Venue: HDBS Date Sunday, September 15, 2019 Time:
Houston Durga Bari kicked off the 2019 Puja season with an exciting mix of Mahalaya, Anandamela, Orchestra and Fashion show on Sunday, September 15th. Days started with Mahalaya and Kali Puja as Sanskrit mantras were chanted and Puja rituals were performed.
Mahishasuramardini, the musical welcoming Ma Durga to the Earth, started. Young kids sang the opening song with commendable poise and piety. What followed was the ceremonial medley of devotional songs, mantras and narration, performed with grace and flare. The program depicted the creation of Ma Durga, the battle with Mahishasura and then, the final victory of good over evil. Mahalaya was accompanied by the young percussionists of Kalabhavan. It was a fitting start to the Puja, excellently executed by a talented group of performers, led by Mita Shome.
Anandamela, the traditional Bengali food fest to signify the start of Pujas, took place at the Kalabhavan. From mouth-watering appetizers to delectable dishes to delicious desserts, the gourmand in you felt satiated. It was all there – luchis and spicy curries, mutton and fish delicacies, sweet dishes and so many others. Everyone’s taste bud had a truly heavenly experience. Heartiest congrats to the leads – Suchitra Roy and Soma Sarkar and all the magnificent chefs and volunteers, who made this such a fun food fest.
Talented musicians from the Tagore Society Youth Orchestra took center stage. They put on an amazing show – well-coordinated, and each instrument played to perfection. They played Mother, Essence of India and other pieces. The dazzling show reflected the hours of preparation and master direction to make it happen without a glitch. It was far above what is expected from such young performers. Heartiest congrats to the uber-talented musicians and Raja Banga, their mentor and the director of the orchestra.
Finally, the day ended with a sparkling walk down the ramp aka Fashion Show. Couture and cuteness were center stage in the kids’ fashion show. It was fabulous scene to see all these young kids perform brilliantly with no inhibition and not like deer in the headlight. The fashionistas of Houston rocked the stage, bringing the curtain down with cool poise and hot poses. Hats off to leads – Monomita Chakraborty and Suchetana (Papri) Sen for the kids’ show and Debarpita (Rinku) Ghosh for the adults show and all the fashionistas.
In short, the 2019 Puja season for Durgabari Puja, deemed the Best Puja in the West and winner of the Sarod Samman Winner, kicked off in spectacular fashion and lived up to the hype. We thank all the volunteers and performers and look forward to a fantastic Puja season.
Partha Sarathi Chatterjee, Puja Communications Lead
https://www.facebook.com/anirban.roy.104/videos/2472504196204454/?t=29
Schedule
09:30 am Kali Puja (Temple)
10:00 am Pre Puja and Diwali Bazaar (All day – Kalabhavan)
10:30 am Mahishasurmardini (Temple)
12:30 pm Food Festival (Auditorium)
03:15 pm Youth Symphony by TSH (Auditorium)
04:00 pm Rising Stars – Kids’ fashion show (Auditorium)
04:30 pm Movie Stars and More – Adults’ fashion show (Auditorium)
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