UKHCA 2023 - Annual Brochure

Sharodiya Durga Puja 2023

শারদীয়া দুর্গোৎসব ১৪৩০

UK Hindu Cultural Association

Annual Brochure

For donations please pay to: Sort Code:20-06-72 Account No:50740896

Account Name: United Kingdom Hindu Cultural Association

www.ukhca.community

ukhca.info@gmail.com

Registered UK Charity No: 1069932

Scan the QR code to be part of our journey and become a member of the UKHCA family



Table of Contents

Durga Puja 2023 Schedule and Arrangements............................................................................................................................. 4

Editorial Message.......................................................................................................................................................................... 6

UKHCA Events Calendar 2023 -24.............................................................................................................................................. 8

UKHCA Executive Committee Introductions............................................................................................................................... 9

Message from First Time Attendees of UKHCA Durga Puja...................................................................................................... 10

Thank You - You will be missed.................................................................................................................................................... 11

President’s Note............................................................................................................................................................................. 12

General Secretary’s Note............................................................................................................................................................... 14

Treasurer’s Note............................................................................................................................................................................ 16

Our Donors for 2022 - 23............................................................................................................................................................... 17

Interim Summary Of Accounts 2022 - 23..................................................................................................................................... 18

Glimpses of our events in 2022 - 23.............................................................................................................................................. 20-25

Musings And Marvels

Not just a homecoming ~ Dr. Dibyendu Datta.............................................................................................................................. 26

A poetry in the making ~ Dr. Amitav Dutta.................................................................................................................................. 26

বাংলা বার্্তা

জীবন্্ত প্্রত্তমার সম্মান ~ জু ঁ ই ভট্টাচটার্্য্্য...................................................................................................................................................

যমালয়ে অমূল্যবাবু ~ডটাঃ শ্রাবণী চক্রবর্তী..................................................................................................................................................... 29

Dialogue Diaries

London’s First Saree Walkathon 2023 ~ Foreword by Paushali De Roy and interview of Dr. Dipti Jain by Rama Karmokar 31

Surviving - A single Indian woman’s battle against prejudice and betrayal ~ Interview of Dr. Sneh Lata Mathur by Sumita

Mukherjee

Passport Pursuits

Visit to Mata Vaishnodevi Mandir ~ Suman (Tim) and Mousumi Das...................................................................................... 37

Uros - The eternally Floating Islands on Lake Titicaca ~ Dr. Sonali Guha.............................................................................. 41

Unleashing the Power Within: A journey of Transformation ~ Abha Sandhil........................................................................... 42

kids Kronicles

The Last Voyage ~ Diyasha Mukherjee........................................................................................................................................ 44

Travis’ Zoo ~ Aadya P. Karmokar................................................................................................................................................. 44

The path of my river ~ Anika Maheshwari.................................................................................................................................... 46

Back Home ~ Debaditya Kumar Chatterjee................................................................................................................................... 46

Water Walk ~ Prisha Rastogi........................................................................................................................................................ 48

Durga kills Mahishasura ~ Anika Challa................................................................................................................................... 48

Canvas Creations

Painting by Dr. Joyanto Kumar Choudhury................................................................................................................................. 50

Painting by Ashmi Das, Ashmi Chatterjee & Debanjona Chatterjee........................................................................................... 51

Painting by Abhika Joshi, Ashmi Chatterjee & Param Karmokar.............................................................................................. 52

Painting by Akshatha Mhatre, Aadya Karmokar & Raayna Sachdev........................................................................................ 53

FRAME ‘N’ Focus

Photography by Dr. Sanjoy Basu, Deepali Maheshwari & Anika Maheshwari.......................................................................... 54

Khana Khazana

Green Chilli Pickle ~ Sumita Mukherjee....................................................................................................................................... 56

Daal Gosht ~ Debesh Mukherjee..................................................................................................................................................... 58

28

35


We are wholly reliant on the kind donations from all of you to be able

www.ukhca.community

to organise our pujas and events. ukhca.info@gmail.com

Scan the QR code to donate and support our efforts

Registered UK Charity No. 1069932

3



Durga Puja 2023 Schedule and Arrangements

We will be celebrating our Durga Puja in 2023 over 3 and a half days between

21st October 2023 - 24th October 2023

at Swanley Town Hall, Alexandra Suite, St. Mary’s Road, Swanley BR8 7BU

Durga Puja 2023 Programme

দূর্্য্টা পূজটার নির্্য্ন্্ট

Saturday

21 st October 2023

Maha Sasthi

11AM to 1PM

Bodhon | Kalparambha | Sasthi Puja

| Amantran | Adhibas | Pushpanjali |

Bhog|Prosad Bitoron | Arati

Saturday

21 st October 2023

Maha Saptami

5PM to 8PM

Saptami Puja | Nabapatrika Snan

|Maha Snan|Pushpanjali | Bhog |

Prosad Bitoron | Arati

Sunday

22 nd October 2023

Maha Ashtami

11AM to 1PM

5PM to 8PM

Ashtami Puja | Astra Puja|

Pushpanjali |Bhog | Prosad Bitoron |

Arati

Sandhi Puja | Pushpanjali |Dipannita

| Prosad Bitoron |Arati

Monday

23 rd October 2023

Maha Nabami

11AM to 1PM

5PM to 8PM

Nabami Puja | Pushpanjali |Bhog |

Bolidan| Prosad Bitoron |Arati

Homa | Pushpanjali | Prosad Bitoron

| Arati

Tuesday

24 th October 2023

Bijoya Dashami

11AM to 2PM

Dashami Puja | Pushpanjali | Dadhi

Karma |Prosad Bitoron | Arati |

Bishorjon | Sindoor Khela

Priest: Debanjan Mukherjee

Lunch and dinner served everyday after puja. Food servicing will be prioritised for our event donors

on first come, first served basis. You can donate for Durga Puja at: https://ukhca.community/donate/

Our Durga Puja Venue

The Alexandra Suite is located at the heart of Swanley opposite Orchards Academy on St Mary’s Road.

The venue is easily accessible for those living in Bexley, Bexleyheath, Bromley, Dartford, Orpington,

Eltham, Greenwich, Catford and adjoining areas without joining any motorways.

Directions from Kent: Attendees from Kent and other parts of London and the South East, the venue is

easily accessible from A20/M25.

Parking: The venue provides off-street parking for over 80 cars. Please enquire about parking

arrangements when you arrive at the reception. On-street parking is also available in the immediate

vicinity after 6:30PM (Monday to Saturday) and all day Sunday.

Train: Swanley railway station is 4 minutes walk away with frequent services from London and Kent.


www.ukhca.community



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www.ukhca.community



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Editorial Message

Here we are again, with a brand new edition of our UKHCA Brochure 2023! In the past three years, the

brochure has been revolutionized to focus on drawing out creative content from within our community

and friends.

Durga Puja is an intrinsic part of Bengali culture. UKHCA has been celebrating Durga Puja for the past

11 years to highlight Bengali culture in the Kent community. The production of an annual brochure

has been an integral part of our celebrations. This brochure enables us to showcase the cultural events

undertaken in the past year and spread awareness and raise the profile of our association within the

UK community. Like every year, our team has worked hard to not only collect advertisements for the

brochure, but also to encourage and enthuse everyone in our UKHCA family to be a part of this creative

production by making their active contributions.

With Maa Durga’s blessings, we started our work this year in the month of April 2023. From the very

beginning, we meaningfully divided our brochure team to keep focus on the two very important parts

of the brochure. One section was purely focussed on collecting and creating quality content whilst the

other section was focussed on collecting the advertisements.

Our motivation for collecting enough advertisements is to support the expenses of printing our brochure

as well as generate some revenue for the execution of our Durga Puja. Our advertisement drive for the

brochure always focuses on reaching out to our UKHCA community and friends. We also reach out to

any new local Kent or UK businesses (small or big) to showcase their businesses to our community as

prospective customers. This year we have 18 businesses, both old and new who have advertised in our

brochure. We are grateful and thank them for their support. I request all our readers to please consider

using the services of our advertisers in whatever way possible.

The highlight of every Brochure is its cover page! For the past three years, we have successfully

encouraged one of our UKHCA extended family members to design the brochure cover. This year, our

thanks to Mrs Suchismita Mukherjee, whose artwork of Maa Durga has been selected as the cover

page for UKHCA Brochure 2023! Many thanks to Dr. Joyanto Choudhury who has contributed a very

bespoke piece of art, influenced by India for the brochure.

Each year we decide on a theme to give some direction to contributors for articles. Our theme this year

was related to a Memorable Holiday! We also encouraged submissions on other interesting topics. So

this year our readers get the opportunity to enjoy a collection of articles and photographs on holidays

and a variety of other topics such as the London Saree Walkathon, delicious recipes and inspirational

interviews of influential people. You will also be delighted to see artwork from children, photographs

and excellent poems by our members.

Last but not the least, the production and curation of a magazine is a result of the hard work of the team

behind it. Myself, Mrs Rama Karmokar as the Brochure Lead would like to thank “Our dream-team” for

all their efforts in encouraging our community members to send articles, to edit them and lastly to find

creative ways to contribute to the brochure themselves.

Listed below are the members of our team who have given up their valuable time and worked tirelessly

to bring the UKHCA 2023 Brochure to fruition!

Article Collection: Rama Karmokar, Suman Das, Paramita Pandit, Anamika Sengupta, Arunima

Saha, Sumita Mukherjee

Editing: Anamika Sengupta, Arunima Saha, Roshmi Kumar

Advertisement Co-ordination: Rama Karmokar, Paramita Pandit, Arunima Saha, Sumita Mukherjee,

Roshmi Kumar

Accounts and Invoicing: Tanuj Banerjee and Suman Das

Production: Debanjan Mukherjee

Please enjoy our compilation and kindly support the businesses featured in our brochure.

Warm Regards

UKHCA Brochure Team

Rama Roshmi Arunima Sumita

Paromita

Anamika

Tanuj


www.ukhca.community



Tim

Debanjan

6




www.ukhca.community



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UKHCA Events Calendar 2023 - 24

UKHCA Kali Puja

Sunday 12 Nov 2023

Alexandra Suite, Swanley Town Hall, St Mary’s Road,

Swanley BR8 7BU

UKHCA Christmas Party

Sunday 03 Dec 2023

Indian Essence, 176-178 Petts Wood Rd, Petts Wood,

Orpington BR5 1LG

This is a ticketed event. Please keep an eye on our website and social media

channels for the ticket link

UKHCA Saraswati Puja

Sunday 18 Feb 2024

The Olympic, Beechenlea Lane,

Swanley BR8 8DR

UKHCA Holi Milan

March 2024

This is a ticketed event. Please keep an eye on our website and social media

channels for the ticket link

UKHCA AGM and Bengali New Year

Celebration

April 2024


www.ukhca.community



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UKHCA Executive Committee Introductions

Mrs. Krishna Baruah

President

Mr. Debanjan Mukherjee

General Secretary

Dr. Sanjoy Basu

Vice President

Dr. Ashis Sau

Vice President

Mr. Tanuj Banerjee

Joint Treasurer

Mrs. Jharna Sil Verma

Joint Treasurer

Mr. Suman Das

Assistant Secretary

Mrs. Sumita Mukherjee

Assistant Secretary

Mrs. Rama Karmokar

Assistant Secretary

Mrs. Sunanda Sarkar

Lifetime Exco Member

Dr. Saibal Hazra


Prof. Bimal Bhaduri


Mr. Debashish Sarkar

Exco Member

Mrs. Paramita Pandit

Exco Member

Dr. Roshmi Kumar

Exco Member

Mr. Bhabani Sahoo

Exco Member

Dr. Joyanto Choudhury

Exco Member

Dr. Amitav Dutta

Exco Member

Mrs. Pieu Chaudhuri

Exco Member

Mrs. Arunima Saha

Exco Member

Mrs. Sumona Chatterjee

Exco Member

Dr. Bikramjit Bhattacharjee

Exco Member


www.ukhca.community

Dr. Dibyendu Datta

Exco Member

Mrs. Rakhee Dutta Gupta

Exco Member


Ms. Subarna Sen

Exco Member


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Message from First Time Attendees of UKHCA Durga Puja

Sushanto and Saswati Saha

Sushanto and I have been living in UK for over 3 years and were coping with the fact that living away

from India meant giving up on the joy of celebrating many of our joyful festivals.

