The Hindu : New Delhi News : Delhi's Durga Puja to have authentic Bengali feel

An article from The Hindu about celebrating Durga Puja in Chittaranjan Park (AKA "Chitto Park" "Little Bengal") in Delhi, where my brother-in-law and his family lives:

Delhi's Durga Puja to have authentic Bengali feel

Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

PICTURE OF DEVOTION: Artist Tapan Saha from Kolkata giving final touches to an idol of Goddess Durga in Delhi . Photo: Sushil Kumar Verma

NEW DELHI: Preparations for Durga Puja across the Capital are coming to an end. Hundreds of artisans from West Bengal who have been camping at Chittranjan Park in South Delhi for the past three months are now giving finishing touches to idols of various goddesses for the festivities that are due to start from September 28.

While the smaller idols are being brought by various Puja samitis from West Bengal, the larger ones are being made here in Delhi itself -- albeit with mud brought from the eastern State. Even the clothes that would adorn the deities and the decoration and jewellery they would wear are being specially brought from West Bengal.

At 12 different places

The chairman of the Chittaranjan Park Mela Ground Durga Puja Samiti, Virender Kasana, said Durga Puja in the colony would be celebrated at 12 different places and the preparations have been going on for about three months now.

"Even the music players are being called from West Bengal and waterproof Kolkata style pandals made of bamboo are being erected to provide the festival a very traditional look,'' he said.

With cultural events such as stage shows and film screenings due to be held daily during the festival that would run up to October 1, Mr. Kasana said about one lakh visitors are expected at the pandals each day.

For the devotees, bhog (prasad) of the Goddess would also be provided each night.

To facilitate easy movement for people during the period, many roads in the area would be closed for vehicular movement. A major cleanliness drive has also been launched under which all streetlights, roads and footpaths are being repaired, construction debris is being removed and water arrangements are being made for the visitors.

In view of the high threat perception, Mr. Kasana said a meeting has been held with the area Deputy Commissioner of Police. And for fire prevention, the Delhi Fire Service has been urged to make adequate arrangements in the form of providing fire tenders near the pandals. Use of gas cylinders within pandals has also been restricted and all pandals are being made with two wide entrances and exits with open spaces in between to minimise the impact of any mishap.

Let's pray that the festival season will pass peaceably. Last year, Delhi suffered 3 bomb blasts, including one at a busy market within walking distance of Chittaranjan Park.

Michigan temple burnt to the ground

Below is a story that escaped not only my notice, but also that of Hindu Press International and the Hindu American Foundation. I found out about it only after browsing a news feed from the blog of Detroit-based political conservative commentator Debbie Schlussel.


Debris and a charred house next door were all that remained Tuesday from an Aug. 22 fire that destroyed the Bangladesh Hindu Cultural Center and Temple in Hamtramck. The cause of the fire was still undetermined. (RASHAUN RUCKER/Detroit Free Press)

Fire destroys Hindu temple; officials seek clues to its origin
No clues yet, says Hamtramck fire chief as members seek a new place to worship.

Members are still in shock and left scrambling for a place to worship after a fire burned the Bangladesh Hindu Temple to the ground.

A steady stream of worshipers flocked to the charred remains of the 3-year-old temple Wednesday afternoon. Only two walls remain after an all-night fire that struck as members prepared for a religious festival in September.

"It's more than a (temple)," said Utpal Dutta, 50, of Troy, who took his two children to the scene so they could understand the impact.

"It's a people gathering place. It's all the people coming together. I feel very sad. The people put so much effort into building this thing, and now it's down the drain."

Federal investigators said it may take more than a week to know what sparked the blaze that started about 11:15 p.m. Tuesday and took eight hours to control. FBI and U.S. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Department agents joined the probe.

"We don't have any clues yet," said Hamtramck Fire Chief James Szafarczyk. "I hope we can catch the person, and if it wasn't a person, what caused this. This could be just an accidental fire."

The blaze could be seen for blocks, said Maher Obeid, 18, who lives in the city. "It was really scary to see the flame in front of your eyes.

