flu-like symptoms. We rely on your sense of responsibility towards the

community to celebrate a safe and healthy Durga Puja.


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Editorial Message

It’s that time of the year again - time of rejoice, time for festivities, time for our community to come

together again and immerse ourselves in celebration of our Maa Durga’s arrival on mortal earth.

In 2021, Kolkata’s Durga puja was added to the Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

list - this makes a statement and a headline, not only for us here, but the global Bengali diaspora. The

celebration of Durga Puja epitomises our community’s camaraderie – a sense of pride in our togetherness

and affection for each other. The Durga Puja is not only an annual Puja celebration but also one of the

biggest examples of confluence of religion, art and culture. Even in today’s world, our intangible yet

steadfast faith and unwavering belief in our traditions and culture bind us all together. With this faith

comes an immense sense of goodwill and charity – a spirit of generosity and humanity.

Our UK Hindu Cultural Association (UKHCA) has been re-creating the charisma of Kolkata’s Durga

Puja for many years. This is a community that is strongly bound together with this sense of tradition,

culture and humanity; with the firm resolve of passing on this beacon to our younger generation. Months

of meticulous planning culminate in the success of the UKHCA Sarbojonin Durga Puja – a celebration

of our Maa and a celebration of our community. Not only does this celebration bring us joy, it helps

everyone linked with this Puja, the artisans weaving those Puja sarees for us, the florists we get our

flowers from, the local community and area we have our celebrations in, the list is endless. For the

UKHCA community, charity begins at home – devotees are welcomed with arms wide-open, and the

spirit of generosity is evident in the sponsorship and donations gratefully received from our patrons.

While mother earth still reels under and tries to recover from the impact of Covid-19 and a war at our

doorstep, Maa Durga – the impenetrable comes to life and brings with her a celebration of the victory

of good over evil, of power and of coming back to our roots in a traditional festive fervour, offering some

respite to our heart and soul. We invoke and welcome our Maa Durga to grant us peace, harmony and

the power to win over evil.

Ya devi sarva bhooteshu, matri roopena sansthita

Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo namaha

Ya devi sarva bhooteshu, shanti roopena sansthita

Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo namaha

ইয়া দেবী সবগভূ রর্ষু মার্ৃ রূপেণ সংস্থির্া।

নমস্তসৈ নমস্তসৈ নমস্তসৈ নমোো নমঃ।।

ইয়া দেবী সবগভূ রর্ষু শান্তিরূপেণ সংস্থির্া।

নমস্তসৈ নমস্তসৈ নমস্তসৈ নমোো নমঃ।

This edition of the UKHCA Durga Puja Brochure for 2022 has been carefully curated with literary

contributions from our committed members. This is a mesmerising, yet euphoric concoction of artwork,

stories, poetry and life experiences on the theme of ‘India – Together’. Our heartfelt thanks to all

members for your support in bringing this edition together. Our special thanks to Professor Bimal

Bhaduri for your leadership and mentorship as our General Secretary and President of the UKHCA

over the past few years. Our celebrations would not have been such a resounding success without the

anchoring provided by our Office Bearers and Executive committee members and all our Volunteers

who tirelessly support the festivities. We are grateful for all your endowments of time, energy and love

to the UKHCA.

Please enjoy our compilation and kindly also support the small businesses featured in our brochure.

Warm regards,

UKHCA Brochure Team

Rama Roshmi Arunima Sumita Paromita Tanuj Debashish Debanjan


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UKHCA Executive Committee Introductions

Dr. Tapon Halder

(President)

Mr. Debanjan Mukherjee

(General Secretary)

Dr.Sanjoy Basu

(Vice President)

Dr.Ashis Sau

(Vice President)

Mr.Tanuj Banerjee

(Joint Treasurer)

Mrs.Jharna Sil Verma

(Joint Treasurer)

Mr.Suman Das

(Assistant Secretary)

Mrs.Sumita Mukherjee

(Assistant Secretary)

Prof. Bimal Bhaduri

(Lifetime Exco Member)

Mrs.Sunanda Sarkar


Dr.Saibal Hazra


Mrs.Krishna Baruah


Mrs.Debashish Sarkar

(Exco Member)

Mrs.Paramita Pandit

(Exco Member)

Dr.Roshmi Kumar

(Exco Member)

Mr.Bhabani Sahoo

(Exco Member)

Dr.Joyanto Choudhury

(Exco Member)

Dr.Amitav Dutta

(Exco Member)

Mrs.Rama Karmokar

(Exco Member)

Mrs.Arunima Saha

(Exco Member)

Already a UKHCA member and

interested in joining our Executive

Committee ?

Please email us to know more:


Mr.Kaushik Pramanik

(Exco Member)

Dr.Bikramjit Bhattacharjee

(Exco Member)

Dr. Dibyendu Datta

(Exco Member)


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thank you - You will be missed

Dr. Hirak Halder has decided to step down as the regular

priest for UKHCA Durga Puja and Kali Puja, due to personal

reasons.

UKHCA Pujas are synonymous with Dr. Hirak Halder, who

has served as our priest over last many years. His inimitable

style will be missed.

UKHCA family thanks Dr. Hirak Halder for his services to

UKHCA and community.

Dr. Hirak Halder

Mrs. Shipra Roy

(Departing Exco Member)

Mrs. Rajnigandha Banerjee


Dr. Sanjay Chatterjee


Mr. Deboottom Das


Shipra(Millie), Rajnigandha, Sanjay and Debottom has decided to take a break from Executive Member

duties. We hope to have them back in the Executive Committee soon.

Message from a First Time Attendee of UKHCA Durga Puja

Hi, I am Sayon Lahiri Mazumder. Currently I am living in London. 2021 Durga Puja was the first Puja

I have spent out of Kolkata. But I have not missed my hometown for a single moment. The reason behind

it, is UK Hindu Cultural Association.

I was introduced to this association by Dr. Shrabani Chakraborty. I have met amazing persons like

Debanjan da, Suman Uncle, Chandranshu uncle. I felt like I was spending Puja with my family. I have

never felt like I am meeting them for the first time. I have participated in most of the rituals. It was an

amazing experience for me. I would like to give a big thanks to all of them who are organising this event

by their endless effort.


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Dear Friends

President’s Note

I welcome you all to our 10th Durga Puja celebration with immense pleasure and pride. Unfortunately

we had to go through an unprecedented difficult time in our life. Hopefully we have reached the end of

the tunnel of despair. Durga Puja will be an occasion to full fill the dream of getting back to normal life.

The core value of UKHCA is to bring the Indian Community together through dance, music, art and off

course religion. As a dynamic team, we strive to create a community which inspires warmth, facilitates

cultural activities in a cohesive environment so that people can easily integrate. Every member of our

team is busy with their own occupation but we are unanimously working with heartfelt dedication to

make this occasion a great success. I greatly appreciate and thank them for their efforts.

It is very encouraging to see that the younger generation came forward to take part and help throughout

the celebration. It is also very encouraging to see our lady members are taking active roles to run the

organisation. They are leading and focussing on specific initiatives with great success. We have already

started to see the results.

Though we have about 100 paid members but we still have problem in getting young volunteers who

could help in the physical work during the festive days especially on the Bijaya day when everything

needs to be packed and relocated in a short span of time. It has not changed much over the years, it is

still on the shoulder of a handful of volunteers. Many of our active members are senior by age and not

fit enough to do the physical work.

We would like to encourage more youngers members to come forward as active Volunteers , be part

of the UKHCA family and share the fantastic teamworking and camaraderie that we all enjoy. It

would be great to have enthusiastic members to help specifically with the moving and handling of

items, especially on Bijoya Dashami day when everything needs to be packed away and relocated to

their storage areas. The senior members would appreciate the much needed strength and vitality of the

youngsters!

