Durga Puja in West Bengal, especially Kolkata, is more than a festival — it is a 10-day cultural phenomenon stretching from Mahalaya to Dashami. The first Asian festival to earn UNESCO’s recognition, it remains as sacred to ‘probashi’ Bengalis as it is to those at home.
One such ‘probashi’ celebration has been thriving for over three decades in New Jersey, thanks to the Indian Cultural Club (ICC).
It all began in 1982, when a small circle of young Bengali men and women, newly settled in the northeastern towns of New Jersey, dared to dream of something larger than themselves. Far from their ancestral soil, they yearned for a space where the sacred chants of Durga Puja could live on.
What began with a handful of determined families grew steadily, nurtured by their devotion and commitment. As the community blossomed, so too did their ambition — to celebrate Durga Puja every year in a manner that upholds the quintessential Bengali spirit.
The Indian Cultural Club, or ICC, celebrates Durga Puja every year in a manner that upholds the quintessential Bengali spirit
The Indian Cultural Club, or ICC, never owned its own building, yet it became a true home. Schools, churches, and banquet halls opened their doors to host the Goddess, who arrived from Kumartuli in Kolkata, sculpted by hands that have shaped idols for centuries.
“Unlike in Bengal, where the Goddess is immersed in river waters, in New Jersey she stays — her face and form carefully stored each year in the home of a devoted member, waiting for the next autumn when she would once again bless her children overseas. The idols here are made of fibreglass to avoid any damage. The same idols are used for eight or nine years before new ones are purchased,” explained cultural secretary Arnab Chakrabarty, one of ICC’s executive committee members.
Since no holidays are marked for Durga Puja in the United States, tradition adapts. Five sacred days shrink to a two-and-a-half-day affair. The Puja is timed as closely as possible to its true calendar, late September or October, stretching from Friday evening until the quiet hours of Sunday night. This year, the celebration by ICC members will take place on October 4 and October 5, marking the club’s 33rd Durga Puja.
Volunteers double as decorators, cooks, and dhakis, working late into Friday night to ready the stage and the venue.
Volunteers double as decorators, cooks, and dhakis
By Saturday afternoon, the air is alive with the sound of conch shells, the perfume of incense, and the laughter of children. Devotees gather in their best attire, bowing before the Goddess. Prasad is offered at midday. There is later a feast of pulao, mutton curry, dal, pickle, and sweets.
Magic shows, drawing competitions and cultural performances add to the festive spirit
Between rituals, magic shows, drawing competitions and cultural performances keep spirits high, while evenings sparkle with music and dance, headlined by artistes from India like Joy Sarkar, Lopamudra Mitra and Madhushree Bhattacharya. This year Lagnajita Chakraborty is set to perform at the ICC.
Lopamudra Mitra and Joy Sarkar at ICC
“The average footfall ranges from 350 to 400. The year when Kailash Kher performed, we had over 700 visitors in a day,” said Chakrabarty.
Funding comes from coupons and member donations — no ‘chaanda’ collection here. Visitors can pick full-day or half-day passes.
The celebrations end with Sindur Khela. On Sunday afternoon, women drape themselves in red-bordered saris and with radiant hands anoint one another with vermilion, marking not only the departure of the Goddess, but also the strength of their sisterhood.
The celebrations end with Sindur Khela on Sunday afternoon
Laughter mingles with tears, vermilion dust turns the air crimson, and for a moment New Jersey feels like Kolkata — until boron ends and the wait for Maa begins again.