Letting go wasn’t easy, still managed to celebrate most of the festivals remotely over

whatsapp with families living miles away. However, being a Bengali, celebrating

Durga pujo remotely was never an option, so, we visited several pandals in and near

London and though was happy to receive the blessings of Ma Durga, the pujo vibe

was completely missing and was more of a transactional affair.

We were then invited by Debanjan Da and Suchismita Di to the UKHCA pujo in

2021, when it reconvened after the pandemic. We had heard a lot about the UKHCA

pujo and its hospitality; however, had kept our expectations to the least based on the

past experiences of Durga pujo in UK.

We stepped into the Swanley hall on Sashti evening with mixed feelings of excitement

and awkwardness of being a stranger. The first glance into the Swanley hall took me

back to the lanes of Kolkata and it took me a while to believe that I was in a pujo in

UK. The pujo vibe was everywhere, from the smell of dhup, to the beautiful divas in saree, the friendly

call outs in Bangla, the queue in front of the phuchka stall and many more.

Though it was our first visit to this pujo, we felt a part of this warm and friendly community in no time

and were glad to volunteer for the food distribution service led by Sanjoy da which made us one of his

favourites in no time.

The brilliant cultural programme by some of the very talented participants was a cherry on the cake.

Looking forward to be a part of UKHCA Pujo again this year.

Sampriti Chakrabarti

My name is Sampriti Chakrabarti. I live in Orpington. Durga puja is an

emotional event for every Bengali. Although in the South East we have

some options to celebrate Durga Puja, I would definitely say that UKHCA

puja is the best one.

I came to know about UK Hindu Cultural Association in 2019. I was

introduced by my friend Jharna Sil Verma. Since then we (me and my

family) and our friends have celebrated every Durga puja with UKHCA.

This year also we are planning to celebrate Durga puja with UKHCA. The

members are very friendly. It feels like home away home during Durga

Puja. We absolutely enjoy every rituals and cultural programs every

time we visit UKHCA. I would like to say thanks to the organisers for

organising such a great event that we don’t at all miss Kolkata’s Durga Puja.

Bala Krishna

I am Bala Krishna, living in Bromley with family for about 13 years now.

We had attended the Durga Puja organised by UKHCA in Swanley, in 2022.

Invited by our friend Jharna Sil.

It was a very well organised event, beautiful idols of Durga ma for darshan,

great cultural programs, amazing prashad and above all, we met some lovely

new people there.

Huge thanks to the organisers for all their efforts in bringing such an uplifting

and devotional/spiritual event for the community.


www.ukhca.community



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Thank you - You will be missed

Dr. Tapon Halder

Dr. Tapon Halder decided to step down as the President and Executive Member

pre-maturely in his term and handed over the President duties to Mrs. Krishna

Baruah in December 2022.

Dr. Halder was associated with UKHCA since its very inception and has been

a generous donor and guiding light for the younger generation inducting and

encouraging them in UKHCA activities.

Dr. Halder will be spending time in India during Durga Puja so we will miss

seeing him and his family during our events this year. However, we hope to see

Dr. Halder and Mrs. Jaba Halder in our future events

Kaushik has decided to take a break from Executive Member duties to focus on

his family and personal life.

We hope to have him back in the Executive Committee soon.

Mr. Kaushik Pramanik


www.ukhca.community



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President’s Note

I am Krishna Baruah, and it is an honour for me to address you as the newly appointed President of

UKHCA (Dec 2022). I extend a warm welcome to each and every one of you. I am privileged to serve in

this role and would like to take this opportunity to share a personal connection with our organization.

I am proud to be one of the founding members of UKHCA, which was established by the late Dr. Tarun

Banerjee da in 1976. I consider myself fortunate to have taken part in the very first UKHCA Saraswati

Puja, which took place in dada’s house in 1993. This journey holds a special place in my heart, and I am

committed to carrying forward the legacy of our esteemed organization.

I am delighted to welcome all of you to our 11 th Sharodiya Durga Puja 2023. We have faced numerous

challenges in the past couple of years, but gradually we are returning to our normal lives. This year, we

are overjoyed to celebrate our King Charles’ coronation along with our Durga Puja festivities.

We are now prepared to commemorate our Durga Puja with splendour and grandeur. The UKHCA’s

core value is to embrace our diverse community and encourage everyone to participate in our festivals

through various activities. Throughout the year, we primarily observe three Pujas: Maa Durga, Maa

Kali, and Maa Saraswati. However, going forward, we will also include a Christmas party and a Holi

Party in our calendar of events.

Despite having a dedicated and hardworking team of over 100 members, we are always open to

welcoming new members. Organizing festivals for a large community requires ample resources from our

members, and I am truly grateful that our members have consistently supported us with their valuable

time and financial contributions. Each member of our team is occupied with their own professions, yet

they generously devote their time during the festival seasons. I sincerely appreciate and thank each and

every one of them.

I humbly request the younger generation to step forward and become active volunteers in our extended

UKHCA family. Your involvement and ideas will make our organization stronger for future generations.

We have decided to hold our annual general meeting (AGM) in April to ensure effective planning and

successful execution of our initiatives.

I extend special thanks to our office bearers and team members who oversee various activities such as

finance, front desk, brochure and website management, stalls, decoration, flowers, pujar jogar, cultural

events, kitchens, and food distribution among others.

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to our outgoing President, Dr. Tapon Halder da, for his

remarkable contributions to UKHCA. We will miss him and wish him the best in his future endeavours.

Lastly, I offer my sincere thanks to our donors and sponsors who have supported us in upholding our

standards.

With warm wishes,


Mrs. Krishna Baruah

www.ukhca.community



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Dear friends,

General Secretary’s Note

It is hard to believe it has already been a year I have had the pleasure and honour of serving you all

as General Secretary. As I welcome you all to UKHCA’s 11th Durga Puja celebrations I want to take a

moment to reflect on the key headlines of the year gone by:

• Post-Covid our events last year saw record turnout and we were able to successfully execute Durga

Puja (including Bijoya Sammelani), Kali Puja, Saraswati Puja, Christmas and Holi events

• We had strong community participation and engagement with a total of 41 adult and 6 children

actively volunteering for UKHCA. My heartfelt thanks to all of you for giving up your precious time

in making the events successful

• We successfully transitioned our Puja arrangements to a relatively new team spearheaded by myself

as the priest. My gratitude to the community for accepting me as UKHCA’s priest and I commit to

fulfil this solemn duty with utmost devotion for as long as you want me to

• We received overwhelming financial and non-financial support from our Executive Committee and

General Members helping us meet our financial commitments for the year. I want to express my

gratitude to you all for standing beside UKHCA through these trying times

• 12 new members joined UKHCA last year. I want to welcome all of you to UKHCA family and look

forward to working with all of you this year.

• 4 new EC members joined us in 2023. A very warm welcome to:

• Mrs. Pieu Choudhury, who has decided to join back UKHCA Executive Committee after

a short break,

• Mrs. Sumona Chatterjee

• Mrs. Rakhee Dutta Gupta

• Ms. Subarna Sen

I am absolutely delighted to have you all onboard.

• Mrs. Rama Karmokar joined us as an additional Office Bearer in August 2023 taking up the

position of Assistant General Secretary. She has been a true pillar of support for UKHCA and I am

glad to welcome her to the Office Bearer team

• Mrs. Krishna Baruah took over as the first female President of UKHCA transitioning from Dr.

Tapon Halder in December 2022. Unfortunately, Dr. Tapon Halder decided to step down from the

Executive Committee this year. I wanted to express my sincere thanks to for Dr. Halder for his

patronage of UKHCA over the years.

• We successfully streamlined all our internal processes like planning, budgeting, accounting and Gift

Aid reclaim significantly improving our operational efficiency, record keeping and transparency.

With these changes in place we have been able to reclaim Gift Aid for past 5 years and embed an

easy and repeatable process for reclaiming Gift Aid on a recurring basis

• We have digitised all our key member interactions like new member on boarding, donations and

gate collection to improve our member experience and gain further operational efficiencies

• We have updated the UKHCA Constitution to add Roles & Responsibilities and Financial Governance

Framework. You can view the updated constitution at https://ukhca.community/privacy-policy

I am truly excited about the immense potential and opportunity the year ahead holds for us as we

continue our journey towards the vision [establish UKHCA as a ‘family’ where we support each

other through thick and thin and be known for being the most homely Bengali community

organisation in South East London and Kent] we have set for ourselves.


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Our priorities for this year are to:

1. Continue enjoying each other’s company and laugh together; this is our existential purpose

and we should always keep each other honest to ensure we are achieving this.

2. Streamline puja and event formats; this includes compressing Durga Puja to 3.5 day format

[Day 1 – Sasthi and Saptami, Day 2 – Ashtami, Day 3 – Nabami and Day 3.5 – Bijoya Dashami],

aligning Kali Puja celebration to the auspicious Amavasya tithi day and aligning Saraswati Puja

celebration to the nearest weekend of the actual Panchami tithi day to allow kids to wholeheartedly

participate in the puja. The whole arrangement has been agreed with our Executive Committee and

broader membership at AGM, balancing practicalities with tradition

3. Work out a sustainable and stable solution for food serving; we will pilot food tokens in most

of our events this year to prioritise food distribution for our donors and volunteers

4. Increasing membership and community participation; so we can truly become a platform of

the community, by the community and for the community

5. Continue de-centralising accountabilities; so new members can come forward and take lead in

key areas helping build a sustainable succession plan for UKHCA

Last but not the least, I am indebted to all our Office Bearers, Executive Committee Members, General

Members and volunteers for your strong show of support and enthusiasm without which we cannot

function. I would also like to extend my thanks to all our generous sponsors for helping us meet our

financial commitments and supporting our cause.

Jai Maa Durga

Yours sincerely,

Debanjan

Mr. Debanjan Mukherjee


www.ukhca.community



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Treasurer’s Note

Dear All,

I, Tanuj Banerjee along with Jharna Sil Verma, would like to welcome you to the 11th UKHCA Durga Puja

Festival.

Continuing from our last year’s note I cannot compliment enough how spectacular was our 2022 puja

celebrations were. With the all-round effort from various volunteers and members we witnessed a special

10th UKHCA Puja. The aesthetics and grandeur of our Pujo celebration were unparalleled and we thank

Debanjan and Debesh da for their commitment and conduct of the Pujo rituals in their first year as purohits.

It was divine and enigmatic.

We continue to thank our kind donors and sponsors for their support (noted in page 17 ) which has kept

UKHCA going and maintaining a positive financial tally. A notable 15 % increase in annual membership

year-on-year through Jharna’s hardwork is a reflection of our diverse pool of members from the Indian

community and this list is growing. We are grateful to have such supportive and invaluable donors, sponsors,

and members.

UKHCA is a very adaptive organization, and therefore year on year we listen to all feedback and work out

numerous ways to improve our commitment to the society. We are continuously working to keep pace with

tremendous rising costs with a close eye on our budgets on all pillars of our services during Pujo. We humbly

expect your continued support on small transformations of our arrangements in some areas.

As noted in the AGM 2022 minutes, we have invested in our communications and website management

which has driven an effective way of handling donations and accounts. This keeps us smart and audited. We

thank Suman Das for his drive and enthusiasm on building the website.

Lastly, we want to emphasize once again that UKHCA is your organization. Come and celebrate with friends

and family and oh! Do not miss the “dhunuchi naach.”

Mrs.Jharna Sil Verma

(Joint Treasurer)

Mr.Tanuj Banerjee

(Joint Treasurer)

We are wholly reliant on the kind donations from all of you to be able to organise

our pujas and events.

Scan the QR code to donate and support our efforts


www.ukhca.community



16



Our Donors for 2022 - 23

We thank our sponsors for their generous donations through 2022 - 23. Besides the sponsors named

below we also received donations from numerous sponsors who choose to remain anonymous.

The entire UKHCA family is thankful to you all as without your help and support we will never be able

to organise the pujas for the community.

Durga Puja 2022

General Donation

We hope you will continue to support us this year and in future.

