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It’s that time of the year again when the Bengalis around the world get ready to take out their best ethnic wear and get ready for five days of madness and fun. It is the time when the familiar sound of dhaak, the smell of the dhunochis gives a familiar tug at the heart. The autumnal festival of colour when Maa Durga comes to Earth is a cause of great celebration. Every street in Kolkata is packed with people and suddenly time seems to move on a completely different scale. The nights and days merge as the colourful lights fill up the city.

In London the celebration might seem a little subdued but the spirit and enthusiasm is the same. There are several venues where Durga Puja is celebrated notable among them in Belsize Park, Camden Centre and Mile End among others. The Puja in Camden Centre is on its 48th Year and for that little while it seems like it has been transformed as hall right in the middle of West Bengal. With cultural programs ranging from Baul singers to Sindur Khela, the spectator feels no difference in the energy here and the one he or she may have been accustomed to in Bengal.  The idols are shipped in from Kumartuli and worshipped. The organisers take every little step to ensure that the revellers feel home. The bhog of khichuri and tarkari topped with chutney and mishti is an everyday affair. People take leave from work and its not uncommon to see people from other communities joining in. This year the Pujo in Camden Centre saw a very large turnout and even the security officers joined in the merrymaking taking part in the sindur khela and baran. For a Bengali living seven seas away from Bengal, the festival made me feel a part of the global diasporic Bengali family, a festival where I could again feel the familiar smell of home and hear the sounds of my language.

Here is a Video from the Durga Pujo Bisorjon in Camden Centre: