ISSUE
Friday, August 15, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 72
Durga Puja is one of the biggest festivals of Kolkata, India’s city of joy, that is celebrated for nine days. Numerous pandals are set up throughout the city with huge idols of goddess Durga on display.
The Bengali community in Auckland relished the magic of Durga puja in a small yet significant manner last weekend. The Probasee Bengalee Association of NZ Inc., Sarbojanin Durgotsav organised the three-day event at Ram Mandir on 11 Brick Street in Henderson from Friday, 23 to Sunday, 25 October.
The three-day event hosted a number of activities, pujas, cultural programmes and lunch/dinner for the devotees. Durgotsav is being celebrated here for the last 24 years in Auckland with the number visitors increasing every year.
The idol of goddess Durga was imported from Kolkata in 2005 and is refurbished every year for perfection.
The puja was conducted by Dr Debes Bhattacharya who is also a professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Auckland. Approximately 400 people participated on each day of the puja. Women at the puja wore elegant bangle cotton sarees while the men were dressed in ethnic Bengali kurtas.
The event included Mahashashthi puja, Mahasaptami puja, aarti, Pushpanjali, havan, Dashami Puja and concluded with the speech by Smita Biswas from Auckland Council and SindoorDaan.
According to Hindu mythology, Durga is a manifestation of divine power, strength, prosperity and the protector of the universe. The association plans a bigger celebration for Saraswati puja in February next year.
Durga Puja is one of the biggest festivals of Kolkata, India’s city of joy, that is celebrated for nine days. Numerous pandals are set up throughout the city with huge idols of goddess Durga on display.
The Bengali community in Auckland relished the magic of Durga puja in a small yet significant...
Durga Puja is one of the biggest festivals of Kolkata, India’s city of joy, that is celebrated for nine days. Numerous pandals are set up throughout the city with huge idols of goddess Durga on display.
The Bengali community in Auckland relished the magic of Durga puja in a small yet significant manner last weekend. The Probasee Bengalee Association of NZ Inc., Sarbojanin Durgotsav organised the three-day event at Ram Mandir on 11 Brick Street in Henderson from Friday, 23 to Sunday, 25 October.
The three-day event hosted a number of activities, pujas, cultural programmes and lunch/dinner for the devotees. Durgotsav is being celebrated here for the last 24 years in Auckland with the number visitors increasing every year.
The idol of goddess Durga was imported from Kolkata in 2005 and is refurbished every year for perfection.
The puja was conducted by Dr Debes Bhattacharya who is also a professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Auckland. Approximately 400 people participated on each day of the puja. Women at the puja wore elegant bangle cotton sarees while the men were dressed in ethnic Bengali kurtas.
The event included Mahashashthi puja, Mahasaptami puja, aarti, Pushpanjali, havan, Dashami Puja and concluded with the speech by Smita Biswas from Auckland Council and SindoorDaan.
According to Hindu mythology, Durga is a manifestation of divine power, strength, prosperity and the protector of the universe. The association plans a bigger celebration for Saraswati puja in February next year.
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