My special thanks go to our Office Bearers and team members who will be organising and supervising

different activities like Brochure, Website, Stalls, Pujar Jogar, Kitchens and Food distribution etc.

My special thanks and gratitude go to our outgoing President Professor Bimal Bhaduri who has

contributed so much to make UKHCA what it is today. The organisation has flourished under his

guidance and leadership enabling us to reach our current state of financial stability especially through

his tireless efforts in attracting sponsorships and donations from individuals.

Last but not the least, my special thanks go to our donors and sponsors who have helped us in maintaining

our standards.

Finally I would like to pay tribute to our friends and patrons who have left for heavenly abode during

the last 3 years. Some of them were associated with UKHCA for 30 years. Our ex-president Dr Jagadish

Sarkar was one of them. We will miss all of them.

I hope and pray that Maa Durga’s blessings be bestowed upon us and we get back to our normal life

soon.

Best wishes and stay safe.

Dr. Tapon Halder


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Dear friends,

General Secretary’s Note

With immense pleasure, I, Debanjan Mukherjee, your new General Secretary, welcome you all to

UKHCA’s 10th Durga Puja celebrations.

I would first like to thank our former President, Prof. Bimal Bhaduri, and former General Secretary,

Dr. Tapon Halder, for entrusting this exciting and evolving institution in my care, for their skilful

stewardship over the years and laying down a solid foundation for the next generation. With immense

gratitude and humility I take this opportunity to meaningfully reflect on our humble beginnings, to

appreciate the immense strides UKHCA has made during the last 10 years (especially through the

current challenging times) and to visualise a stronger and brighter future for us.

I believe the best future for UKHCA is the one that we will build together hence would like to invite all

members, patrons and well-wishers to join me in this incredible journey and help me shape a UKHCA

for tomorrow.

As I and the newly formed Executive Committee embark on this journey for the next 3 years, I have

outlined our immediate priorities as follows:

1. Build an environment of camaraderie; which brings us even closer together as a community

strengthening the very bonds of friendship that laid the foundations of UKHCA.

2. Instil transparency, objectivity, governance and accountability; so there is transparency

over our finances and rationale for decisions leading to clear accountability of outcomes and full

empowerment for execution within the broader community participating in UKHCA activities

3. Streamline the present; so our operations, events and activities run efficiently with minimum

glitches and frictions

4. Set up for the future; so UKHCA remains as relevant in our and our children’s lives in 2032

as it is today

My vision is to truly establish UKHCA as a ‘family’ where we support each other through thick and thin

and be known for being the most homely Bengali community organisation in South East London and

Kent.

I am indebted to all our Executive Committee Members, Office Bearers and volunteers for your strong

show of support and enthusiasm without which we cannot function. I would also like to extend my

thanks to all our generous sponsors for helping us meet our financial commitments and supporting our

cause.

On behalf of UKHCA I express my sincere condolences to the families of our friends and members who

have departed us since last year.

I am aware how previously this once-in-a-century virus has caused uncertainty and challenges for all

of us but UKHCA persevered, overcame and is now ready to commence celebrations wholeheartedly.

Without the shadow of strict restrictions, festivities no longer need to be a somber affair, we don’t have

to celebrate in a subdued manner and can finally fully go back to the people and things we love.

So with huge excitement I ask you to join me… let’s make our 10th year celebration a memorable one!

Jai Maa Durga

Debanjan Mukherjee


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Dear Friends,

TReasurer’s Note

Jharna Sil Verma and I, welcome you humbly to the 10th year of UKHCA Durga Puja festival.

Coming out of our e-pujo events during the pandemic year we were back in Alexandra Suite for 2021

celebrations for both Durga Puja and Kali Puja. It was overwhelming to see the faces of friends and

their families and mainly to embrace our Bijoya celebration through “kolakuli” .

We are extremely grateful to our major donors and sponsors (noted in page 17) which made 2021 – 2022

another robust year for UKHCA .This helped us to continue on the sound financial footing maintaining a

healthy reserve. We are extremely thankful to our brochure sponsors and we congratulate our brochure

team for the tremendous work this year again.

We are also indebted to our volunteers without whom it would be impossible to hold any events – from

stage and sound management to shopping, artistic direction, collecting donations and serving food.

As you can see there is a lot going on and to ensure we are prudent with our spending, we have worked

on a budget to help us arrange a forecast for the expenses this year.

Thanks to Jharna for her engagement and partnering with fellow Office Bearers to get this off the

ground. We need to make our celebrations smarter and sustainable so it can support the vision of the

new office bearers and make UKHCA a robust and fun organisation.

We would like to convey our kindest regards and thanks to Bimal da , our departing President, for his

invaluable contribution to UKHCA .

Mrs.Jharna Sil Verma

(Joint Treasurer)

Mr.Tanuj Banerjee

(Joint Treasurer)

We are wholly reliant on the kind donations from all of you to be able to organise

our pujas and events.

Scan the QR code to donate and support our efforts


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Our PUJA Sponsors for 2021 - 22

We thank our sponsors for their generous donations through 2021 - 22. Besides the sponsors named

below we also received donations from numerous sponsors who choose to remain anonymous.

The entire UKHCA family is thankful to you all as without your help and support we will never be able

to organise the pujas for the community.

We hope you will continue to support us this year and in future.

Please support our efforts and donate through: https://ukhca.community/donate/

Durga Puja 2021

General Donation

Durga Puja 2021

Donation in kind

Durga Puja 2021

Maha Sasthi and

Maha Saptami

Durga Puja 2021

Maha Ashtami

Durga Puja 2021

Maha Nabami

Durga Puja 2021

Bijoya Dasami

• Anand and Nandita Divekar

• Himansu Basu

• Mihir and Ratna Khan

• Prabir and Reena Chakraborti

• Sananda Ghosh

• Puja Samagri and 108 Lotus flowers donated by Bimal and Mallika

Bhaduri

• Apurba and Krishna Baruah

• Dibyendu Datta and Minoti Datta

• Jishu Ghosh

• Sourja Chaudhuri and Pieu Chaudhuri

• Abhijit and Banani Mandal

• Asok and Dhruba Ray

• Bikramjit Bhattacharjee

• Chitra Das, Sujit Das and Debasree Das

• Dwaipayan Ray in memory of Late Alo Ray and Bhaskar Kumar Ray

• Hemmay Raychaudhuri in memory of Late Samarmay Raychaudhuri

• Indranil Banerjee in memory of Late Anjan and Supriya Bandyopadhyay

• Misti Paul Das, Siddhant Das, Sunit Das

• Moni Sil, Aditi Sil and Nandini Sil in memory of Late Ajoy Kumar Sil

• Paritosh and Sunanda Sarkar

• Rajnigandha Banerjee and Rajesh Kumar

• Ashis and Mita Sau

• Dipankar and Sumi Choudhury

• Nabanita Das and Sandip Mahantay

• Shashank and Gayatri Ranjan

• Debarshi Debnath

• Tapon Haldar

Kali Puja 2021 • Joyanto Choudhuri, Sanjoy Basu, Chandrima Basu

Saraswati Puja 2022 • Millie and Bobby Roy, Indranil Bandyopadhyay


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Annual Accounts 2021 - 22

Detailed Statement of Financial Activties

For the year ended 31 March 2022

31/3/2022 31/3/2021

£ £

INCOME AND ENDOWMENT

Donations and legacies

Donations 134 -

Subscriptions 2,219 2,104

2,353 2,104

Charitable activities

Income from charitable activities (Durga Puja) 20,091 2,177

Income from charitable activities (Kali Puja) 1,039 650

Income from charitable activities (Rang Mela/Holi) - 25

Income from charitable activities (Saraswati Puja) 1,832 152

Income from charitable activities (Diwali) - 29

Income from charitable activities (Brochure) 4,181 50

27,143 3,083

Other income

Other income 1 672 -

672 -

Total incoming resources 30,168 5,187

EXPENDITURE

Raising donations and legacies

Donations (670) (837)

Subscriptions (659) -

(1,329) (837)

Charitable activities

Cost of direct charitable activity (Durga Puja) (18,506) (350)

Cost of direct charitable activity (Kali Puja) (1,108) (200)

Cost of direct charitable activity (Rang Mela/Holi) - (37)

Cost of direct charitable activity (Saraswati Puja) (2,024) (210)

Cost of direct charitable activity (Diwali) - (665)

(21,638) (1,462)

SUPPORT COSTS

Additional Expenses

Additional expenses (1,754) (903)

(1,754) (903)

Governance costs

Governance costs - (140)

- (140)

Total resources expended (24,721) (3,342)

Net income 5,447 1,845


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Statement of Financial Position

For the year ended 31 March 2022

31/3/2022 31/3/2021

£ £

Fixed assets

Tangible assets 2,680 3,350

2,680 3,350

Current assets

Debtors 110 -

Cash at bank and in hand 32,853 27,518

32,963 27,518

Creditors: amount failing due within one year - (672)

Net current assets 32,963 26,846

Total assets less current liabilities 35,643 30,196

Net assets 35,643 30,196

The funds of the charity

Unrestricted income funds 35,643 30,196

Total funds 35,643 30,196


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LIVE DOSA

LIVE TANDOORI

www.indianaromacaterers.co.uk

contact@indianaromacaterers.co.uk

CALL

079 1650 7777


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In Loving Memory of Dr. SupriyA Bandyopadhyay

As many of you know, our dear Supriya Di (Dr. Surpiya

Bandyopadhyay) left us for heavenly aboard in 2020.

Mrs. Shukla Datta, one of our senior UKHCA members

organised a tribute to the memory of Supriya Di by

creating beautiful necklaces from the collection of

Supriya Di’s semi-precious gem stones and putting

them up for sale during 2021 Durga Puja. All proceeds

from the sale of these necklaces were donated to

UKHCA. Indranil (Supriya Di’s son) handed over the

semi-precious stones to Mrs. Datta for this purpose.

Supriya Di (left) with Mrs. Shukla Datta

(Right), attending UKHCA Durga Puja in 2018

Mrs. Sumita Mukherjee, organised the sale of these

necklaces with the help of volnteers (including some

young ones) raising a total of £260 for UKHCA funds

for 2021 - 2022.

We would like to thank the efforts of Mrs. Shukla Datta,

Mrs.Sumita Mukherjee and all UKHCA volunteers

who came forward to make this charity sale event in

memory of Supriya Di a grand success.

If you were a buyer of these necklaces you now have

a part of Supriya Di’s beautiful collection with you,

immortalising her memory.

UKHCA volunteers of all ages helping with the charity sale event organised in memory of Dr. Supriya

Bandyopadhyay


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Glimpses of our celebrations


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Glimpses of our celebrations


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Agomoni (Arunima Saha)

We are elated and excited at the same time, to get together again this year to welcome our Maa Durga.

This is a time when the occasional white clouds in the sky, yet with a golden sunshine; the glorious

blooming of Kaash phool (Kans grass); the sweet and heavenly scent of Shiuli phool (night-flowering

jasmine) usher in, not only somewhat cool Aashwin autumnal weather but also bring with them, the

true joy of festivity and revelry.

On Mahalaya, the last day of Pitri Paksha, when we remember and pay homage to our ancestors,

Chokkhu daan (painting of Maa Durga’s eyes) invokes and beckons the Goddess to the earth. Aashwiner

Shaarodo praate beje utheche alokomonjir…. Birendra Krishna Bhadra’s Chandi Paath resonates not

only in every Bengali’s home, it also rings in our minds, stirring and exciting our souls to the upcoming

celebratory Devi Paksha (fortnight of the Goddess), our Maa Durga’s journey to the earth with her

children – Ganesha, Paarvati, Lakshmi and Kaartik. On Maha Shashti our festivities begin, starting

with the priest’s Sankalpa (intention to conduct all rituals properly), Kalaparambha (unveiling Maa

Durga’s face) and Akaal Bodhon (awakening of the Goddess at an uncustomary time). Many other

rituals follow over the next few days – on Maha Shaptami – we start with Kola bou snaan (bathing a

banana tree in ceremonial water and draping it in laal paad shaada saree and placing it next to Ganesh

– as his wife), Nabapatrika (worshipping nine types of plants along with Kola bou); on Maha Ashtami –

Astra pujo (weapon worship) and Kumari pujo (worship of woman power) take place; at the confluence of

Maha Ashtami and Maha Nabami – the Shondhi pujo is done by lighting 108 Pradips (earthen lamps)

and offering 108 lotus flowers and a joba phooler maalaa to celebrate Shondhikhon (when Devi Durga

idol gets prana or life) – and Maa Chaamunda’s slaying of demons Chando and Mundo – signified by

offering Bolidaan (cutting a symbolic fruit like a banana); on Maha Dashami we celebrate the victory

of good over evil and with a heavy heart, bid adieu to our Maa – the Dorpon bishorjon (symbolically

immersing Maa’s idol by seeing her reflection in a bowl of water) and Boron (offering vermillon and

sweets to the Goddess and seeking her blessings) are followed by the culmination of the revelries with

Shindoor Khela (applying vermillon and offering sweets to our friends) and wishing everyone happiness

for the year ahead, in the hope that we will meet again to celebrate this joyous event next year.

The grandeur of the festivities, the ek chaalar thakur (sculpted on a single platform), the daaker shaaj

(silver foil imported via post – daak), the dhunuchi naach (dance with earthen bowls filled with lit

coconut husk and incense) , the shondha aaroti (evening puja) – Durga pujo is not only about deity

worship, but also a celebration of togetherness, of the community, meeting friends and forming new

friendships, travelling to new places to see pujo, enjoying the proshaad and bhog (food offered to the

Goddess) with that hint of heavenly flavour in it.

Sharanaagata deenaartha paritraana paraayaney

Sarvasyarti harey Devi Narayani namostutey

As a child, I have fond memories of visiting pandals in New Delhi and Kolkata with my parents. That sweet

excitement of preparing for pujo, a song here, a dance performance there, still brings vivid memories.

I was awed that Ma Durga has dasha-bhuja (ten arms) signifying immense strength and is Trinayani

(three-eyed) with the third eye on her forehead symbolizing knowledge, fire and consciousness. As a

mother and wife, I have come to believe these powers, although invisible, are imbibed in us. Supported by

our better halves and families, in this modern-day world, we as a grandmother, mother, wife, daughter

- endeavour to protect, bring happiness, remove misery and fear. We welcome the Goddess in our heart

and soul and celebrate her within us – we celebrate the Durga in us – everyday. May Maa Durga live

on in our hearts.


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Sharodiya

Sarodiya Page • 20


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Ascot Dream - A Journey (Dipti Jain)

I had a dream….

Simple as let the pallu Speak ….. and we roared above the thundering hoofs of the finest racing horses

in Royal Ascot ,England in the presence of Royalty and Celebrities alike. We had representation of

pallus from all over the world by women who liked the idea of wearing sarees but were a bit sceptical

about the Fascinators , especially in the heart of a very British event , where there is adherence to a

strict dress code! But I persisted, and after months of planning, the logistics of such a huge gathering

at Ascot emerged . I was nervous as I was not sure how things would turn out , nevertheless the

excitement gradually built up, with many events planned , all of which were programmed to showcase

our sarees of different weaves and styles, in colour coded groups of rainbow hues.