Please support our efforts and donate through: https://ukhca.community/donate/

• Ajay Ambagade

• Bhabani Sahoo

• Dipankar Chowdhury

• Dwaipayan Ray

• Gopi Chandran

• Joyanto Choudhury

• Manoj Kumar

• Mihir Khan

• Pradeep Basnyat

• Ramaprasad Dasgupta

• Sandip Mahanta

• Sanjoy Basu

• Satyajit Marndy

• Shubhendro

Chatterjee

• Sunanda Sarkar

• Tapon Halder

Durga Puja 2022

Donation in kind

Durga Puja 2022

Maha Sasthi

Durga Puja 2022

Maha Saptami

• 108 lotus flowers by Bimal & Mallika Bhaduri

• Puja Samagri by Suman Das, Debanjan Mukherjee, Debesh Mukherjee,

Sumi Chowdhury and Sonali Guha

• Abhijit Mondal

• Anand and Nandita Divekar

• Rakhee Dutta Gupta

• Sourja Chaudhuri and Pieu Chaudhuri

• Anuradha Bhadra

• Roshmi Kumar

• Suchismita Mukherjee

• Aditi Sil

• Mita Sau

Durga Puja 2022

• Chitra Das

• Riya Das

Maha Ashtami

• Gayatri Ranjan

• Sushanto Saha

Durga Puja 2022

Bijoya Dasami

• Anand and Nandita Divekar

Bijoya Sammilani • External artist (Sayoni Palit) sponsored by Chandrima Basu

Kali Puja 2022

Saraswati Puja 2023

• Joyanto Choudhuri, Sanjoy Basu, Chandrima Basu

• Sourja Chaudhuri and Pieu Chaudhuri

• Joyanto Choudhury

• Bikramjit Bhattacharjee

• Krishna Baruah


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Interim Summary of Accounts 2022 - 23

Interim* Financial Statement of Income and Expenses

For the year ended 31 March 2023

31/3/2023 31/3/2022

£ £

INCOME AND ENDOWMENT

Donations and legacies

Membership Subscriptions and Donations 2,443 2,353

2,443 2,353

Income from Charitable activities

Durga Puja 28,531 24,272

Kali Puja 1,528 1,039

X-Mas Party 1,438 -

Saraswati Puja 1,863 1,832

Holi 1,652 -

35,012 27,143

One off Gift Aid Reclaims

Financial year 2021 - 2022 5,373 -

Financial year 2020 - 2021 1,262 -

Financial year 2019 - 2020 3,934 -

Financial year 2018 - 2019 3,150 -

13,719 -

Other income

Other miscellaneous income 22 672

22 672

Total Income 48,753 30,168

EXPENDITURE

Cost of Charitable activities

Durga Puja (24,789) (18,506)

Kali Puja (2,155) (1,108)

X-Mas Party (1,673) -

Saraswati Puja (2,046) (2,024)

Holi (1,999) -

(32,662) (21,638)

SUPPORT COSTS

Additional Expenses (1,099) (1,754)

(1,099) (1,754)

Total Expenditure (33,761) (24,721)

Net income 14,992 5,447


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Interim Statement of Financial Position

For the year ended 31 March 2023

31/3/2023 31/3/2022

£ £

Cash at bank and in hand 50,326 32,853

*These are interim summary of our accounts currently under review with our accountant. Accounts to be finalised by the

end of the year and submitted to Charity Commission


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2022 Durga Puja Celebrations

At the UK Hindu Cultural Association (UKHCA), we have celebrated our 10th Sharodiya Durgotsav in

2022. At the puja this year, we have seen a confluence of old and new, modern and traditional and we

are proud to have brought our Bengali and Indian community together, whilst also supporting our local

businesses.

We have seen wonderful camaraderie amongst friends, old and new, everyone joining hands to celebrate

Ma Durga’s visit to our mortal earth. Our puja rituals were performed by our priests Debanjan Mukherjee

and Debesh Mukherjee with devotion, joy and pride, all at the same time. They not only led the puja

with enthusiasm and fervour, but also brought our community to celebrate our wonderful puja together.

They explained the meaning of the Shlokas they were reciting and gave us a gist of the ethos behind

these and reasons why these rituals were being performed during the puja.

Our volunteer community were actively involved in all aspects of the puja, making it a resounding

success! Every day, we served our delicious Puja ‘prasad’ and ‘bhog’ twice a day, making the joy of the

Puja even more fulfilling. Our local advertisers and businesses put up their stalls and banners, offering

delectable food and gorgeous lifestyle items for sale, bringing a mini-shopping bonanza to the local

community. On Shashti and Saptami, we saw lovely performances from our community members and

on Bijoya Dashami, our celebrations culminated with a magnificent performance from Sayani Palit

followed by our Bijoya Sammilani dinner. Our heartfelt ‘thank you’ to our dear volunteers, patrons,

donors and advertisers. Thank you for your support, your presence, your participation and your generous

donations. We are overwhelmed with your love.


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2022 Kali Puja Celebrations

The UK Hindu Cultural Association (UKHCA) celebrated the Kali puja and Diwali on 23rd October at

the Swanley Townhall, Swanley with ardor and piousness. By following its tradition, the celebration

not only fulfilled the religious customs, but also brought the entire community together to spread and

enjoy the true spirit of the festival by sharing love, respect and togetherness.

The puja rituals were performed by the priests with austerity and complete devotion and proactively

encouraged devotees of all ages and different communities to worship the Goddess Kali. The magnificent

decoration made of diyas, rangoli and flowers helped the event retain its spiritual essence throughout

the evening. It also witnessed the spectacular fireworks conducted by the children under their parental

supervision to symbolize the “victory of light over darkness”. The puja prasad was distributed in a most

organized manner among the devotees. The delicious dinner served at the end gave it a perfect finish.

The active participation, enthusiasm and the team spirit of the volunteers made the event impeccable.

On behalf of UKHCA, we would like to convey our heartfelt gratitude to all the patrons, volunteers

and participants who made this event a great success and we look forward to having your continuous

support and cooperation in our upcoming events .


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2022 Christmas Party

The true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of God’s ultimate gift: the birth of Jesus! The spirit of

Christmas brings a joyous time of celebration when we show our love for family and friends and rejoice

together!

Father Christmas came early to UKHCA on 11th December 2022. We held our annual Christmas

celebration event last year at Basecamp, a quirky restaurant in Bexleyheath serving authentic Indian

and South Asian cuisine.

Donned in Christmas jumpers and Santa hats, we jazzed, sparkled

and shimmered and celebrated the ushering of the festive season in

style!! With a sumptuous 3 course menu accompanied by drinks, it was

a party to remember! The event started in the early afternoon, with

families from our community arriving in style, excited and looking

forward to a fun filled day with all other extended UKHCA family.

This was a perfect way to let our hair down and relax, a time to say

thank you to our volunteers and community members! Some short

speeches were made in appreciation for our outgoing President Dr

Tapon Halder and a warm welcome was extended to our new President

Mrs Krishna Baruah.

Our very own Jharna Sil Verma’s daughters, Jiya and Siya gave us

all Christmas presents, a very loving gesture indeed! The afternoon

started with welcome drinks and everyone was in a wild party spirit,

dancing to Christmas tunes and singing along merrily together! There

was a buzz of endless chatter and laughter with everyone making and

preserving memories in the form of photoshoots. This was followed by

an Indian themed meal, enjoyed by young and old alike. Our youngest

party-goer was all of 2, and was seen to be really enjoying himself,

cradled in the arms of his family!

All in all, a time well spent with friends and family, an unforgettable experience indeed! We are already

looking forward to 2023 Christmas celebration!!


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2023 Saraswati Puja Celebrations

The UK Hindu Cultural

Association (UKHCA)

celebrated Saraswati Puja

on 29th January 2023 at

the Olympic Hall, Swanley.

The worship of the goddess

of knowledge, language,

music, and all arts was

undertaken with fervor and in a propitious manner which also marked the arrival of spring . The

graceful celebration was an attempt to preserve Indian culture, to respect long established traditions

whilst allowing devotees to offer their prayers to the goddess.

The event successfully recreated the charm of the typical Saraswati Puja celebrations of Bengal .

Everyone followed the yellow dress code, children were encouraged to participate actively by offering

their books to be blessed by the deity and the venue was decorated with beautiful yellow marigolds.

The puja started early in the morning and all the rituals were performed by the priest with solemnity

and devotion. The “Devi Vandana” and “Aarti” were spectacular.

The major attraction of the event remained the “Hate Khori”,

where many toddlers sought the blessing of the goddess and

started their academic journey by writing their first letter in

the presence of goddess Saraswati.

The mouthwatering bhog was delightful. The authentic and

conventional Bengali food stalls added a special flavor to the

event, with the traditional Bengali sweet stall being the major

attraction. The day ended with beautiful performances by the

children, which were hugely applauded by the audience. The

Saraswati Vandana and the recital of Tagore’s poem” “Where

the mind is without fear” left the spectators speechless. The

coalescence of gaiety and piety left an indelible impression in the minds of all attendees .

UKHCA sincerely conveys its gratitude to all the volunteers, patrons and participants for their

unconditional support , participation and cooperation to make this event hugely successful.


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2023 Holi Party

Holi, the festival of color was celebrated by the UKHCA

on 4th March 2023 at the Amar Hall, Dartford with lots

of avidity. The well-organized event was a true symbolic

representation of welcoming spring by spreading love,

peace, and happiness in a most colourful way. The hall

was beautifully decorated with the "HOLI" theme and

every nook and corner presented a colorful sight. All the

participants let their hair down and threw their worries

to the wind to make the event a very memorable one.

All guests were welcomed by a delectable “Thandai “ and

the event of unadulterated fun and enjoyment followed.

The “Holi” songs created a wonderful ambience and

brought everyone

on the dance

floor. Everyone

started to unwind by mingling with each other and were then

allured by the resplendent veg and non-veg starters along

with the main course of Indian delicacies. The mouth watering

Biryani, Chicken 65, Chili paneer, Tandoori chicken, Gobi 65

and Veg Manchurian were enjoyed by all.

The Gulab Jamun competition revived the memory of traditional

Bengali food events. “Musical Chair” was played and this created

the most excitement!.Three rounds were undertaken , one each

dedicated for the children, women and men separately. It was

thoroughly enjoyed by one and all.

The highlight of the afternoon was when people put color on each other in the most traditional way that

Holi is celebrated, whilst maintaining dignity and complete respect for each other.

The graceful celebration allowed UKHCA participants to rejuvenate themselves by sprinkling the

color of happiness in their lives. Once again, UKHCA sincerely conveys its gratitude to all its volunteers,

patrons and participants for their wholehearted support and cooperation to make this event successful.


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UKHCA Annual General Meeting (AGM)

The UKHCA held its 30th Annual General Meeting on Sunday 23rd April 2023. Members, old and new,

joined in to celebrate our achievements over 2022 – 2023. The event began with the usual cacophony and

coming together of our members, rejoicing and reminiscing the good times that we have all shared over

the last year. Dressed in beautiful sarees and other traditional Ethnic outfits, our members captured

the beautiful moments together with photo opportunities , followed by a scrumptious Indian lunch,

sponsored kindly by UKHCA and provided by Partypals (Malobika Roy).

The meeting formally began with a welcome speech by our President,

Mrs Krishna Baruah. Krishna di thanked the outgoing President

Dr Tapon Halder & welcomed new Executive Committee members

(Pieu Chaudhuri, Sumona Chatterjee, Rakhee Dutta Gupta) and

all new members to the UKHCA family. Krishna di also thanked

everyone for their

contribution over the

last year.

Debanjan Mukherjee,

our General

Secretary, presented

on objectives that the

UKHCA had set out over the last year, namely to build

an environment of camaraderie, instil transparency,

objectivity, governance and accountability and to streamline the present, set up for the future. He

detailed our achievements including successful Puja festivities; decentralised and democratic decision

making and community participation. He also announced that we now have 25 Executive committee

members, with the recent addition of 3 new EC members and 12 new members who have recently

joined the UKHCA family. Priorities were set out for 2023 with further streamlining activities planned

around Puja schedule, food provision, memberships and accountability. Debanjan thanked members

who had supported various initiatives and offered help as volunteers

in all aspects of the UKHCA events.

Tanuj Banerjee and Jharna Sil Verma presented the annual accounts

highlighting the success of the Durga Puja collection from Brochure

and Gate collection. Tanuj thanked Rama Satoskar and Tim Das for

their leadership and continued effort in these areas. Streamlining

gift aid was a key highlight and was helped with the tremendous

effort put in by Tim Das on website improvements. Tanuj encouraged

existing members to invite and enthuse new members to join the

UKHCA family. Tanuj highlighted the issue of rising costs and income

depreciation, a matter to bear in mind whilst organising festivities.

