Organisers of 24 pujas from across the globe and 10 from the city shared the stage on Monday to discuss ways to globalise Durga puja and their own initiatives to popularise Durga puja in their respective areas. The programme at Calcutta Rowing Club was part of Bengal Global Connect, a meet organised by Heritage Bengal Global (HBG), a cultural platform for the Bengali diaspora.
“We are working to strengthen systematic engagement between Bengal and the global diaspora through business partnerships and cultural collaborations,” said HBG president Anirban Mukhpadhyay. The UK-based organiser recalled how he had asked sculptor Kaushik Ghosh for his international client list and started making calls, starting with New Zealand in the morning and ending with California at night on a
single day in 2021 to form the group.
The contribution of Durga puja to Bengal’s economy and to the livelihoods of individuals connected to it was highlighted by Pradyumna Mukherjee of 66 Palli. “This is why we could not stop puja even at the height of the pandemic,” he pointed out.
All the local Puja organisers agreed that subscriptions raised from people were inadequate to support Puja. “We are here to talk business, not just art,” specified Partha Ghosh of Shibmandir. “We have to make up the deficits in budget by paying from our own pockets. It is our misfortune that we have failed to market Durga puja,” said Saswata Bose of Hatibagan Sarbojanin. Sohini Roy of the 100-year-old Simla Byayam Samiti puja shared her disappointment at needing to make requests for sponsorships even in a milestone year of one of the city’s earliest community pujas with a rich history.
Some were ready with suggestions. “Why don’t corporate entities come forward to adopt individual pujas for specific periods just as they have become title sponsors of Metro stations? We need to think beyond Calcutta and reach out to the world. This will strengthen our state’s economy,” said Subir Das of 75 Palli. Arijit Maitra of Samaj Sebi Sangha pushed for collaborations between local pujas and pujas abroad. “We are struggling to go global. We can use this platform to form mutually beneficial associations,” he said. Saptarshi Basu of Ballygunge Cultural Association floated the idea of a global Durga puja in the UK cohosted by multiple organisers to popularise Puja abroad.
Also present were Suvendu Samanta of Chetla Agrani, Dulal Seal of Ahirititola Yubak Brinda and Aniruddha Dutta of Chakraberia Sarbojanin.
The organisers hailed the Times Square Durga puja for hosting Durga puja for the first time at “the crossroads of the world”. “Unlike the weekend pujas elsewhere in the US, we performed the rituals as per the scripture timings and received 50,000 visitors daily,” said Kallol Basu.
Jayanta Chakraborty of Indonesia spoke of the syncretic growth of the puja started in a garage in 1983 in a Muslim-majority country to its present state where they even undertake charitable work under its Durgabahini wing. Saswata Chattopadhyay of Ireland spoke of the regular training for priests that they hold to offset manpower deficit. Organisers from countries like Germany, Czech Republic, New Zealand, UK and Canada were present as well.
The evening also saw the launch of Bengal Angel Network of Investors. “We will provide access to a global network and to funds of venture capitalists as also mentor them in collaborating with the diaspora,” said Arnab Basu, one of the organisers. An MoU was signed in this regard with IKN Innovation Foundation, the incubation wing of International Management Institute Kolkata. Actor Prosenjit Chatterjee also addressed the gathering.