We systematically gathered in hundreds , from all walks of life , all ages and varied ethnicity , but

mainly of south Asian roots , on a very quintessential British event of Ladies day, where the ladies

vie for attention with their very fancy hats ,dresses and accessories and Men in their top hats. So on

16 th June 2022, the saree swishing brigade walked into the grounds of Ascot and witnessed History

being made. The girls sang , they danced, they crowned themselves with Fascinators and Hats , they

floated their pallus and a hot Indian summer’s day on British soil came alive with pallus of every

hue and colour, weave , designs and many customised sarees for the occasion .

Some sarees were dragged out of the forgotten corners of wardrobes, some borrowed and some

others newly bought , especially for the occasion . But there was great excitement to finally meet

other women with the same passion of showcasing their national heritage to the world ………but

somewhere far away in a quiet village of Nanoor in West Bengal, a shy but very talented young lady

with a small child , who had learnt her craftsmanship as a young teenager, passed on for generations

in her family, was overjoyed! She has heard about the “ Rani’’ but never in her dreams thought that

she would witness the the showcasing of the ‘Ultimate Pallu’ to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of the

Queen, one which took her three months of sweat and toil to weave, bringing alive the scenes


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of the Queen’s face , Big Ben ,Tower of London , The London Bus, The Union Jack and the London

skyline along with the Kolkata skyline….. all the beautiful images floating out of her pallu , seen by

17000 people on the grounds of the Windsor Enclosure at Royal Ascot In Berkshire in England and

appreciated by fashionistas and the media all over the world! And we locked the moments in history

forever, a big step towards integrating diversity and as mentioned by British Vogue ‘In order

to diversify the room we have to dare to show up’ ! It was a great day of celebrating our roots and a

proud moment for us all.. but we must remember the artisans and weavers who made us look beautiful

that day, so let us all pledge to support them … Let our Pallu speak … Jai Hind.


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Royal Ascot in Sarees - The UKHCA Experience (Roshmi Kumar)

At one of our afternoon tea and adda sessions during our Durga Puja last year , our very own Dipti ,

spoke about her dream of organising a group of women who would attend the Ladies day at Royal Ascot

showcasing our sarees, a symbol of India and a representative traditional clothing of the Indian subcontinent.

The term ‘Ladies Day’ seems to have been first used in 1823, when an anonymous poet described

the Thursday of the five day Royal event as when “the women, like angels, look sweetly divine”. Each

day at Royal Ascot begins with a Royal Procession, and six races throughout the day, with Ladies’ Day

having the renowned Gold Cup race.

Dipti had already set her idea in motion with several other ladies’ groups but the plans were in the embryonic

stages at that point. The idea was to raise awareness about the artisans in India, showcase their

brilliant weaves and raise funds to support them as many had suffered setbacks during the pandemic.

Enthused and encouraged by the idea and the noble cause, the UKHCA ladies decided to join the event

and so began the months of planning and discussions! The ladies discussed what weaves they were

going to wear, organisation of travel, seating, picnics and most importantly, unique to this event, the

choice of a fascinator, hatinator or a hat to match their sarees. There is adherence to a strict dress code

at Ascot which has to be considered and wearing headgear is traditional. In the days leading up to the

event Dipti and the organisers had asked ladies to form colour-coded groups in the hues of the Rainbow

and women would join specific groups in the colour of their sarees. The idea was to display the sarees

and their pallus in their colour coded groups.

There were ladies attending from various parts of the UK in groups, with an estimated number of 1000

women in total ,including some attending from India, America and the Middle east.

The thursday 16th June 2022 was a beautiful, warm summer’s day, absolutely perfect for our trip to Ascot.

Our extended group from Kent , including our UKHCA ladies, all travelled up together on a coach.

It was a very enjoyable experience with chitter chatter, singing songs and singalongs and laughter all

the way, as if we were all on a school trip.

When we arrived at the Windsor enclosure, it was absolutely amazing to see a vast expanse of colour

which arose from the hundreds of ladies all in their colourful Sarees and Fascinators. There were

weaves on display from various corners of India and each one had a story to tell! The atmosphere was

electrifying with live bands playing music, food stalls everywhere, the delightful aroma of the barbeques

and the buzz of the crowds. It was great to witness the Royal procession prior to the races commencing

and finally the races. Some amongst us went on to bet on their favourite horses whilst others

relaxed, soaked up the atmosphere, picnicked and enjoyed the company of friends. All the ladies looked

very glamorous and it was truly a historical day for our beloved sarees to be recognised and appreciated

at a truly quintessential British event! So much so that, we caught the attention of the media and the

story was featured on several news channels and newspapers, both in the UK and overseas. The main


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From (L - R)

Arunima Saha,

Subarna Sen, Sampa

Nag, Roshmi Kumar,

Bithi Purkayastha,

Sumita Mukherjee,

Meenakshi Dutta,

Paromita Pandit,

Jharna Sil Verma,

Rama Karmakar,

Pearly Banerjee

organisers were interviewed enabling them to share the ethos behind this group, which was the support

of Artisans who weave magic into our beautiful sarees.

The hours went by very quickly and soon it was time to board the coach back home. It was indeed a day

well spent, supporting a great cause, wearing our favourite sarees, enjoying the company of our friends,

making many new friends and creating so many lovely cherished memories. I am sure all of us UKHCA

ladies will look back on this day with nostalgia, I know that I certainly will. A day when we created

history - when our sarees took over the Windsor enclosure at Ascot in style!

From (L - R)

Roshmi Kumar, Sumita Mukherjee, Paromita Pandit, Rama Karmokar, Bithi Purkayastha, Mousumi

Kumar, Riya Das, Sonali Guha, Meenakshi Dutta


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India and I, Together (Sravan Kumar Banerjee)

My earliest memories of India are those of clutching my mother’s hand tightly as we walk back from the

nursery in the sweltering heat. The heat somehow always managed to bother me less than it did her

but then little did I know that she would be giving me nearly all the shade of the umbrella because you

know, that is what parents do.

I would be eagerly looking forward to ‘Dadur Dokan’ (a sweet shop run by an elderly gentleman) where

I would have the pick of sweets every day. To be clear, these were mostly my feeble attempts at window

shopping as one stern look from my mother was usually enough to stop my hand from reaching the jar.

However, there were days when I felt particularly emboldened and while she would be busy speaking

to a friend she happened to meet or bargaining for veggies at the next shop, I would sneak in an orange

chocolate away from her prying eyes. Upon hindsight, I think she always knew what I was upto but let

me believe otherwise because you know, that is what parents do.

My connection with Kolkata started to develop without me even realising how deep the bond is. From

being chased with the traditional ‘belon’ (roller pin) by mum on a Sunday for eating way too many

luchis (fried flour-based flatbreads) or running after the red double decker bus (yes they were a thing

back then !!) and catching it halfway in motion, Kolkata was growing thick and fast on me.

Sunday mornings were particularly fun as my father and I would be going to our version of Waitrose

shopping – only we called it Gariahat bajaar (marketplace in Gariahat) and instead of aisles, we would

have scores and scores of concrete slabs where vendors would be selling all kinds of fish, meat and everything

in between. Like all Bangalis worth their salt, my father had a chosen vendor who seems to

know more about my dad than I do and would always offer a supposed bargain on what seemed like

gigantic crustaceans back then that could swallow me whole. Sometimes by father would let me pick

out the fish and let me think I was doing a decent job of it when in reality, I had no clue but then, that

is what parents do.