Dr Sanjay Basu and Dr Ashis Sau presented proposed dates for Durga Puja and other festivals for the

upcoming years 2023 and 2024. Plans were discussed briefly about the addition of a Christmas and

a Holi party to the calender ,after their resounding succes last year. Jharna Sil Verma presented the

proposed Working groups with their leads for 2023/24 for the Brochure, Catering and Food distribution,

Cultural, Decoration, Digital communication, Front desk, Fruit cutting, Transportation, Puja and Stall

Teams. Jharna encouraged more volunteers to come forward and support the working groups. The

meeting concluded with a discussion on other matters, including EC

memberships, Bijoya Sammilani and social activities.

The afternoon was made even more engaging with Jharna organising

a mind-boggling Quiz , that kept us all enthralled and stretched our

brains! The cherry on the cake was the tambola which everyone

thoroughly enjoyed.

An enjoyable afternoon all around with work and play!


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Not just a homecoming

Dr. Dibyendu Datta

For a Bengali, দুর্্গগাপূজগা is love and emotion, and the passion of working together and meeting with their

loved ones. For us, দুর্্গগাপূজগা is a yearlong wait for rejoicing that lasts a week.

Nostalgia, memories, food and দুর্্গগাপূজগা festivities are inseparable. Did you know that the first grand

worship of Goddess Durga is said to have been celebrated in the late 1500s? Other records claim that

the zamindars of Dinajpur and Malda initiated the first দুর্্গগাপূজগা in Bengal.

Crisp, sunny autumn mornings, even in

fragrance and beautiful aura of শিউলি ফু ল,

ফুল; all set to the mellifluous chants of

the clothes, one for each day of the

speak of the mouth-watering dishes

িগািু and নিমকি: all devoured with relish,

loads of fun.

And then there is, and has always

eye glances and catchy smiles and

throwback to the teen years.

Musings and Marvels

faraway Britain hark back to the intoxicating

the floating clouds, the blue sky and কগাি

মহগািয়়া. Pre-Pujo shopping and laying out

festivities, went hand in hand. Not to

and sweets, ভোগাগর্র খিচু ড়ি, লুচি-ঘুর্ড়ি, িগারকেলের

with old and new friends, road trips and

been, the little পুগজগা romance, furtive

frivolous flirts in autumnal air: a sweet

The মহগাষ্টমী পুষ্পাঞ্জলি, the ধুনুচি িগাচ, the lights,

decorations, themed idols --- all seek your

attention during পুগজগা days amidst all the

প্যগাগডেল hopping and পুগজগা ভোদিগা : all giving way to

সিন্ুর ভোিিগা --- with prayers for peace, health and happiness blessed by clouds of red vermillion.

It is small wonder that Durga Puja received the UNESCO tag of Intangible Cultural Heritage, being

such an integral part of a Bengali’s life for aeons. It was a catharsis long pending. The Goddess Durga’s

famed visit to her maternal home after slaying the demon মহিষগািুর is the ritualistic reason for the week

long festivities. It was and has always been more than a homecoming: an eternal tradition in the truest

sense of the word.

A poetry in the making…

Dr. Amitav Dutta

I tried to write some poetry

I thought I might just dare

And stand under that very tree

In Wordsworth’s Windermere

But my words were not worth Wordsworth’s words

Wordsworth’s was worth much more

While mine was like a mouse’s squeak

Wordsworth’s was a lion’s roar

I juggled with all the rhythm and rhyme

I did not get much worse

At the end of a long long time

I came up with this verse


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Wishing all our Bengali brothers and sisters

a very happy Durga Puja

With compliments from

Haven

Help a village emerge new

www.havencharity.org


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বাংলা বার্্তা

জীবন্্ত প্্রত্তমার সম্মান

জু ঁ ই ভট্টাচটার্্য্্য

ভোি িয় মন্দিরের ভোকগাগিগা বিগ্রহ প্রতিমগা

রক্ত মগাংসে র্িগা অতি িগাধগারণ ভোমগয়

তবুও িগাম িগার ছিল দূর্্গগা,

মগা শদগয়ড়িগিগা, মনের ভক্তির প্রকগাি

দূর্্গগা পুগজগার দিন জগমেছিল বলে হয়গিগা।

অগাগির সংিগাগর ভোমগয় হিগার অপরগাগধ

অিগহিগায় ধীরে ধীরে ভোিগি উঠগিগা ভোি,

অবুঝ মগার মন স্বপ্ন ভোদগি আর্গামীর

িগার দূর্্গগাও ঠিক বড় হবে একদিন |

জীবনের অমসৃণ পথে শুরু হগিগা চিগা

ভোকমন ভোেন গাগিগা িগার্গিগা স্ু গির সব কিছু

দগাশরদ্রিগার িগাধগা পগারগিগািগা দমগাগি দুর্্গগাকে

পরীক্ষার গন্ডি অবলীিগায় অতিক্রান্ত

বড় হগয় করবে ভোি সব র্শরগির ভোিিগা

িগাই ডগাক্তগাশর পড়তে ঢু কলে |

স্বপ্নের ডগািগায় চড়ে দিন েগায় উড়ে

জীবনের সব উজ্জ্বল রং আর রূপ -

র্গাগয় ভোমগি রঙিন হিগার দিন হল শুরু

স্বপ্রতিগার প্রতিষ্গায় কঠিন পরিশ্রম

বিকশিত মঞ্জরীতে প্রতিড়ষ্ি সম্মান

মমিগার স্বগনেহে মগাগয়র আিগন্র গর্্ব |

কিন্তু নিষ্ূর নিয়সির একি পরিহগাি

নৃশংস আক্মণ িগারী িগাদকের িগািিগার ভোরগাষ

এক মুহূ গি্গ ছিন্ন ভিন্ন ভোদহ আর মন।

নিরগাপরগাধ তবুও চরম লজ্জার সমগাগজর শাস্তি।

বুকফগাটগা ভোিগািগা কগান্নগা র্গাঢ় অন্ধকগার চগাশরশদক।

দাম্ভিক, নিি্গজ্, উদ্ধত ভোপৌরুষি্য দগাশপগয় ভোিিগায়

আর দূর্্গগারগা ভু গর্ মরে যুর্ যুর্ ধরে

পগািশিকিগার শাস্তি কি শুধুই েগাকবে অধরগা।

এগাগিই হয়গিগা িগা ঝরে েগাগি আগরগা শত কলি।

ভোকি আমরগা পগাশর িগা করতে দৃঢ় অঙ্ীকগার

মগাড়টর প্রতিমগার িগাগে হবে জীবন্ত প্রতিমগারও সম্মান ।


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যমালয়ে অমূল্যবাবু

ডটাঃ শ্রাবণী চক্রবর্তী

অমূি্যিগািু ভোচগাি খুলে একটু অিগাক হগয় ভোর্গিি। চগাশরশদক ভোকমন অদ্ূি িগান্ত িগার্গি। বুগিগা হগয় ভোেকে ভোে র্গাগয় হগাি পগা ি্যগােগাটগা সব সমগয়র িগােী হগয় উঠেছিল

ভোকগােগায় ভোেন হগাওয়গা হগয় শর্গয়গি ভোিটগা। ভোিি ফু রফু রে িগার্গি। আিগমগাি ভোগি উঠে বসলেন। িগাহ্ ভোিি হগািকগা িগার্গি ভোিগা। বিিগািগা ভোেকে ভোিগম দরজগার দিকে

ভোেতে শর্গয় পিছন ফিরে কি ভোদিগি শর্গয়গিি, পুগরগা পিলে চমকে উঠল। ওকি! তিনি ভোিগা বিিগািগাগিই শুগয় আছেন। িগাহলে তিনি আিগার হগাঁটছেন কি করে! তবে কি

েগার য় পগাচ্ছিলেন এতদিন ধরে িগাই হল! মৃিু্য!!! দরজগা শদগয় ভোিগি ঢু কগিগা ঘরে। িগাগে পাড়়ার কিছু ভোিগি। শুনলেন িগারগা বডি িগামগািগার ভোিগািগজগাি শুরু করেছে।

িিগাই ভোকমন আসতে আসতে কেগা বলছে। ভোকউ হগািগিিগা তবে কগাউকে ভোদগি ঠিক ভোিগাকার্্ত বলেও মনে হচ্ছেনা। ৮৫ বছরের বৃদ্ধ গািগিি ভোিগি িগাহলে কগাঁদগিিগা।

িগারপর গািগিি স্তী নিশ্চিত ভোিগাগক বিদ্ধ হগয় আছেন। ঘর ভোেকে ভোিশরগয় স্তী এর ভোিগাঁজ করতে শুরু করলেন তিনি। এিক্গণ তিনি বুঝে শর্গয়গিি িগাঁকে ভোকউ ভোদিগি

পাচ্ছে িগা। রগান্নগাঘরের িগামনে শর্গয় ভোদগিি িগার ৭৮ বছরের স্তী রগান্নগার ভোমগয়টগাগক কিসব বলছেন। আজ ভোিগা আগুন জ্বিগিিগা। িগাহলে কি এত কেগা হগছি। শুনলেন

বৃদ্ধগা ভোমগয়ড়টগক বলছেন: ভোিগাি দগাদগািগািু সুর্গাগরর রুর্ী। ভোরগাজ ওষুধ িগায়। একদম িগা ভোিগি সুর্গার পরে েগাগি। শ্মিগাি ভোেতে এখনও ভোিি ভোদরী। শর্গয়ও ভোদরী হতে

পগাগর। তুই চগা এর ভোদগাকগাি ভোেকে এক কগাপ চগা নিগয় একটু আিগাি করে দগাদগািগািুকে িগাইগয় ভোদ। কগাগজর ভোিগাকটি মগােগা ভোিগি চলে ভোর্ি। অমূিেিগািুর রগাগর্ দুঃখে

কগান্নগা ভোপগয় ভোর্ি। ৫৫ বছরের বিিগাশহি স্তী, ভোকগােগায় ভোকঁ দে গািগাগি িগা িগা! ভোিগাগক দুঃখে রগাগর্ পগাের হগয় ভোর্গিি তিনি।

হঠগাৎ পিঠে কগার হগাি িগার্গাগি চমকে উঠলেন তিনি। ঘুরে িগাশকগয় ভোদগিি এক সুদি্গি যুবক। একর্গাি ভোহগি ভোি বলল: নমস্কার! আমগার িগাম অমরজীবন ১২১। আমি

চিত্রগুগতের কগাি ভোেকে আসছি। আর্গামী ৭২ ঘণ্টা আমি আপিগার জি্য নিযুক্ত যমদূত। আমি গারতীয় হিন্ু িগািগার ৪ নং ি্যযাটেলিয়গির ১২১ নং যমদূত।

মগােগাটগা র্রম হগয় ভোর্ি অমূি্যিগািুর। যমদূতের িগাম অমরজীবন! রসিকিগা হগছি!

অমরজীবন ১২১ ভোেন পিগি পগাগর মনের কেগা। একটু ভোহগি বলল: রসিকিগা িয়! এইটগাই নিয়ম। তবে আপনি আমগায় ১২১ বলে ডগাকতে পগাগরি। েগাক ভোি কেগা।

চলুন আমগার িগাগে। বিচগারকগাজ ভোিষ করতে হবে ভোদহ পুগি েগািগার আগর্। িগাহলে এিগাগিই ভোেকে েগাগিি স্বর্্গ মগি্গ র মগাঝিগাগি। চলুন চলুন, আর ভোদরী িয়।

বিরগাট হলঘরের মগাগঝ একটগা িি সিংহগািি মত। একজন িগাগি বসে ঢু লুঢু লু ভোচগাগি ভোদিগিি চগারপগাি। িগার পগাগি আর একটগা ভোচয়গাগর একজন ি্যতি সমতি ভোিগাক

বিরগাট এক জগািদগা িগািগা খুলে কি সব ভোদিগি। পগাি ভোেকে শুনলেন ১২১ বলছে: অমরজীবন ১২১ শরগপগাসট্গ ং ি্যযার।

িগািগার ভোেকে ভোচগাি তু লে বললেন িগার পিছনে িিগা ভোিগাকটি: আসুন অমূি্য িগািু। আপিগার বিচগাগরর সময় হগয়গি। আগর্ ভোেকেই বলে রগাশি স্বগর্্গর জি্য রিজগাগ্গ িি

িগাধু িন্ন্যগািী আর ভীষণ গাগিগা ভোিগাগকগদর। কগািগাম ি্যযারের পর ভোকউ ভোিিগাগি েগায়ড়ি। বুঝতেই পগারছেন আপিগার ভোিিগাগি েগািগার মত পূণ্য ভোিই। নরকেও আজকগাি

রিজগাগ্গ িি িগার্গি। এত পলিটিশিয়গাি আসছে ভোে আমরগা কিছু করতে পগারছিিগা। িগাই প্রধগািমন্তী রগাস্ট্রপতি মুি্যমন্তী তিগরর ভোিগাক িগা হলে ভোিিগাগি আমরগা এই মূহুগি্গ

প্রবেশ দিচ্ছিিগা।

অমূি্যিগািু একটু ঘগািগি শর্গয় বললেন: িগাহলে কি হবে?

