Started in 2021, New Zealand’s Bangaliana Multicultural Christchurch has been successfully celebrating Durga Puja with all traditions and rituals in place
Photographs by Bangaliana Multicultural ChristchurchThe celebrations began on October 10 this year and the Durga idol was flown all the way from Kolkata. The ‘mandap’ was decorated in elegant white with garlands of yellow and orange marigolds
The women performed the welcoming ritual of the Devi with ‘boron’ in the traditional way
On October 11 and 12, Durga Puja rituals such as ‘arati’ and ‘pushpanjali’ were conducted before devotees could relish the ‘bhog’
The Puja rituals ended on October 13 with a grand ‘arati, which was followed by the community members enjoying a sumptuous Bengali buffet spread comprising khichudi, alur dum, chholar dal, pakoda, papad, chutney, payesh, gulab jamun and jalebi
A cultural programme was held where the young and old put up various performances. In picture, children perform in front of the goddess
The women of the community also participated in showcasing their cultural roots and talent in singing
Children received tokens of appreciation for participating in the events. Not forgetting their roots, their performance featured folk and classical themes
Women put vermilion on each other for the ‘sindur khela’ and bid farewell to Durga on the last day of the celebrations
People turned up in huge numbers to witness the grandeur of the Durga Puja celebrations by Bangaliana Multicultural Christchurch