Then came the unfortunate part – growing up. I realised that I had to undertake the rather mundane

and uninspiring activity called studying. However, I realised I prefer reading Hardy Boys, TinTin or Feluda

over quadratic equations and algebra. My father picked up on this as well and every now and then

we would take a detour from our Sunday routine to the pre-owned book shops in Gariahat where I would

have my pick of 1 or 2 books. Of course, this would have to happen without my mum’s knowledge as she

knew very well this would mean no studies. But somehow, I don’t recall any real blowback because you

know, that is what parents do.

Most of my teenage years feel like a blur. From Board exams to Uni, I mostly remember my parents

checking up on me in turns when I would be cramming MBD Sure Shot question papers one night before

the exam (yes I was one of those) or waiting outside the cybercafé as I checked my MBA entrance exam

results. One look at me and they knew the result (good or bad) even before I said a word, because you

know that is what parents do.

Then came MBA (back when it was uncool) and I had to leave home for the first time to stay in western

India. My mother packed 2 days of food for me (even though we had a canteen on campus) and that was

the first time I saw my father shed a single tear (he tried to hide it though). Nothing would please them

more than to have another 2 years with me, but they let me go nonetheless, because you know that is

what parents do.

A whole new India opened up to me. One where I had to manage my own budget, stay with 120 other

like-minded people, try and learn something along the way (good luck with that!) and also land a job in

the middle of it all. From the bus rides from Atur Centre to the campus, the parathas (fried flatbread)

at Chaitanya, 2 for 1 movie deals at E-Square I made friends for life. They became my family when I

was hospitalised and for the next 3 days, they took turns in shifts taking care of me, because you know

that is what friends do.

Unfortunately, there was some more growing up to do and all that culminated to the day we graduated

and stepped into the real world.

The years passed, I moved to the UK and now have a family of my own. Now as I go back to visit my

parents, their hair feels a little greyer every time. Digitisation has caught up with us. Everything is at


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the click of a button. Yet my mother still wants to cook for us every day and my father loves to go to the

local market to get us fresh fish as in his words ‘frozen is not the same’ because you know, that is what

parents do.

When my son is old enough to ask me ‘why do we go to India’, I know exactly what I will tell him. For

me, India is not a land mass. It is my childhood, it is my parents, it is my friends, it is Kolkata, it is Pune

and everything in between. I belong to India as much as it does to me. I am never far from India as all

I must do is close my eyes. It is in my heart and home is where the heart is.

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My Heaven on Earth, my garden (Bhagya Reddy)

I was born and brought up in a city in India. Since childhood I never knew how to grow a single plant

till about 3 years ago. Now I can happily say, I am sort of a pro

or an expert . Here are a few tips and tricks I would like to share

with you from my experiences. Gardening not only gives pleasure

of seeing things grow and giving fruitful results, but it also takes

away mental stress. It’s my heaven on earth where I get to relax

with a cup of coffee too.Dinner plate dahlia is my favourite flower

so let me start with that, it is almost bigger than my face. All

you need is dinner plate dahlia tubers to buy around April/May

and plant them either in pots or in the soil directly. It

grows faster in the soil and has bigger-sized flower blooms.

Year 1: My garden picture on the left for your reference - Here is the

picture from my first year where I tried sunflowers, petunias (without

knowing they are perennials ) so I ended up in my second year , planting

all the plants and flowers again. Pro-tip: Check if the flowers/plants

are annuals or perennials and how much shade is

required.

Year 2: Lockdown started hence I got time and started

thinking and doing more for the garden, hence the painting of the fence - it gives

a massive transformed look to the garden as well as the plants. I was imagining

clouds and forest so here is the result, picture (on the right) for reference.

Here in the picture you can see lots of blooms and as well vegetables

and fruit trees. (Cherry, apple, plum --- these might take 3 years to

fruit) Strawberry and raspberry is easy to grow and they come back

every year too, an easy and reliable option if you like

these fruits.

Growing tomatoes is really easy: Take the seed from

your home grown tomato and press it in tissue. Place

that in the small pot and let it germinate. Once 5 - 6

leaves have grown, change to a bigger pot or plant in your garden.

Pro tip: Watch for any black ants or other insects and take necessary

precautions as required.

Here is the full pic of my garden where I have more than 20 varieties

of flowers and 8 fruits as well as some leafy vegetables which

grow back every year.

Beetroot was grown from the end part of beetroot bought from store:


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Colourful flowers here:

Clematis: Comes back every year. Dahlia and Begonia: Tubers are

available, comes back every year, available in Wilko (UK) during April/

May.

Leafy vegetables:

I got the seeds from India or could order them from

amazon. Simply take the seeds and place them in a

line in bigger pots, I felt they were easy to grow in

planter pots than in the soil.

Picture for reference of Methi and Spinach. I do

grow mint and coriander as it is very handy to have

them the similar way.

Now it’s time for me to wait for the sunflower to

bloom, always remember after autumn there is spring

so is life.

Be hopeful and you will see magic happen!


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Celebrating the beauty of a life lived(Abhha Sandill)

Over the last 18 months, as this global pandemic unfolded, it has not

only re-shaped our work routines, personal habits and social engagements

but also tested each of us in much deeper ways. As the cases rose

exponentially in many cities and towns across India, many of us faced

the challenges and struggles of finding medical help and keeping our

near and dear ones safe from Covid.

In a matter of just a few days, statistics become personal, numbers become

names of our relatives and friends fighting for survival. It was devastating

to even think about the pain and suffering of our loved ones, let alone dealing with loss of lives

that came as an aftermath. The shock, the suddenness and the helplessness experienced were immeasurable.

Those left behind were broken, not knowing how to make peace with their untimely loss.

Personally speaking, despite being a practicing therapist, well equipped with knowledge, tools, and

techniques to help people deal with their emotional rollercoasters and matters of the mind, it also took

a toll on me when I lost my closest aunt. Initially, it all seemed so unreal, more so because she did not

seem to have any underlying health conditions. From denial, I moved to experiencing a lot of anger. I

was angry about why someone did not do something more. Angry that perhaps doctors misdiagnosed or

delayed treatment. At one point, I even directed the anger at myself, as to why I was not more available

to her; only if I could have done something more for her (bargaining). In my profession, I have seen

similar feelings mentioned by several people. There is often a feeling of emptiness inside them that follows

due to the loss suffered (initial stages of depression).

What immensely helps in dealing with deep personal loss, is learning to accept the reality and make

peace with the events that have happened. A perspective that can help is to think about loss of life as

part of the larger picture – the journey of learning and growth of our soul. The human body is just a

vehicle to help our soul learn the lessons it needs to learn for its journey towards eternal bliss and freedom.

When the soul has learnt its lessons, it is ready to move on – situations and circumstances just

become a means for this transition. Knowing that the soul lives on, we need to realise that our beloved

person might have left their human abode, but their essence, their soul is still there, looking over us,

guiding us.

Also, understanding that the soul is on an eternal journey and will be reborn,

our duty of love and care towards them calls on us to support their transition

by sending them positive energy and positive vibes. We should remember

them by the happy memories we created with them. We need to actively focus

our time and energy on celebrating the life that they lived.

Next, we need to honour their legacy by living the values they inculcated

in us, continuing to imbibe the empowering principles they lived by. And in

this process, we also need to find a way to focus on our own life purpose, our

mission in life, and the legacy we want to leave behind, when our soul is ready

to transition into a new life.

Life is a continuum - a never-ending path and our learning never stops. We must

accept this truth, acknowledge, honour and celebrate the life lived, know that a part

of them is always with us, looking over us, supporting us. The show must go on.