চিত্রগুতে: আপিগার পুগণ্যর বিনিমগয় আিগার মগািি জমে হবে। পগাগপর বিনিমগয় িগার র্ীরিগা অনুেগায়ী অি্য পশু জমে হবে। তবে নিয়ম অনুেগায়ী পশু জমে আগর্ হবে।

িগারপর ঘুরে সিংহগািগি িিগা ভোিগাকটির দিকে িগাশকগয় বললেন: মহগারগাজ, ইনি অল্প িয়গি অনেক গাগিগা কগাজ করেছেন। সৎ ছিলেন, চরিত্রিগাি ছিলেন, সংিগাগরর

জি্য অনেক কিছু করেছেন। িগাই পূগণ্যর বিনিমগয় এর ৬০ বছর সম্পন্ন ঘরে পুিজ্গ মে ধগাে্গ্য হল।

যম মগােগা ভোিগি বললেন: িেগাস্তু!

চিত্রগুতে: এিগার আসি পগাগপর কেগায়। ওিগার ভোদগাষ আছে একটি। মগািুষটি িি আত্মগকন্্রিক। নিজের অসুবিধগা অসুখ নিগয়ই ি্যতি। অি্য ভোিগাক পগাগি মরে েগািগার মত

হলেও ইনি নিজেকে নিগয়ই েগাকতেন। অবসর ভোিিগার পর ভোেকে এই দুর্গুণ্ আগরগা ভোিগি শর্গয় ইনি িগাড়ির সকলের মগােগা ি্যগােগার কগারণ হগয়ড়িলেন। এর জি্য আমি

এর ৪০ বছর পশুজমে অনুগমগাদন করছি।

কেগাটগা শুনেই ভোিজগায় চটলেন অমূি্যিগািু। ৪০ বছর পশুজমে! মগামগদগািগালজ হগছি! কগার অসুবিধগা ভোদগিিড়ি তিনি? ভোমগি নিগছিি স্তী িগাঁর অসুস্থ ছিল কিন্তু তিনিও কি

করে িগাঁর অসুখের কেগা শুনবেন! তিনি নিজে ভোে কি অসুস্থ ছিলেন কি বলবেন! এটগা আিগাদগা কেগা ভোে মূি্গ ডগাক্তগারগুগিগা িগাঁর অসুখ ধরতে পগারগিগািগা। েগাই ভোহগাক

মুখে বললেন: এ রগায় আমি মগািড়িিগা। আপিগাগদর আপগার ভোকগাট্গ ভোিই? আমি আপিল করব।

যম মনে মনে একটু র্গালি দিলেন িগািগািী বলে। মুখে বললেন: ওহে চিতু একটু ভোদিি িগািগা এর প্রতিকগার কি ভোিিগা আছে র্গাইডিগাইনে?

চিত্রগুতে একটু কিসব ভোদগি বললে: উপগায় একটগা আছে। ওিগাগক তিনটি ভোিগাককে দগাি করতে হবে। উনি জীবদ্দিগায় ভোকগাগিগাশদি দগাি করেননি। তিনটি নিঃস্বার্্থ দগাি।

িগাহলে পশুজমে িগাইপগাি করে ভোেতে পগাগরি।

যম: ঠিক আছে। ভোপগািগাগিগা ভোেকে শ্রগাদ্ধ অবধি সময় শদিগাম। ১২১, িগাগে ভোেক, দুনম্বরি িগা করে ভোেন, িগািগািী বলে কেগা!

অমূি্যিগািু ভোিজগায় খুশী। তিনজনকে দগাি করগা। এটগা ভোকগাগি ি্যযাপগার হল? মনে পরল িগার খুচগরগা জিনিষ রগািগার ড্রয়গাগরর কগার্গজর িিগায় তিনি ভোিি অনেক টগাকগা

ভোরগিড়িলেন। মগাগি মগাগি েগা টগাকগা তিনি ভোপগিি িগার এক পয়িগাও খরচ করতেন িগা তিনি। ভোিই টগাকগা এত িগািগািগাড়ি িগাড়ির ভোিগাগকরগা নিশ্চয়ই খুঁজে পগায়ড়ি। রওিগা

দিলেন আিগার িগাড়ির উগদ্দগি্য। িগাগে ওই ১২১। িগাড়ি ঢু কেই আিগার ভোমজগাজটগা র্রম হল। এখন ভোিগি এসে শর্গয়গি দগাহ করে। জীবন নিজের নিয়ম ভোমগিই চলছে।

কগারুর ভোেন কিছুই আসে েগায়িগা িগাঁর অনুপস্থিতিতে। ড্রয়গার ভোেকে টগাকগা ভোির করগার আগর্ ১২১ ভোক লজগঞেস করে নিলেন ভোকউ আিগার ভোদিগি পগাগি িগাশক। ১২১

বলে দিল টগাকগা িগা নিজেকে তিনি েিক্ণ িগা ভোদিগাগি চগাইবেন িিক্ণ ভোদিগা েগাগিিগা। নিশ্চিন্তে তিনি টগাকগা নিগয় চললেন ঝি ভোিড়টর িগাড়ি। ভোমগয়টগা একটু আধটু

কগাজ করে দিত িগাঁর। একটু মুখরগা বটে। কিন্তু গাগিগা। শর্গয় ভোদগিি ভোি দুপুরের িগািগার ভোিগয় একটু বিিগািগায় র্িগাগছি। পগাগি দগাঁড়িগয় মনে মনে বললেন তিনি আর

টগাকগা ভোেন ভোিই ভোমগয়র কগাগি দৃি্যমগাি হয়। িগাই হল। এিগার মৃদু স্বরে ডগাকলেন: ও কগািুর মগা! ঘুমগাগি িগাশক? দুিগার ডগাকগার পর তিন িগাগরর িগার ভোচগাি খুলল কগািুর

মগা। ভোচগাি খুলে অমূি্যিগািুকে ভোদগিই ভোি শুরু করল চিল চিৎকগার: মগা ভোর্গা! িগািগা ভোর্গা! আমগায় ভূ তে ধরল ভোর্গা! বুগিগা জ্যযান্তকগাগি ভোেমন জ্বগালিগয়গি ভোিমনি আিগার

জ্বগািগাগি এসেছে ভোর্গা!

অমূি্যিগািু িগািগািগাড়ি টগাকগার বান্ডিল নিগয় ভোচগাগির িগামনে ভোদিগাগি েগাকলেন কগািুর মগা এর। িগার চিৎকগার তিনগুণ ভোিগি ভোর্ি: ভূ তে টগাকগা নিগয় ঘুরছে ভোকি ভোর্গা!


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আমগায় িগাঁচগাও ভোর্গা।

একটগা তিগিগাগাি মুখে নিগয় ভোিশরগয় এলেন তিনি। ১২১ পগাগি এসে বলল: প্রথম সুগেগার্ ভোর্ি।

মনক্ু ণ্ন অমূি্যিগািু আিগার ফিরে ভোর্গিি িগার ড্রয়গাগর। িগার হীরের আংটি িগাড়ি ছিল ড্রয়গাগরর এক ভোকগাগি। নিগয় ভোিশরগয় এলেন। ড্রগাইগার মদনের কেগা মনে হল।

যদি মদনকে এটগা ভোদওয়গা েগায়। এিগাগর আর নিজের মুখ ভোদিগাগিি িগা তিনি। গাড়়ির ড্রগাইগাগরর সিটে চু পিচু পি ভোরগি এলেন আংটিটগা। এিগার কগাি সকগাগির অপেক্ষা।

পরদিন সকগাগি মদন এল কগাগজ। ড্রগাইগাগরর সীটে আংটি ভোদগি ভোি গািি এ ভোকগােগা ভোেকে এল!! গাগিগা করে ভোদগি কি মনে করে হগাগির আঙুলে ভোঢগাকগাগিগা আংটি

টগা। িগাহ্ পগােরটগা ভোিি চকচকে। সিটি ভোর্গাল্ড মনে হয়। মনের আিগন্ ভোি ডগাকতে ভোর্ি দগাদগািগািুকে। মনে হয়িগা আজ অফিস ভোিগরগাগি। দগাদগািগািুর কগাগি শর্গয় শুনল

েগা ভোগিড়িল িগাই। মনের আিগন্ ফিরেই আসছিল ভোি। হঠগাৎ দগাদগািগািুর নজর ভোর্ি িগার হগাগি। ি্যযাস! কিছুক্ণ িগাগদ িগারগা পাড়়ার সব ভোিগাক চলে এল। মদন বুগিগার

হগাগির আংটি চু রি করেছে! বুগিগা ও আংটি ভোে কদিন আগর্ খুলে ভোরগিগি িগা ভোকউ ভোিয়গাি করেনি। িগাই িিগাই বলছে মরগা মগািুষের আঙুল ভোেকে আংটি খুলে নিগয়গি

মদন! ১২১ এসে অমূি্যিগািুর কগাগি কগাগি বলল: শুধু শুধু একটগা নিরগাপরগাধ ভোিগাককে মগার িগাওয়গাগিি।

মনের দুঃখে র্গাগির িিগায় বসে আছেন অমূি্যিগািু। হঠগাৎ মনে পরল িগাড়ি ভোিগা এখনও িগার িগাগম। আচ্ছা এক কগাজ করলে ভোকমন হয়? িগাড়ি যদি কগাউকে লিখে

ভোদি ভোিটগাও ভোিগা দগািই হবে? আর এত িি দগাি হলে নিশ্চয়ই ভোিটগা যমরগাজ তিনটি দগাগির সমগাি বলে ভোমগি ভোিগি! ১২১ ভোক বললেন একটগা কগার্জ আর ভোপি

িগার্গি। হগালজর হগয় ভোর্ি কগার্জ ভোপি। লিখে ভোফিগিি একটগা উইল। িগার এক দুঃস্থ ি্যযালিকগাগক লিখে দিলেন িগাড়ি। িগারপর ভোি কগার্জ িিগার ঘরে ভোরগি চুপ করে

বসে রইলেন সকগাি হিগার। ভোচগািটগা বুঝি ভোিগর্ শর্গয়ড়িল। হঠগাৎ একটগা ডু করে কগান্নগার আওয়গাজ এ ঘুম গািগিগা। মনে মনে একটু খুশী হলেন ভোগি ভোে ভোকউ িগার

দুঃখে কগাঁদছে। িিগার ঘরে ঢু কে ভোদগিি স্তী প্রচডে কঠিন মুখ করে বসে আছেন। ভোিগি ক্ু দ্ধ স্বরে কগাগক বলে চলেছে: কি সম্পক্গ ছিল ভোিগামগার আমগার িগািগার িগাগে

বল?সম্পক্গ িগা েগাকলে ভোিগামগায় িগাড়ি ভোকি লিখে দিল? পগাগি িগার উকিল িন্ধু ভোিগিগক বুঝাচ্ছে: আরে তুই ভোকি মগােগায় নিচ্ছিস? এ উইল গ্রগাহ্য হগিিগা। একে িগাক্ী

ভোিই িগায় সই ভোমগিড়ি! (ঠিকই ভোিগা র্ি প্রগায় পগাঁচ বছর িগার সই ভোমগিিগা)। ভোিগির উগ্টটো দিকে িগার ি্যযালিকগা ডু করে কগাঁদছে আর বলছে: ও জগামগাইিগািু কি ক্সি

করেছিিগাম আমি আপিগার! এ ভোকমন বদিগাম শদগয় ভোর্গিি মরগার আগর্! আরে আমি িগাড়ি কি ভোচগয়ড়ি! ভোি নিগয় আমি করবই িগা কি!!

