Bengalis in Bangalore felt closer to home as Durga Pooja celebrations of Bengalee Association, started  at RBANMS Grounds in Ulsoor on Wednesday.

From idol to pandal, sarees to banners, stage to stalls of eatables, everything had an authentic Bengali touch and people missed Kolkata a little.  A bengali-style idol of Durgatinashini with a background design very close to Madhubani painting, women in off-white sarees with red border and eateries such as Babu Mosai and Bangabhoj imparted a Bang-flavour to the ambience. 

“The atmosphere, here, is very homely and it’s fun to meet so many people for five days during the celebrations”, said M Datta Majumdar, a resident of Kamanahalli.

Colonel Abhijit Banerjee of Indian Army, who has been attending the Bengalee Association pooja since 1966, said “the celebrations have always been wonderful and they’re getting better every year. I feel at home here,” he added.

Nilotpal Bhattacharjee and Sumit Saraswati, students of Visual Communication at Srishti College of Art Design and Technology, Yelahanka, came to visit the pandals after having heard a lot about the association’s pooja. “I’m glad that I’m here. It’s such a grand function,” Nilotpal said.

“This is the only place, where we can have the feel of festivities back home (Kolkata) and the organisation of pooja is fantastic,” said Mridusmita, HR Executive, Nokia Siemens Network. Akshata K N, a resident  of Ulsoor, who participated in the function said “it’s nice to know the culture and rituals of other communities ”.

People, who complained about the inauguration ceremony being conducted in English, jumped out of joy, when the Governor Rameshwar Thakur started his address in Bengali.