Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and London Eye may be among the go-to spots in London throughout the year, but when it comes to Durga Puja, there is one place Bengalis must visit if present in the English capital — the London Sharad Utsav (LSU), organised by the UK-based charity, Bengal Heritage Foundation (BHF). Widely believed to be the biggest Durga Puja in the UK, LSU celebrated its 15th edition this year, moving to a new venue in the form of Greenford Hall in West London’s Ealing. LSU 2023 was observed over four days between October 20 and 23, with My Kolkata as digital partner, making it one of the few overseas Pujas to go beyond the usual weekend festivities.

“London Sharad Utsav has consistently showcased the richness of Indian culture and heritage, and has become a cherished event that bridges India and the UK using traditions as a unifying force. The LSU community’s dedication and efforts in preserving and promoting the spirit of Durga Puja and Indian culture in the UK are truly commendable,” said Vikram Doraiswami, High Commissioner of India to the UK. Apart from Doraiswami, LSU’s celebrations were graced by Sujit Ghosh, Deputy High Commissioner of India to the UK; Saida Muna Tasneem, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to the UK; Nick Low, the outgoing Deputy High Commissioner of the UK in Kolkata; Andrew Fleming; the incoming Deputy High Commissioner of the UK in Kolkata; Virendra Sharma, Member of the UK Parliament from Ealing; Hitesh Tailor, Mayor of Ealing; and councillors Aysha Raza and Tariq Mahmood.

From ‘sindur khela’ and ‘kola bou snan’ to ‘dhunuchi naach’ and more

‘Sindur khela’ is one of the annual highlights of LSU

With lights coming all the way from Chandernagore and a mandap inspired by the terracotta temples of Bengal, LSU worshipped its ek chalar thakur as a “symbol of Bengal’s rich multicultural tapestry”. While a kola bou snan in Thames captured the fusion of Bengali and British cultures, LSU retained the authenticity of Puja by distributing free bhog twice on each of the four days, arranging for boron and anjali and organising sindur khela on Dashami. Additionally, a whole host of cultural programmes were lined up, with everything from antakshari to dhunuchi naach to a Hindi song night setting the mood for a carnival. Traditional gastronomic favourites such as fish fry, vegetable and mutton chops were also available, As in previous years, children and youngsters were given centrestage to showcase their artistic skills, as members of the increasingly large Bengali diaspora in London poured in. In keeping with the spirit of “giving back” during Puja, BHF renewed its commitment to support the educational expenses of underprivileged children in the Sunderbans, the distribution of saris to women in rural Bengal and its partnerships with other charitable institutions such as Banchbo in Kolkata and Calcutta Rescue in the UK.

LSU began in 2009 in an attempt to recreate the ‘parar pujo’ vibe of Kolkata

“Organising this year’s Puja in a new venue was a challenging endeavour, involving the management of expectations from our 35-plus partners and thousands of visitors. With early preparations in place and a dedicated team overseeing operations, including security, queue management, bhog distribution and timely execution, we successfully brought the authentic Durga Puja experience to London once more. It’s gratifying to provide an opportunity for people to seek blessings from Ma Durga, savour delicious food, and immerse themselves in the rich cultural heritage of Bengal,” said Mainak Choudhury, member of BHF’s organising committee and IT professional at Meta, who lives with his wife and daughter in London.