১২১ অমূি্যিগািুকে নিগয় পৌৌঁঁছেছে আিগার চিত্রগুগতের িগামনে। যম বলছেন: ভোদিগিি িসি্য গাগিগা করগার ইগছি িগা েগাকলে কগারুর গাগিগা ও করগা েগায়িগা, দগািও করগা

েগায়িগা। স্বগাে্গি্যগার্ িগা করলে কিছু হয়িগা। েগাইগহগাক আপিগার পশুজমে ঠিক রইল িগাহলে।

মুখ নীচু করে অমূি্য বললেন: কি পশু হব?

যম: হিমগািগয়র ভোকগাগি েগাত্রীিগাহী ভোঘগািগা। বড়লোোকরগা তীে্গ করতে েগািগার সময় ভোে ভোঘগািগা চগাগপ। স্বার্্থপর মগািুষ কত হতে পগাগর ভোদিগিি আর গািগিি নিজের কেগা।

………………………….

প্রচডে আগিগা আর র্রমে ভোচগাি ভোিগাগিি অমূি্যিগািু। িগারগা বিিগািগা ভিজে শর্গয়গি ঘগাগম। তিনি মরেন নি? িগাহলে কি স্বপ্ন ভোদিগিি? কগাগির কগাগি হঠগাৎ ভোেন ভোিই

১২১ এর র্িগা: সুগেগার্ ভোপগিি আর একিগার মিগাই। বদলে নিন নিজেকে। শুধু নিজের জি্য িগাঁচগাগি সুখ িগাই।


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London’s First Saree Walkathon 2023

Foreword by Paushali De Roy and interview of Dr. Dipti Jain by Rama Karmokar

India as a nation takes immense pride in her age-old traditions, homegrown craftsmanship and art. The

most beautiful amalgamation of the aforementioned is perhaps found in the garment chosen by Indian

women through centuries - the saree. When we think of India and Indian women- the imagery is always

about her tremendous grace, humility, timeless beauty, intelligence and most definitely the saree.

The Swadeshi Movement, Handlooms and Sarees

Handlooms and handwoven textiles have been at the core of the Swadeshi movement in India, an

integral part of the Indian freedom movement. The movement which started on 7th August 1905 from

the Town Hall of Calcutta (now Kolkata) is now commemorated every year by celebrating the National

Handloom Day in India. It is a day of celebrating our handlooms and everything that is handmade. On

6th August, 2023 history was created on the streets of London when the first ever Saree Walkathon

was organised by British Women in Sarees (BWIS) saw around 700 women of Indian descent walking

peacefully, wearing handloom sarees from different Indian states showcasing their cultural legacy and

handwoven traditions. From the Town Hall in Calcutta of 1905 to the London of today, our handlooms

have come a long way and we are proud of the saree sisterhood that this movement has propagated.

BWIS- Origin and Aspirations

Dialogue Diaries

BWIS was formed by Dr Dipti Jain out of the idea that today’s women of Indian/South Asian descent,

believe in nurturing their roots while traversing the world beyond their cocoon in a saree, while

redefining the codes of power dressing. It is a group of empowered women who take pride in flaunting

sarees and representing the unique cultural melting pot that each of these weaves represent. BWIS was

also instrumental in organising the immensely successful event at the Ladies Day Royal Ascot Races on

16th June 2022 where around 1000 ladies of South Asian lineage , struck a fine balance between their

sarees and fascinators. The proceeds from the event were given to a K(n)atha weaving artist residing in

Nanoor, a small village in West Bengal, India.

Rama Karmokar spoke to Dr. Dipti Jain on her motivation to organise this Walkathon. Below are

excerpts from their conversation:


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Rama: The London Saree Walkathon looks so vibrant. Congratulations. How was it conceived?

Deepti: The idea was born when I attended the London Marathon this year in a saree and everyone

was very curious about the drape which sowed the seeds of the idea in my mind. If only we could do

something similar in our Handloom weaves and walk the streets of London , what better way to capture

the attention of the world! This idea caught on in our group and the coinage of Word “Walkathon “

emerged

Rama: What was the aim of the walk?

Deepti: To organise a group of ladies passionate about our national heritage , the Saree and bring

them together to showcase it . I would not normally have mustered the courage to walk the streets of

London without the support of our saree lovers group.

To unite the regional representation under the aegis of British Women in Sarees. To showcase the variety

of weaves and craftsmanship of our age old traditional drapes. To raise funds for the weaver and artisan

community to support sustainable and eco friendly businesses

Rama: How many women walked?

Deepti: Initially we had aimed for 300 women, but we couldn’t stop the many more very eager ladies

who were keen to join and so on the day we had 700 registered attendees, and many hundred supporters

who turned up in sarees .

Rama: We heard women traveled from different parts of the world to be a part of it. That must

have been very fulfilling.

Deepti: Yes it was. We had representation from all over United Kingdom and from India, Europe

Middle East, United States and Canada

Rama: This must have required a lot of planning. Tell us about putting this together.

Deepti: Yes any event in Central London needs lot of thought in planning. Various application processes

need to be made to various councils ,Greater London authorities and metropolitan police and we also

had to cover the event with a hefty 10 million pound damage insurance policy as per guidelines.

Rama: What were the challenges?

Deepti: Bringing the ladies together in such a short time from different regional state wise groups and to

practice the song and dance routines through zoom . We had practiced 21 songs in total of various genre,

folk songs, religious, nationalistic and of-course one cannot escape Bollywood songs .

Rama: Are you personally a sari lover? Do you have a favourite?

Deepti: I am a most passionate “Sareesta “ . In the last 7-8 years I have taken sarees with me in all my

travels across the world,as I am an avid traveller. I have showcased it in front of famous monuments,

all over Europe , even in places like the heart of Slovenia and other countries who have never heard of

an Indian drape called a Saree! I have raised awareness during my treks to mountains , on cruises ,

beaches , everywhere .

My favourite is the fusion style! I firmly believe that if you need to attract and promote the saree , then

you have to do it in such a way that it appeals to all generations. So I try to use innovative ways to

achieve this, by using classic heirlooms but giving them a modern twist in unique draping styles.

Rama: Which sari did you wear?

Deepti: I wore a beautiful Jamdani from a weaver

Rama: What was the idea behind forming 'British Women in Sarees'? How old is it?

Deepti: My love of saree grew over the last few years and my friends are always curious about my social

media posts relating to the “saree goes international” projects .

I joined several saree groups myself and gradually united UK wide Doctors under the banner of “Doctors

and Sarees” . Subsequently I formed a medicos Charity organisation and organised events . Following

on from this many other non medicos wanted to join the group of saree lovers, so i formed a wider, more

inclusive social media group which is now 2.6 K strong and growing stronger every day.


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I initiated and organised the Royal Ascot Event Ladies Day last year where 1000 ladies in sarees and

Fascinators attended the event. This captured the attention of the fashion world and raised the profile

of our weaver community on an international platform. The funds raised went to a rural artisan who

had embroidered my unique saree! My saree was much appreciated all over the world as it showcased

the London skyline and the Kolkata skyline on the border of the saree and the Union Jack flag . There

were iconic London monuments as well as the Queen’s face also embroidered on the saree.

We had also prepared a gift for the late majesty, the Queen which was a stole with her face beautifully

embroidered on it!

Rama: What are your future plans?

Deepti: “ Saree goes International “ is my pet project as I have combined my passion for both Travel and

Sareeing. I had taken the Saree loving group to “ Sareeing in Keukenhoff Tulip fields” as “Dekha ek

Khwab “series in Netherlands and attended the Venice Masquerade Festival as an event called “Masks

and Sarees “which captured a lot of attention from professional photographers .

Rama: What next?

Deepti: We have plans of “Sarees with Hot Air Balloons in Cappadocia , Turkey" in October 2023 with

100 ladies and perhaps a Times Square Walkathon to the Statue of Liberty in New York next year.


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34



Surviving

A single Indian woman’s battle against prejudice and betrayal

Sumita Mukherjee in conversation with Dr. Sneh Lata Mathur

Meeting an inspirational person is like encountering a guiding star amidst life's journeys. They exude

an aura of wisdom and resilience, igniting a spark of motivation within us. Their stories of triumph over

adversity and relentless pursuit of their dreams act as a beacon of hope.

Durga Puja is a celebration of the triumph of good over evil. On this occasion, I would like to share the

story of one such inspirational person - Dr Sneh Lata Mathur. Lata aunty, as I call her affectionately,

is the mother of my classmate, Monika. I wished to interview her so that she could share her story of

overcoming difficult situations, with the aim of inspiring others .

Sumita: Lata aunty, your journey is unique and filled with experiences that have

shaped who you are today. Your story has the potential to inspire and empower

others who might be facing similar challenges.Would you please consider sharing it

with us ?

Lata: Yes, of course. I have written a book on my life ‘Surviving’ which has been sold

for charity.I was born and brought up in a very progressive family. My father was an

IAS officer and mother, a housewife. I was the eldest of 8 siblings. My grandfather

was a doctor and my family was very modern and supportive.I had a happy and

fulfilling childhood. I had never experienced sadness, anxiety or stress until I got

married. I did my MBBS in 1968 and MD in 1973 from the University of Rajasthan,

Jaipur. I worked in the Department of Pharmacology from 1969 to 1974 in S.M.S.

Medical College, Jaipur and JLN Medical College, Ajmer.

I had an arranged marriage in 1971. While my parents were liaising with the groom’s family, they were

informed that he is an Engineer and going to the USA soon on an assignment. After the marriage it

transpired that none of this was true.He did not have a job whereas I was already in a senior role. My

in-laws were very narrow-minded. Monika was born in 1972 and my mother-in-law was not happy that

I had given birth to a girl.

Sumita: Oh, so it must have been very difficult for you to adjust.

Lata: I was somehow managing. My real trouble started when I got to know that my husband’s brother

had a relationship with a girl who happened to be the sister of one of my students. They had a child

outside marriage, and my brother-in-law was not ready to marry her. My student requested me to help

his sister. Being from a progressive family and a woman myself, I wanted to help and support this girl.

This did not go down well with my in-laws. My mother-in-Law used to find excuses to instigate my

husband to raise hands on me. My husband was completely under the control of his mother.This abuse

continued for some time. Then they did something drastic. They tried to kill me 3 times by poisoning

me. I survived the first two times but on the third occasion , I was hospitalised. At this time, my father

came with a solicitor to take me home . He said, ‘if they succeed in killing you next time, what will

happen to your 2 month-old daughter’. It was then that the gravity of the situation struck me and I

realised that I could not live under these circumstances. So,I went home with him.

Sumita: I am getting goosebumps by listening to your story and your suffering. Incredible!

Lata: Monika was only 2 months old, but my husband and Mother-in-Law refused to send her with us.

It took us 2 months to bring Monika back to me through a court order. I was reunited with my daughter

when she was 4 months old. We went up to Supreme court, but my husband won the case and got

custody of Monika. In those days, even the law was more lenient towards men. Although he got custody

of Monika , he never bothered to keep contact with her. Monika lived with my parents for a few years

after that. In the meantime, I got a job in clinical medicine in the North of England. My husband said,

‘If you go to the UK, I will come to you as my mother will not allow us here to live together’. I was sad to

be separated from my daughter, but I realised that to take care of my daughter in future, I needed to be


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financially stable and safe. I came to the UK to save my marriage but that never happened.

Sumita: That was a courageous move on your part .

Lata: While my husband maintained no contact with Monika, he obstructed her from coming to me.

My divorce was granted in March 1979. In May 1979, my father took permission from the court and

sent Monika to the UK. Although I came to the UK in November 1974, it took me 5 years to bring my

daughter to live with me. When she reached the UK, I made her a ward of court to safeguard her from

my husband as he threatened to abduct her!

Sumita: What experiences were evolving during your professional journey?

Lata: Although I was initially in hospital medicine, due to the challenges of being a single parent and

working unsocial hours, I finally converted to GP training. I faced a lot of challenges within the GP

practice that I initially worked in, so I left and started my own practice with another GP friend. There

were a lot of struggles, but I had good neighbours who supported me like a family. Though I live in

Reading now, I still go to meet them regularly.

Sumita: Tell me about your struggle to manage your career and

raise Monika as a single mother.

