London’s biggest Durga Puja celebration, the London Sharad Utsav (LSU), concluded its 17th edition with record-breaking attendance, vibrant cultural showcases and global recognition.
Organised by the Bengal Heritage Foundation, a UK-registered charity aimed at preserving Bengal’s heritage, at the Gunnersbury Park Sports Hub from September 26 to 28, the festival drew over 15,000 visitors, the organisers said.
Over the four days, the sprawling 10,000 sq ft indoor venue became a hub of devotion, food and community celebration. Free bhog was served to more than 7,000 devotees daily, while the Bokul Tala Food Court and Mela featured over 20 small businesses promoting Indian heritage.
The cultural stage, Rongo Moncho, hosted an array of performances including quiz competitions, antakshari, dhunuchi naach, and themed musical evenings like Tomake Chai, Burman-e-Bollywood and Trijoy De Live.
Among the dignitaries in attendance were Vikram Doraiswami, High Commissioner of India to the UK; Deepak Choudhary, minister (Coordination) at the High Commission of India; Rohit Dasgupta, first citizen of Newham Council, and several business leaders including Raghav Singhal, CEO of ICICI Bank, UK; Nisha Trivedi, CFO of Castrol; Rohit Gupta, CEO of Cognizant UK, and Paroma Chatterjee, CEO of Revolut India. Other civic leaders and councillors from Ealing Council were also present.
The celebration reached over three million viewers online and generated more than £100,000 in business for small enterprises, the organisers said in a statement. The festival’s annual magazine, Sharadiya Parboni, featured essays by Sam Dalrymple and professor Tapati Guha-Thakurta.
The celebration reached over three million viewers online and generated more than £100,000 in business for small enterprises, the organisers said in a statement. The festival’s annual magazine, Sharadiya Parboni, featured essays by Sam Dalrymple and professor Tapati Guha-Thakurta.