Abha Sandill is a Rapid Transformation Therapist and Mindset Coach


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The Taste of Indian Summers In UK (Rama Karmokar)

Having been resident in the UK for the last ten years, my fond memories of the past are always of the

ones from India. And these become stronger in the summer season when the kids and I are taking a

break from school and office for a holiday of some sort. All throughout my childhood, the summer season

started with the availability of sweet and delicious mangoes in the market. Being from a middle class

family, my father always waited for a few weeks for the first lot of mangoes which arrived in the market

to end, so that the price of this precious fruit that everyone liked came down and he could bring home

a constant supply of the yellow “amrut phal” ( Indian word to resemble a heavenly drink/object). As the

youngest child, I always was the first one to receive the mango in the house and also enjoyed the many

extra portions from everyone in the house. I think every Indian in some way or the other remembers

Indian summers mostly by the thought of eating mangoes. For me, among the many favourite things I

love, “Alphonso Mango” tops the list even today in 2022.

In 2012, when my husband and I arrived in the UK to make it our home, I was pregnant with our first

daughter. Being pregnant meant not eating a lot of food items which could “potentially” harm the baby.

This meant a “NO” to my most favourite things. I was upset, but controlled my urge to eat mangoes

by making a promise ( or made my husband promise me) that in 2013, after the delivery of my child,

I would receive a continuous supply of Indian Mangoes, Alphonso (Hapoos, our Marathi name for this

mango), no matter what! To my worst fears, in 2013, the export of Indian Mangoes was banned in the

UK ( or that’s what I was told ) and there was not enough or minimal availability of mangoes in the

market. Over the next few years, we managed to get some Indian mangoes even if not Alphonso all the

time, to satisfy our hunger for this yellow fruit.

Farmers sorting mangoes before packing them into boxes

Packed set of Mangoes ready

for transport to UK from

India

Packed set of Mangoes ready for transport

to UK from India

In 2017 , as we moved our family base to Kent, I came across many Indian communities who I eventually

grew very close to over the years, due to festivals or events that we all celebrated together. One such

community brought me in touch with a gentleman of Indian origin, Mr Nikhil Shinde who works

as an IT professional as his day job, but also does the business of selling Indian Mangoes to Indian

Communities across London and Kent . I still remember calling Nikhil excitedly the first time, to check

how he could deliver the Indian Mangoes on a regular basis to my house in Kent . To my surprise, I

learnt that this whole business or trade worked better if there were a lot of people ordering from the

same area so that it would become cost effective for sub-dealers like Nikhil to supply mangoes directly

to everyone's home. Being in IT myself, I never imagined myself gathering a group of families within

my own resident community , for the sake of mangoes! But I had to try something before losing the

opportunity of bringing my favourite Alphonso mangoes home! Nikhil was already running a successful

mango delivery group all around Kent and London for over a year, from 2016 at that point. He very

nicely explained to me how volunteers from different areas came forward to be the collection points

of these mango deliveries and how the distribution was subsequently achieved. Now I not only had to

decide how to bring many people to order mangoes from Nikhil but also think about being a collection

point for it as well.

They say if you taste Indian mangoes once, you can never forget it. Maybe it was this that convinced

me to talk to my area members who would be interested in ordering mangoes from a known dealer

and surprisingly many of them came forward to form this group. I volunteered to become the collection

volunteer for the area of Dartford in Kent. Nikhil was kind enough to start with our new area with


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full faith in me and my group, to start with small numbers as well. He had already told me about his

family business of mangoes back home and how he was doing this only for his passion for this fruit so

that it could be enjoyed by other fellow Indians . He was so kind that even if we had very few numbers

during the initial few weeks, he still delivered good quality mangoes every week at my doorstep in

Dartford. Over the years I learnt that Nikhil sometimes has to bear with transport costs on his own if

the numbers are low.

In the first year within the Dartford area, Nikhil learnt a lot about customers and experiences from

them. Many Indians would expect replacements or a price reduction for every little damaged mango

they received. Little did anyone know how the mangoes arrived and what an onerous task it was !

However, even with minor hiccups , everyday Nikhil’s mango quality was well received by my area

group and more and more people joined from other areas around Dartford too. Little did I know that the

community that was started just to receive good quality Indian Mangoes for my area in Dartford would

grow from 20 people to more than 100 people in a span of a month. I can never forget the year 2017

, as all the way from April to July we ate mangoes every week. Over the years since then, this group

continues to order mangoes from Nikhil every summer . Today , in 2022, we have completed 5 years

of this association and I have learnt a lot about this mango trade that goes on between India and the

UK. From selecting the right farmer for export, to sending the packed fruits to UK , to receiving it at

the airport for quality check and then bringing it right upto the doorstep of the customer, there is a lot

that goes on to making this successful. Kudos to working professionals like Nikhil who do this just for

passion. To top it, Nikhil is not only supplying good quality Indian mangoes to different communities

but also donates a portion of his profits from this trade to any known charitable organisation for their

work.

As a part of this donation, Nikhil has kindly donated 250£ to the UKHCA for the

year 2022 for their contribution to Indian Cultural events and for organising the

Maa Durga festival for the public, free of charge in Kent and for bringing Indian

communities together. Some of the pictures below are just highlights of how much

work goes on behind the background to get these mangoes to customers in UK.

Nikhil , who goes every week to collect these mangoes from the airport and delivers it to collection points across

London after his office hours.


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চিঠি (শ্রেয়সী বড়াল )

চিঠি

মনের ক্যােভানের েব রং দিলাম ত ামায়,

তবনে দেও পেন্দ মন া।

আমার ডানয়দরর পা া ভদরনয়দে ত ামার ক্দব ায়,

পনে দেও েময় মন া।

আমার দিেগুনলা দিনয়দে ত ামায়,

ান খু ু্ঁনে দেও এক্টু েময়।

আদম আেও দভনে ত ামানক্ই খুু্ঁদে,

যদি এক্বার তিখা হয়।

ক্দির চু মুনক্ও আদম খুু্ঁনে চদল ত ামায়,

নব পাই ো ত া তেই স্বাি।

অনপক্ষায় রনয়দে আদম আেও,

ক্াটিনয়দে ক্ দিেরা ।

োদেো ক্নব আবার তিখনবা ত ামায়,

শুধু োনে হারানোর ভয়।

আদম এখনো বনে থাদক্ তেখানেই,

তযখানে আমানির প্রথম তিখা হয়।।

- তেয়েী বোল


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দেখা হয় নাই চক্ু মেলিয়া ঘর হতে শুধু দুই পা ফেলিয়া...

পুরুললয়া (রোবনী চক্রবর্্তী)

আমরা অনেকেই দেশে বিদেশে বহু জায়গা ঘুরে বেরোোনোোর পর হঠাৎ উদ্ার করি ঘরের কাছে একটা দারুণ জায়গা ছিল কিন্তু দেখা হতয়

ওঠেনি। এই বছরের ফেব্রুয়ারীতে আমার অবস্াটা হতয়চেি ঠিক সেই রকম। কাশ্ীর থেকে েণ্যােু মারী-বছরে একবার দেশের কোোনোো এক

জায়গায় ১-৩ সপ্াহ ঘুরে আসাটা অভ্্যাে হতয় গগতয়চেি প্রায়। বাদ সাধল অতিমারী। পশ্চিম িতগের একটু ফাঁকা জায়গা খু ঁজে বেড়াতনার

সেই হল শুরু। এমন কোোথাও যা গাচড় ঠনতয় যাওয়া যাবে। ফেব্রুয়াঠরতে এই ভ্াবেই পৌৌছে গেলাম কোোলকাতার অনতিদূরের পুরুলিয়াতে।