Lata: My friends advised me to put Monika into a private school as

it would be safe for her. We didn’t have a lot of money . The doctors

were not paid well compared to now. To be able to afford Monika’s

private school fees, I needed to earn extra money. I used to do my

sessions as a GP in the day and undertook extra hours of night duty

. I used to take Monika with me in a sleeping bag to attend out

of hours calls as I could not leave her alone in the house. I could

never attend her parent teacher’s meetings as I was always working.

When I had weekend duties, my friends looked after Monika. The

headmistress and teachers in Monika’s school helped me and they

kept her with them during holidays so I could go to work. It was

heartbreaking for me to think that Monika was missing my presence

in her school meetings unlike other children. Although life was very

difficult when Monika was growing up, I never felt alone because of

the positive attitude and support of my parents, grandparents and

help from my neighbours. I have never let Monika feel the absence

of a father in her life.

Sumita: Did you ever want to remarry?

Lata: There was always a desire that I would have a home with a loving man but as a GP I came across

a lot of horror stories involving my patients, where second marriages compromised the safety of the

children.So I decided to raise Monika on my own. Monika got admission to Cardiff University to study

medicine , and she stayed with me during her MBBS studies.Subsequentlyshe completed her training

and is now a GP.

Sumita: Thank you for telling me your story of 49 years in 49 minutes. Do you have a message for

women who might be in the same situation as you?

Lata: The most important thing in life is self confidence and trust in yourself. Believe in God almighty.

You don’t have to go anywhere to find God, the real religion is humanity. Be kind, helpful and supportive

and be strong in difficult situations. Life is too short, make it worth it. If I can make anybody’s life better

through my story and I can inspire them to face the difficulties, I am happy to be contacted to give any

advice.


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Passport Pursuits

Visit to Mata Vaishnodevi Mandir

Suman (Tim) and Mousumi Das

We (Tim and Mousumi) had the good fortune to visit Mata Vaishnodevi temple

for the first time in September 2022. After days of excited anticipation, we took an

early morning flight from Kolkata to Jammu with a couple of hours changeover

in Delhi, arriving in Jammu airport around 1.30PM. A two-hour taxi ride (heavy

traffic) brought us to Katra, the gateway to Mata Vaishnodevi Mandir.

After a quick freshening up and picking up a local Airtel SIM card, we started

our trek around 5PM. Security is strict, all permits (Yatra Parchi) are checked

carefully at the entrance gate. The track was clean, covered and nicely paved but

on a constant incline which made it quite strenuous as we walked up (so a few

kms daily walk for two or three weeks prior to embarking on the pilgrimage is

highly recommended). Despite hundreds of pilgrims making their journeys up to

Mata or returning from their visits, there was a genuine sense of spirituality and

calmness in the air with devotional music being played in the shops and singing

by groups of yatris along the way creating a real festive mela atmosphere to lift everyone’s spirits

to conquer the climb. You could feel the mood of anticipation amongst the yatris going up, and take

comfort from the words of encouragements from those walking down. People of all ages, from the very

young to the very elderly from all walks of life were moving together for a common desire to see Mata

Vaishnodevi. Along the way there were numerous places to stop and

have a bite or cool drink, visit the loo (Indian style toilets and usually

wet), dress up in Kashmiri costume and have a photoshoot or simply

sit back on a sofa to have a back or foot massage.

We took our time walking up the well-lit path for the first 6km to

Ardhkuwari, roughly the midpoint of the trek, sharing the path

with devotees on foot and those on ponies. The sun had gone down,

it was cooler with an occasional gentle breeze with the twinkling

lights of Katra down below. Around 10PM, we took a battery car from

Ardhkuwari for a 20-25 minutes ride to Bhawan (7km), glad we did

that as this part of the route is steeper.

At Bhawan, we left all our belongings (everything including mobiles, money, bag) in a lockable locker

and walked the last 1km to one of the five gates of the Mandir. It was

11PM as we joined the long narrow gated path to the shrine. There were

police everywhere to guide you, and they were very polite and helpful.

Fortunately, the Mandir was less crowded at that time and we felt so

blessed to have had a good few minutes to ourselves in front of Mata

Vaishnodevi for our darshan and prayers (normally you get a few seconds).

We even got a flower from Mata’s feet, it was such a sublime experience

with a real sense of achievement, hard to explain in words.

After our darshan, we came out of the Mandir and had dinner at midnight

at one of the many eating places on site, where the simple vegetarian food

tasted heavenly (we were tired and hungry by then). After a short rest, we

started walking down the 13-14km journey back to Katra (no battery car after 10PM). Took us about 6

hours to walk down. It was a hard walk down after a long day, the last 2-3kms got really tough. It was

an exhilarating and spiritually fulfilling trip, well worth the effort.

We have shared some practical tips to visit Mata Vaishnodevi Mandir below, we hope you find these

useful.


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Mata Vaishnodevi Mandir, is located in Katra in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in

Northern India, is visited by thousands of devotees every day. The Mandir is open all year 24/7

every day. Always use the official Mata Vaishnodevi Mandir website (https://www.maavaishnodevi.

org/) and contact details for the latest and most up to date information.

Official Call centre: +911991234804, WhatsApp:

+919906019494, Email: dm_enquiry@

maavaishnodevi.net

How to reach Jammu and Katra?

By train: Jammu and Katra stations are served by

trains (check Indian Railways website https://www.

irctc.co.in/ for details)

By Air: Air India, Vistara, Indigo, Spicejet fly

to Jammu (check airline websites for latest

information)

By road: about two hours from Jammu – taxis

easily available

Pick up a local SIM card – Airtel SIM cards were Rs300 each in Sep 2022

You will need to buy up a local SIM card from Jammu or Katra as SIM cards from rest of India or abroad

do not work in Jammu & Kashmir. We bought ours from the Airtel counter inside the Niharika Complex

next to Katra Bus Stand.

Where to stay in Katra?

There are many private hotels in Katra to suit all budgets. The internet is a good place to research and

book accommodation.

Mata Vaishnodevi Mandir Trust offer limited accommodation in Katra and Bhawan. These are popular

and gets booked from 60 days in advance on https://www.maavaishnodevi.org/. Card payment accepted.

Yatra Parchi – mandatory permit to visit the Mandir - no Yatra Parchi, no entry

Each devotee (including children) needs a Yatra Parchi to enter the main gate to start the walk to the

Mandir or take a helicopter flight. The Yatri Parchi has details of each devotee’s name and contact

details.

You can book Yatra Parchi online in advance (https://www.maavaishnodevi.org/)

Yatries registered through Online mode should collect RFID yatra access card before commencement of

yatra from Yatra Registration Counter (YRC) located at Katra Bus Stand, Railway Station, Niharika

Complex, Counter No.02, Serli Helipad) and Vaishnavi Dham Jammu & Jammu Airport.

How to reach Mata Vaishnodevi Mandir from Katra?

Mata Vaishnodevi Mandir is located at the top of a steep hill. Katra is at the base of that hill.

• Walking: The traditional way to reach the Mandir. Take an autorickshaw from the centre of Katra

to the main gate where you will show your Yatra Parchi to start to your walk. The walking track

which is about 13km long and is open 24/7 365 days a year. The track is covered (to shelter from rain),

is regularly cleaned by Mandir employees and has frequent shops selling refreshments and puja

samagris. Ponies, palkis and pedestrians share the first 6km of the track from Katra to Ardhkuwari,

then there is a new track covering the next 7km to Bhawan where ponies are not allowed.

• Horse/pony/palki: available to hire (haggle your price) to take you all the way to Bhawan and

back. Ponies follow the old track from Bhawan to Ardhkuwari.


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• Battery cars: book up to 60 days in advance on the official website (https://www.maavaishnodevi.

org/). Walk or take a horse from Katra to Ardhkuwari (6km), then take a battery car from Ardhkuwari

to Bhawan (7km). Battery cars operate at fixed times between Ardhkuwari and Bhawan, check

website for latest times.

• Helicopter flight: book up to 60 days in advance, check latest schedule on the official website (https://

www.maavaishnodevi.org/). Do not use any other unofficial channel to book helicopter flights. Katra

helipad is at Udhampur Road, 2km from Katra Bus Stand. Helicopters fly to Sanjhichatt helipad

which is about 2.5km from Bhawan and takes around 30 minutes to reach on foot. Ponies, Palkis and

Porter services are available to hire at Sanjhichatt helipad to reach Bhawan and back.

Bhawan

All devotees either walking up the hill, riding on ponies or using a helicopter reach Bhawan.

The Mandir is about 1km from Bhawan, and everyone has to walk this last 1km to reach the gates of the

Mandir. At Bhawan there are lockable left luggage facilities to leave your belongings (shoes, handbags,

mobiles, money, luggage, etc). Nothing (other than puja samagri) is allowed inside the Mandir complex.

The Mandir

To manage the crowds (it can be very busy at certain days and times), there are five entrances to the

Mandir. Join the queue at any of these entrances and you will eventually reach the place where Mata

Vaishnodevi idols are situated. Depending on how busy the crowds are, you may only have a few seconds

for your darshan, please bear that it mind. Only use the official website https://www.maavaishnodevi.

org/ to book individual special poojas.

The Bhairon Temple

There is also the Bhairon Temple to visit, accessed from Bhawan by ropeway (8am to 6pm), please check

times in advance.

Enjoy your visit to Mata Vaishnodevi Mandir.


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Uros - The Eternally Floating Islands on Lake Titicaca

Dr. Sonali Guha

After meticulous planning, this year marked our journey to Peru. After

enthralling visits to the Nazca Lines, Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu,

we set our sights on Puno. At the crack of dawn, we embarked on a boat

to explore Lake Titicaca – the highest navigable

lake globally, believed to be millions of years

old. Sitting at an altitude of 12,500 feet, it spans

the border between Bolivia and Peru.

Though our itinerary hinted at our visit to the

man-made islands, nothing prepared me for the

breathtaking sight that awaited. Stepping foot

onto one of the islands left me speechless; I had not fathomed encountering

something of this nature. The "Floating Islands," ingeniously crafted by the

Uros people using layers of cut totora reeds, stood before us. Their count

totalled 60-70.

According to local legend, the Uru people, originally from the Amazon,

migrated to the Lake Titicaca region in the pre-

Columbian era. Faced with oppression from the local

populace and an inability to secure their own land,

they devised a solution. Constructing these sedge

islands provided them mobility, allowing them to move into deeper waters or

to different parts of the lake, safeguarded

from their adversarial neighbours on land.

These islands, many of them adorned in a

golden hue, often measure around 50 by 50

feet. Each holds thatched houses, typically

belonging to an extended family. Some even

feature watchtowers and other structures,

all constructed from the same reeds.

Warm smiles from the inhabitants greeted

us, and we were free to explore their homes. The family's patriarch guided us through a demonstration

of island construction, highlighting the use of roots at the base and successive reed layers on top.

We were invited into their huts, impeccably clean and witnessed an elderly

lady cooking breakfast – a fresh fish and potato stew – on a pottery stove. We

indulged in shopping, purchasing beautiful textiles and jewellery fashioned by

the islanders.

We discovered that they navigate the lake using reed-made boats, travelling to

other islands as needed. While some of the children attend elementary schools

on specific islands, older youths pursue education at schools and universities

on the main island. Impressively, they have embraced modern technology,

incorporating solar panels to power lights,

television and radio.

As an obstetrician, I could not help but inquire

about their healthcare practices for childbirth

and illness. We learned that traditional midwives

oversee home deliveries, whilst for ailments they rely on traditional

medicine. Astonishingly, they have thrived without the need for doctors.

My time on the Uros Islands was enchanting beyond words, particularly

a fantastic ride on one of their vibrant boats, etching an unforgettable

experience in my heart before bidding farewell.


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Unleashing the Power Within: A Journey of Transformation

Overcoming Limiting Beliefs and Embracing Personal Power

Abha Sandhil

On the radiant day of May 26th, 2023, the stage was set, the lights were aglow, and I stood before the

world as a beacon of transformation at the prestigious Mrs/Miss Asia Great Britain event, presented

exclusively by AGLP Enterprises LTD. The honor of being a finalist for this coveted title was a privilege

that marked the culmination of a profound personal journey. A journey that was ignited and propelled

forward by the incredible superpower I’ve had by my side all along – my parents.

For those who once knew me as the quiet, reserved individual, the person I am today might seem like

a revelation. A few years ago, I grappled with the shackles of self-doubt, believing in a set of limiting

thoughts that confined my true potential. Within me resided beliefs that dictated my actions:

I had nothing significant to say.

My voice was inconsequential.

