Far from home, yet rooted in tradition: Bengalis keeps culture alive

Having lived thousands of miles from their native land for decades, Bengalis living in the industrial hub are still connected to their roots and feel at home in the city. The community shares its religious and cultural bonds and celebrates all its festivals with widespread fervour and enthusiasm.

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To stay connected to their roots, Bengalis have constructed a Goddess Kali and Lord Shiva temple here in Jawaddi, where they celebrate religious and cultural events, the ‘Bengali way’. Durga Puja celebration is one of the most famous events, in which thousands from the community take part.

SK Chakarborty, the former president of Bangiya Samsad, told The Tribune here on Friday that Bengalis have been living in the city since 1962, although their numbers then were quite less, they used to hold cultural and religious events together. In 1972, Bengalis formed the Bangiya Samsad to stay connected to each other and strengthen their community. Then in 1988, community members contributed money and bought land to build a temple in the city.

After a few years, the temple at was constructed, fostering an even stronger bond among the community members. The temple became a platform where Bengalis got a chance to meet and share their experiences with each other. The community has especially invited a priest from Kolkata to the Kali temple. He performs the daily puja with due rituals and takes care

of the temple,

said Chakraborty.

“On every amavasya, we gather in large numbers to perform Kali puja. Apart from this, the Dugra Puja is celebrated in Navratri and during Diwali, we perform Kali puja instead of Laxmi puja. Now, we have been settled here in Ludhiana for decades and we eagerly wait for every festival. Whether children, adults or the elderly, everyone takes active part in every religious and cultural event,” added Chakraborty.

He asserted that not only Bengalis, but Punjabis also took part in these celebrations in good numbers. He said Punjabis also visited their temple daily to pay obeisance. “Our bond with Punjabis is becoming strong with each passing day. We, too, take part in their religious and cultural events. Now Bengalis can speak Punjabi fluently,” said Chakraborty.