শীতের এক সকালে রওনা দিলাম আরণ্যকের দেশের উতদেতে্য।

মাঝে দুবার ব্রেক ঠেতয় আমরা পুরুলিয়া ঢু কলাম দুপুর ১ টা নাগাদ। আমাদের থাকার জায়গা ছিল শহরের ২০-২২ কিমি আগে ফু শ্টয়ারী

ড্্যাতের আগে একটা নতু ন তৈরী হওয়া ঠরেতটটে । জলের খুব কাছে চাষের জমির লাতগায়া এই জায়গাতে ঠরেটটে গুলি সবই অপেক্ােৃ ত নতু ন।

পুরুলিয়া বাঙালির কাছে রোে্য ছিল বহুদিন, ফলে চাহিদা ছিলনা তেমন। তার উপর আজও একটু গরম পরলে আর লোোক যায়না। ছোোট

ছোোট একচালা অনেকগুলোো বাংলোো ঠনতয় তৈরী আমাদের রিসর্্ টটিতে আমরা যেদিন ঢু কলাম সেই দিন দুপুরে এক দল শ্টঠভ্র শু্যশ্টং

করতে আসা লোোক সেই যে চলে গেল তারপর আর কেউ এল না। শুনলাম এই নাকি দস্তুর। আমরা সপ্াতহর শুরুতে গগতয়চেিাম। লোোক

আবার আসবে সপ্াহাততে। খাবার আতয়াজন বেশ ভ্ালোো। ফ্রেশ হতয় খাওয়া সেরে একটু বিশ্াে। ফেব্রুয়ারী হলে কি হবে, পুরুলিয়ার

সূযটে বোোঝাতে শুরু করেছে তার তেজ কত। তিনি একটু পশ্চিমে ঢলতে আমরা গাচড় ঠনতয় দিঠরতয় পরলাম কাছাকাছি জায়গা দেখতে।

ফু শ্টয়ারীর জলােয়শ্ট তৈরী হতয়তে এক নাম না জানা ছোোট নদীর জল বেধে। অপেক্ােৃ ত ছোোট হলেও এশ্ট বিখ্যাে হরেক রকমের পাখির

জন্য। সরু কিন্তু গাচড় যাবার মত রাস্া চলে গগতয়তে জলােতয়র উপর ঠেতয় পাশের সাঁওতাল গ্রামটিতে। সেখানে মেঠোো রাস্া আর পাকা

রাস্ার এক মেল বন্ধন। সেই ভ্াঙাচোোড়া পথ দপঠরতয় বড় রাস্তায় পৌৌছলে দূরে পাহাড় দেখা যায়। কাছের তিনশ্ট পাহাতড়র নামঃ তিলাবনি,

শ্েন্ুরপুর আর পন্জঠনয়া। গ্াতের বাচড়গুলোো খুব সুন্র করে সাজানোো। আল্পনা দেওয়া বাইরের দেওয়ালে। মেঠোো রাস্তায় অবাধে িতড়

বেড়াতছে হাঁস মূগটেী ছাগল। পড়তে বিকেলে লোোকজন ফিরছে মাঠ থেকে। তাদের অনেকের সাথে রতয়তে গোোরু মহিষের দল। পাহাতড়র

পিছনে সূযটে ঢলছে, শেষ হতছে দিন। তিলাবনীর উপরে উঠলাম – অনেক দূর অবধি দেখা যায়। তারপর ফিরে এলাম বাংলোোতে। রাত্রের

খাবার সেরে যখন একটু হাঁটছি দূর থেকে দভ্তে আসছে মাদোোলের শব্দ। শুনলাম সরস্বতী পূজোোর অনুষ্ান চলছে। এখানে সরস্বতী পূজোো

চলে এক মাস ধরে।

পরদিন সাত সকালে দিঠরতয় পরলাম বাগমুচডির উতদেতে্য। প্েে দাঁড়াতনা েয়ূর পাহাতড়। পাহাতড়র মাথায় িতড় দেখি এক বৃদ্ সাঁওতাল

এক জায়গায় বসে গান গাইছেন। নামার েেয় অতধটেে রাস্া তিনিও এলেন। এসে বসে বাবা মা কে গান শোোনালেন। জগেি আর পাহাতড়র

ঘেরাটোোপে সেই গান আর তার সুপ্ািীন বাে্যযত্্রের সুর- যেন দভ্তে আসছে আরণ্যকের পাতা থেকে। ভ্ানুমতি এসে দাঁড়াতি এক্ু শ্ণ সামনে।

পােেচডি দিতয় গাচড় এগগতয় চলে এক পাহাড় থেকে আর এক পাহাতড়। গতেি্য এবার মুরুগামা ড্্যাে। কংসাবতীর এক উপনদী সহরাঝোোর।

তার জল বেঁধে তৈরী এই জলােয় দুশ্ট- আপার আর দিায়ার ড্্যাে। ঝকঝকে আকাশের প্ঠেেিন জলে- নীল সে জল। পাহাতড়র মাথা

থেকে দেখা যায় বহুদূর। সেই নীচে যেখানে এই জলে হতছে চাষ, দেখা যাতছে সারি সারি গাছ আর দূরে পাহাতড়র রেখা। এই খানেই খাওয়া

হল সাথে ঠনতয় আসা দুপুরের খাবার। তারপর যারো মাতিটেি পাহাড় আর বামনি ফল্স। মাতিটেি পাহাড় এখন জি বাংলার েি্যাতণ সবার ঘরে

ঘরে। জনপ্রিয় শ্েঠরয়াল পিলুতে নাকি অনেকটা দেখানোো হতয়তে এই জায়গাটা। অল্প একটু উৎরাই ভ্াঙলে পাহাড় ঘেরা ছোোট জলােয়।

বামনি ফল্স অন্য রকম। সেখানে শ্েঁচড় দভ্তঙ নামতে হয় বেশ নীচে। নামার েেয় একপাশে চোোখে পরে মুরুগামার জল। েণটোর কাছ অবধি

পৌৌছতে পারলামনা। সেদিন ছিল ১৪ই ফেব্রুয়ারী। অল্প িয়েী ছেলেমেতয়র দল সেখানে জুগলে সেল্ফি তু লতে ি্যস্। কোোলকাতাই হোোক

আর পুরুলিয়া- যুগের ধারা েিটেরেই চলে। সূযটে্য ঢলতে শুরু করেছে পশ্চিমে। পড়তে বিকেলে পাহাড় থেকে নেমে পৌৌছে গেলাম মুখোোশ

গ্াতে। কথা হল আতেজটে াঠেে খ্যাঠে সম্পন্ন ফাল্গুনী সূরেধরের সাথে। দেখলাম মুখোোশ তৈরী হওয়া। কিছু ক্ণ কাশ্টতয় গাচড় ছু টে চলল পাখী

পাহাতড়র দিকে। এক স্পতি স্ানীয় মানুষদের সাথে ঠনতয় পাহাতড়র গাতয় খচিত করেছেন ছবি আদিম মানুষের মত করে। পাহাড় জগেি

আর সেই সব ছবি। সন্ধ্যা নামলোো সেই সেখানেই। অন্ধকার আর ঝিঝি পোোকার আওয়াজের মাঝে শ্টেশ্টতে আলোো জ্বলা এেশ্ট চাতয়র

দোোকান। ফিরতি পথে রাস্ার দুধার জনমানবহীন অন্ধকার। সভ্্যতা এখনও গ্াে করেনি, শহর এখনও থাবা বসায়ঠন। কিন্তু কতদিন?

েিটেগ্ােী সভ্্যতার থেকে নিজেকে লুঠেতয় রাখবে এই আদিম পৃশ্েিী?