The Bangladesh Hindu Temple, which has a membership of about 200 people, was at Grayling near Lumpkin, about two doors down from the Holbrook Elementary School inside a former Ukrainian Democratic Club, Szafarczyk said.

Szafarczyk, temple members and others in the neighborhood said there have been no reported problems in the area.

Perhaps Michigan's most diverse community, Hamtramck is home to about 25 ethnic groups. Asian Indians make up about 5.5 percent of the city's 23,000 residents, according to census figures.

A $5,000 reward is being offered by the Michigan Arson Prevention Committee to anyone with information about the fire. People should call (313) 876-8777.

Hamtramck's City Council voted to allow the Bangladeshi al-Islah mosque to broadcast the Muslim call to prayer.

Sadly, this tragedy did not bring members together:

Social tensions in the congregation, which at one time had 100 families, also have taken their toll. A conflict among castes -- the hereditary social classes in Hinduism -- exploded into a major split shortly after the fire.

Disagreements about money and status also fueled the discord, and now the congregation has only 45 families, fewer than half of what it had before the fire.

- from Wanted: New place to worship.

Those who wish to help the Bangladesh Hindu Temple may send monetary contributions to:

Hamtramck Hindu Temple Donation Fund
c/o National City Bank
11300 Jos. Campau
Hamtramck, MI 48212

Categories: Hindu, Temples

New Bird Discovered in India

Bugun liocichla

An amateur bird-watcher has found the first new bird species to be discovered in India in over 50 years. The species was discovered at a sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh, in India's northeast, bordering China. The species has been given the name Bugun liocichla, after the Bugun, a tribal people living on the border of the sanctuary. The bird is 8 inches (20 cm) in length.

Categories: India, wildlife

Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma

Last night, my husband and I attended a concert featuring Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma and his son Rahul at the University of Maryland. This is the third time that we have seen Pandit-ji: we first saw him in Kolkata at the Calcutta Club and then we saw him perform with Ustad Zakir Hussain at George Washington University. The first half was devoted to ragas and the second half to a "light classical" piece that ran non-stop for 45 minutes. The stamina! The virtuousity!

The concert supported Asha, an organization that seeks to provide education to needy children in India.

Tulsi: The Holy Power Plant

An article from About Hinduism on Tulsi: The Holy Power Plant

Categories: ayurveda

Bomb blasts kill 37 in Maharashtra

37 people are killed and 100 injured in two bomb blasts, including one at a mosque, in the Muslim majority city Malegaon in Maharashtra.


malegaon tagged map by user - Tagzania

For more, read 37 killed, over 100 hurt in Malegaon blasts from The Hindu.

Categories: India, Maharashtra, Malegaon, terrorism

The artist formerly known as Aasish Khan

Aasish Khan, the son of sarod master Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and a sarod master himself, has created a firestorm by changing his surname to Debsharma, declaring himself Hindu, and claiming that the family never converted to Islam. His father, who is now 84 and settled in California (where he has a much younger son Alam by his American wife), is very distraught over Aasish's decision.


Aasish Debsharma né Aasish Khan

What was the motivation of Aasish Debsharma né Khan? Was it fear in the post-9/11 environment, as this TOI article Post-9/11, fear has gripped all artistes suggests?

The article quotes at some length the views of lyricist and self-styled activist Javed Akhtar (and husband of actress and self-styled activist Shabana Azmi), who said that "people are overreacting in the West. In all these seven years of presidentship, all that George Bush has managed to do is to make this an insecure world." Hmm ... Javed Akhtar should be more concerned about Pakistan's recent decision to rescind his visa than about George W. Bush, particularly as he and his wife have made many overtures for closer ties with Pakistan.

I have a hard time believing that Aasish changed his name out of fear in the post-9/11 environment. Changing his name doesn't change his complexion or ethnic origins. He has upset his father and will probably incur the wrath of Muslims for his decision.

BTW Aasish is not the first member of his family to change his name from Muslim to Hindu. His aunt became Annapurna Devi, Ravi Shankar's first wife.

Categories: Music, Hindustani