I was too different to be understood.

Life was challenging due to my brother’s special needs.

Sharing my struggles would invite pity, not empathy.

Acceptance and value were elusive.

Yet, within those depths, a realization surfaced – these beliefs were not my destiny; they were merely

reflections of my past. The subconscious mind, which operates silently in the background, stores these

notions that take root in our early years. But we are not beholden to them; we have the power to rewrite

our story.

Transforming Pain into Power

I embarked on a journey of self-discovery, recognizing that my upbringing had endowed me with the

strength to combat the shadows of doubt. My parents, unwavering in their love, taught me to overcome

obstacles with resilience and to embrace every facet of my identity. They fortified my spirit, enabling me

to shatter the chains of self-imposed limitations.

Behind the facade of a smiling exterior lay pain, resentment, and a lingering unhappiness. The journey

I embarked on was not about masking my emotions but rather about conquering them. Those negative

feelings guided me toward self-sabotage, preventing me from achieving my aspirations in career,

relationships, and personal growth.

A Profound Shift in Perspective

The day of the grand finale was not just a moment; it was the culmination of years of self-work,

introspection, and growth. As I stepped onto that stage, I embodied my full power. No longer captive to

outdated beliefs, I walked with the understanding that my beliefs were within my control. I had chosen

new, empowering beliefs for myself.

The love, trust, and unwavering support of my parents propelled me forward. Their belief in me ignited

the flame of my self-belief, guiding me toward a brighter path. Today, I stand as a testament to the

transformation that can be achieved when love and belief form the foundation.

A New Paradigm of Belief

The beliefs that once shackled me have been replaced:

I am deserving of happiness.

I am unique, and that’s my strength.

I am loved, understood, and valued.

I am capable of achieving greatness.

I am enough, just as I am.

Today, I’m the artist of my life, crafting a masterpiece that radiates confidence, resilience, and

unwavering self-love. I’ve shifted from being a spectator in my life’s journey to taking the reins as the

author, director, and protagonist of my own story.


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Empowering the Journey Ahead

As I bask in the glow of this personal triumph, I extend a hand to those navigating their own path

of transformation. Our beliefs hold immense power; they are the architects of our reality. Just as I

dismantled my limiting beliefs, you too can sculpt your destiny by redefining your narrative.

Conclusion: A New Dawn of Empowerment

Welcome to a world transformed – a world of vibrant self-love, unlimited potential, and unyielding

belief. The journey of personal growth is a testament to the unbreakable spirit that resides within each

of us. My story is a reminder that with determination, introspection, and support, anyone can break free

from the chains of self-doubt and unveil their true power.

I stand as a living embodiment of that power, radiating positivity, resilience, and boundless joy. The

journey is not always easy, but it is undoubtedly worth it. Today, I extend my hand to you, a fellow

traveler, inviting you to take that courageous step towards rewriting your beliefs and unlocking your

extraordinary potential. Your transformation begins now. Embrace it, for you are a force to be reckoned

with.


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Kids Kronicles

The Last Voyage

Diyasha Mukherjee (Age 10)

“Help!” Panic-stricken cries fill the air and the scent of fear coats the ship. I feel my boots slip over

the edge as razor-sharp enemy arrows pierce through my heart. The Icelandic waters desperately try

to freeze my oozing blood. Helplessly, I see my prized Viking helmet drift away. Suddenly a vicious,

cunning rope snakes around my leg and I shriek, but only unsympathetic bubbles appear. I flail around,

but I only fall deeper into the black abyss. I regret leaving behind my homeland and family as my last

breath escapes my mouth. I hit the seafloor. Dead.

About The Last Voyage

This is Diyasha's creative writing piece, a mini-saga (story told in 100 words) which was awarded Britain’s top 10

entries & got chosen for publication in "Ancient Adventures 2022” - a book showcasing young writers' work from all

across the nation. A copy of this will remain in the National Archives of the British Library forever!

These creative writing competitions have been running across all UK primary schools since 1991 inspiring kids to

become confident and passionate writers. This year the brief given to Year 5 pupils was to write a 100 word saga

about a character from a place or event from history... and yes, use lots and lots of adjectives.

Diyasha chose to describe a viking's saga in her piece 'The Last Voyage'.

Travis’ Zoo

Aadya. P. Karmokar (Age 10)

If you ever go to Travis’ zoo,

The meerkats will give you a frightful scare!

For all they ever dream of is talking to you,

For you look interesting, and you have paid the fare.

Walk on a little further and you will see

The spotty giraffe, prancing about!

It dreams of singing, it longs to be free,

It wriggles and jiggles, just like a trout!

The fish hope to walk,

And the tiger would love to paint;

The bat wants to chalk,

And the fainting goat just hates to faint.

For every animal in Travis’ zoo,

There is a dream, a hope to come true.


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The path of my river

Anika Maheshwari (Age 9)

Slow as a sloth,

I flow of gleaming water,

Over the admirable mountain hills.

I become as fast as a cheetah,

Taking soil as I go,

Now everything looks blurry,

But I still rush, still go.

Now I’ve Reached the ground,

Swaying as I ride,

Tributaries come and leave,

Without even a sound.

Then I meet meanders,

Curves in my path,

Whirling, twirling and curling,

Ruining my bath.

Some are cut off,

Some stay,

Some take me away and away.

I reach to the mouth,

To the ocean’s tide,

I end my gleaming waters,

With endless pride….

Back Home

Debaditya Kumar Chatterjee (Age 13)

In lands afar, where memories reside,

A non-stop yearning stirs deep in our hearts,

We go there to explore our ancestral guide,

Then feast our eyes on a variety of arts.

In India lives our fascinating culture,

The food, language and friendly smiles,

The amazing textiles, oh what a texture,

And the singing and dancing, coming in many different styles.

The sweet and spicy smell blows my mind,

As I walk down the bustling bazaars and streets,

People may ask, “ What can I find? “

There’s everything, from spices to sweets and friendly greets.

Sharing stories, history and a gentle cheer,

Closes the gap of distance, time and space,

We enjoy the empowering love growing each passing year,

The family bonds turn into an eternal embrace.

I can’t forget the Indian athletes, so strong and bold,

Resilient spirits, stories untold,

From Mary Kom’s punches and P.V. Sindhu’s smashes,

They’re the devotees of sport, warriors of their game,

Kohli’s master-strokes and the way Milkha dashes,

These sportsmen now highlight their names in fame.

So, let us return to our dear motherland,

To embrace the past and create memories anew,

For in the clasp of our relatives’ hand,

We rediscover our own spirits too…..


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As seen on

Channel 4

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freezer with exquisite foods”- Nigella Lawson

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47



Water Walk

Prisha Rastogi (Age 10)

At one

mile, I wonder

if you have to walk

miles to your water

every day, or, is it just a

step away to a tap or a shower

with water flowing and undulating

with ease. Maybe you are having a bath

or getting a drink of water as you start your

day. At two miles, I feel my arms start to ache

and my head starts to hurt as I imagine you at school

with your water bottle by your side full to the brim, while

you are free of any disease or poverty. At three miles I feel my

thirst claw at my throat and I contemplate if you ever experience

this or do you take a swig of your water beside you? Maybe you take it

from the water station just around the corner. At four miles, my clothes

start to itch and my teeth hurt too. I wish I could be you right now, wearing

clothes that are washed in clean water, stain and sweat free. As I prepare

for the four mile journey back to my home, I wonder if you are seeing

yourself in a mirror, washed, clean, and smiling a toothy grin with

your shiny white teeth. And I continue my journey

back through the scorching heat.

Durga kills Mahishasura

Anika Challa (Age 9)

In the form of a buffalo, powerful Mahishasura charges forth in anger,

He trampled Durga's army becoming eager,

Durga looked, became enraged, and threw a strap at him,

Mahishasura stopped and transformed into a lion as the sky became dim,

With her trident, Durga chopped off the lion's head,

It wasn't surprising that he wasn’t dead

Mahishasura then transformed into an elephant and attacked Durga’s mount,

And she hit his trunk without count,

Mahishasura charged at her once again,

Durga pinned him down with her foot on one half of his body – the main,

Then Durga raised her sword and killed Mahishasura,

All the army vanished from the side of the Asura.


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Canvas Creations

Dr. Joyanto Kumar Choudhury


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Ashmi Das (13yrs)

Ashmi Chatterjee (8yrs)


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Debanjona Chatterjee (7yrs)



51



Abhika Joshi (8yrs)

Ashmi Chatterjee (8yrs)

Param Karmokar (5yrs)


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Akshatha Mhatre (5yrs)

Aadya Karmokar (10yrs)

Raayna Sachdev (9yrs)


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Frame ‘n’ Focus

Norway Landscapes by Dr. Sanjoy Basu

Dartford Bridge by Deepali Maheshwari


Blue Butterfly by Anika

Maheshwari

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54




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55



Green Chilli Pickle by Sumita Mukherjee

This pickle is a nostalgia for me as my mum used to make it. So, in a way I have grown up with it. It is

a very simple yet a very tasty pickle with only a few ingredients.

Ingredients

• Green chillies – 100 grams

• Garlic bulbs – 4

• Raw turmeric root (optional) - 1

• Amchur (dry mango powder) – 100 grams

• Mustard oil – 350 grams

• Salt as per taste

• Sunny days - 2

Method of Preparation

• Make this pickle only when you have at least

one full sunny day.

• Make this in the morning so it gets a full day

of sun on the first day.

• Buy fresh green chillies. Don’t use chillies

that were bought a few days ago.

• Wash them and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel.

• Lay them on a dry kitchen towel to absorb any remaining moisture.

• Cut them in 2-3 pieces each.

• Peel the garlic cloves and cut them into half.

• Peel and chop raw turmeric roots. This is optional. Sometimes I make the pickle with only chillies

and garlic.

• Take a wide glass bowl.

• Put the pieces of chillies, garlic, and turmeric in the bowl.

• Add amchur and salt.

• Add mustard oil and mix well.

• Cover the bowl with a muslin cloth and put it in the sun for the whole day.

• In the evening, stir it properly with a wooden spoon to mix the oil again.

• Next day, repeat the same procedure of putting the bowl out in the sun and bring it back in the

evening.

• Stir it and leave it for 3-4 days.

• Stir it once every day.

• In a few days the pickle will be ready to eat.

• Transfer it in a glass jar and store in a cool dry place.

Enjoy it with your meal.

Khana Khazana


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Daal Gosht by Debesh Mukherjee

Ingredients

• Mutton with bones – 1250 grams

• Chana daal – 250 grams

• Onions – 4

• Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp

• Red chilli powder – 2 tsp

• Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

• Garam masala powder

• Salt – 1 tbsp

• Mustard oil – 150 grams

• Chillies, ginger & coriander for garnish

• Whole spices as below

• Bay leaves – 2, Cinnamon sticks

– 3 inches, Green cardamom –

10, Black cardamom – 4, Black

peppercorns – 1 tsp, Cumin

seeds – 1 tsp, Coriander powder,

Cloves – 8, Mace flower (Javitri) – 1

Method of preparation

• Wash chana daal thoroughly and keep it aside.

• Wash the mutton thoroughly. Put it in a pan.

• Add sliced onions, whole spices, turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt, ginger garlic paste and mustard

oil to the mutton.

• Mix all the ingredients well for at least 2-3 minutes until the pieces of mutton are coated in spices

and oil.

• Put the pan on low heat.

• Cover it and cook until the mutton releases its water.

• Check it every 10 minutes, stir well and fry until oil separates.

• Add 2 spoons of coriander powder in the meat.

• Add 6 teaspoons of yoghurt.

• Keep the heat on medium and stir continuously.

• Remember to stir it continuously for 2 minutes otherwise the yoghurt will curdle, and ruin the look

of the dish.

• Keep frying for 4-5 minutes.

• Switch off the flame.

• Now add washed chana daal in a pressure cooker or instant pot. I use an instant pot.

• Add the prepared mutton and mix well.

• Add 2-3 cups of water and cook for 25 minutes on high pressure. The cooking time and quantity of

water will vary as per your requirement.

• Once cooked, add garam masala powder and mix well.

• I grind my own garam masala at home. You can use the ready-made garam masala.

• Lentils tend to become thicker once they cool down, so add water, if necessary, mix well and bring

it to boil.

• Garnish it with chopped coriander, green chillies, and juliennes of ginger.

• Daal gosht is ready to be enjoyed with roti or paratha.


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