পরদিন সকালে েশ্টো সফর বড়ন্তি- রামচন্দ্রপুর জলােয়। অধিকাংশ লোোক এখানেই থাকে বেড়াতে এলে। সেখান থেকে দিঠরতয় রাস্তায়

পাতন্িে ড্্যাে আর গরপন্চকোোটের ধ্ংোবশেষ দেখে ঘরে ফেরার পালা। মারে দুটোো রারেী আর তিনটে দিন। স্ৃঠের গহণকোোণে জমা হতয়

গেল এক অন্য পৃশ্েিীর চিরে। সেখানে আজও রাতের বেলায় হাতির পাল নেমে আসে পাহাতড়র অন্য দিক থেকে। রাত্রে সেখানে আজও

দভ্তে আসে মাদোোলের আওয়াজ। এক প্ািীন অরণ্য এখনও ঘুঠেতয় পরে পাহাতড়র কোোলে মাথা রেখে।

পাশের পৃষ্ায় শ্াবনীর তোোলা পুরুলিয়ার কিছু ছবির তোিালাজ


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Colours of India by Joyanto Kumar Choudhury


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Indian Tiger by Diyasha Mukherjee (10 Years)

Debaditya Chatterjee (12 Years)



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Krishna by Kalpa Joshi

Maa Durga by Kalpa Joshi

Famous Indians by Aadya Karmokar (9 Years)



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Krishna by Asmi Chatterjee (7 Years)

Dancer by Sreela Halder


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Glory on Mount Tryfan shot by Sanjoy Basu

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Chicken Chapli Kabab (Debesh Mukherjee (Swaad Samrat))

Ingredients

• Minced Chicken – 500 gms

• Ginger garlic paste – tbsp

• Salt – as per taste

• Cumin seeds – 1 tbsp

• Carrom seeds – 1 tbsp

• Coriander seeds – 1½ tbsp

• Onions – 2

• Green chillies – 8

• Garlic cloves – 10

• Maize flour (Makke ka atta) – 50 gms

• Red chilli flakes – as per taste

• Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp finely chopped

• Maida – 3-4 tbsp

• Oil for frying

Method of preparation

• Take the mince in a mixing bowl and mash it thoroughly to make it smooth. If you feel it is still not

smooth you can grind it in the grinder.

• Add salt and ginger garlic paste. Mix it well and keep aside.

• Heat a pan on low medium heat. Add cumin, carrom and coriander seeds.

• Dry roast them for 25-30 seconds until the roasted smell comes out. Grind them coarsely and mix

with the mince.

• Put the Onions, green chillies and garlic cloves in a grinder and crush them coarsely without adding

any extra water.

• Mix the coarse paste in the mince.

• Add maize flour and crushed red chillies and mix everything together for 2-3 minutes like a dough.

• Cover it and keep it in the fridge for 3 hours.

• After 3 hours take it out and add chopped coriander leaves.

• Add 3- 4 tbsp maida and mix everything well.

• Brush a plate with oil.

• Take a dough ball of the mince mixture and make a round shape on the plate by spreading it lightly

from all sides using your fingers.

• Take the flattened dough out of the plate using a flat spatula or knife and shallow fry on a pan on

medium heat.

• After 3-4 minutes turn it and fry the other side.

• Serve it with onion cucumber salad.


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BASA IN CHILLI PASSATA (Pearly Banerjee)

Married to a Bengali family and having a common love for fish , I try to find new ways to enjoy fish

recipes made at home . Hope you find this a way to introduce new flavour to your fish curries.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp oil

• 1 medium onion, grated / paste

• 2 fat red chillies

• 5-6 cloves of garlic

• Salt, per taste

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 1/3 tsp ajwain (crushed)

• 1 tsp cumin powder

• 2 tsps coriander powder

• 1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder

• 1 tsp black pepper (crushed)

• 1/3 cup tomato passata ( provides the colour and bold flavour)

• 1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek)

• Juice of ½ a lemon

• Basa fish fillets

• 1 cup coconut milk

• A handful of roughly chopped coriander leaves

Method of preparation

• In a large pot heat the oil and then add in the onion paste. Cook this by stirring continuously.

• In parallel, in a chopper - blend together the chillies and garlic with a splash of water.

• After the onions look cooked (~2-3mins), add in the chilly garlic mixture and cook till the raw smell

disappears.

• Add in the spices - turmeric, ajwain, cumin powder, coriander powder, kashmiri chilli powder,

crushed black pepper and the salt. Mix well and make sure they don’t burn. Add a splash of water

if required.

• After a minute or 2, add in the tomato passata. Mix together. Cover and cook for about 10mins or

until the oil separates.

• Next, add in the kasuri methi and lemon juice.

• Slide in the pieces of fish gently into the masala. Coat them evenly.

• Add in the coconut milk and shake the vessel lightly, so that the milk blends in. (this will make sure

that the fish is untouched and hence won’t break)

• Cover and cook till it’s well done.

• Finally add in chopped coriander and serve this simple and delicious fishy with some steamed rice

or (even better) pulav,


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Choppy Chop (Debashree Chatterjee)

Enjoy the delicacy of a Bengali Vegetable Chop without worrying about the calories. A Chop with a

healthy twist. Enjoy with Moori or Kasundi or some salad and chai with family, friends and adda.

Ingredients

• 2 Beetroots

• 1 Carrot

• 1 Medium Potato - Mashed

• 12-15 Roasted Peanuts

• 1 tsp Grated Ginger

• 2 Green Chillies finely chopped

• Handful Coriander leaves chopped.

• 1 tbs Cornflour

• 3 tbs Plain Flour

• 1 tbs Breadcrumbs

• 2 tbs Semolina

• 1 tbs Refined Oil.

• Salt to Taste

• 1 pinch Demerera Sugar.

• 1 Pinch Panch Phoron

• 1tsp turmeric powder

Method of preparation:

For dry masala:

• Heat a non stick pan and when hot add all the ingredients listed for dry masala and roast until you

get the aroma. Let it cool down and grind it to a fine powder in a mixer. Set this aside.

For Filling:

• Heat a non stick pan, add oil when hot. Add panch phoron, and let it splutter. Add beetroot, carrot and

ginger. Mix it well and let it cook for a couple of mins. Add salt, turmeric powder and spoonful of dried

masala that was set aside. Mix well , cover it and let it cook for 8 mins on a low flame.

• Open the lid, stir it again and add mashed potato, green chilly and sugar. Mix it well and let it cook

for one more minute. Add roasted peanuts and coriander leaves. Ensure all the ingredients are mixed

well while still hot in the pan. Let this filling cool down. Make small dumplings with this filling.

For Coating:

• Wet mixture: Mix cornstarch and flour together with a pinch of salt, add water to make it into a runny

consistency in a bowl. Dry mixture: Mix semolina and breadcrumbs in a separate plate.

• Dip each dumpling in the wet and dry solution twice (for best results) and set it aside to rest. Once all

the dumplings are coated, refrigerate it for at least two hours so as to ensure that they don’t crack.

For The Finale:

• Pre-Heat the oven on gas mark 6. Take a non stick baking tray and place a baking paper. Put all the

dumplings and sparingly coat them with frylight. Cook them for 25-30 mins turning them occasionally

to ensure it cooks evenly.

• Enjoy this with finely sliced cabbage, onions mixed with lemon juice and kasundi or any healthy

salad. Alternatively you can enjoy with moori or just on its own with a hot cup of masala chai.


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Ingredients (For the Dry Masala)

• 1 small stick Cinnamon

• 2 Green Cardamom

• 2 Cloves

• 4 Black peppercorns

• 1 pinch fennel seeds

• 1 pinch cumin seeds

• 1 pinch coriander seeds

• 1 whole dried red chilly



Wishing all our Bengali brothers and sisters

a very happy Durga Puja

With compliments from

Haven

Help a village emerge new

www.havencharity.org


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