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Houston, Houston,Texas Texas A News Letter from Surangan Music School – Houston, TX

Puja and Eid Purnomilani 2019 Winters in Houston are relatively mild, dry, and temperate compared to most areas of the United States. Sunday, November 10, was like one of the beautiful day in Houston- a cool sunny day, with some white clouds in the sky, the sunshine not bright, but still had a rich golden color.

Houston Bengali community (Dui Bangla) arranged a Puja and Eid purnomilani (Reunion) on November 10, 2019, Sunday at Mission sierra club house, Richmond, which was the first time in Greater Houston, Texas. It was a day-long program started at 11:00 am and ended around 7:00 pm. In this reunion, people from Apar-Opar bangla joined this event and

exchanged their Eid and Puja greetings with each other. This purnomilani became a gathering like ‘Milan Mela’ of Houston Bengali community with the participation of a large number of families living in Houston area. This type of get together increases the brotherhood

and camaraderie between expatriates (Prabasi) belonging to different communities bound together in unity, free from racial sickness and religious hatred. Over 150 people joined this get together party.

The day started with every Bengalis favorite breakfast the quintessential Luchi-ghoogni with chai and tunes of different songs and music presented by local artists through an open mic.

This was an opportunity for everyone to meet and greet with each other and share the delights of the Puja and Eid celebrations.

This was followed by a sumptuous lunch with delicacies such as mutton curry, chicken curry, mixed vegetables, dal followed by mouthwatering desserts including rosogolla and mishti doi.

This event was not only a foodie’s delight but also a platform for everyone to showcase their musical talent. An open mic was arranged for participants of all ages who performed their favorite Bengali, English and Hindi songs. All songs were soulfully rendered and touched the hearts of the audience, who enjoyed the program with Jhaal muri and tea. The Vol:06, 06,Page: Page:01, 01,December, December,2019 2019 Vol:

There was a special puja performed in the honor of Lord Krishna. In this puja, the head priest chanted the Lord Krishna’s 108 names. The vibrations of the chants spiritually charged the entire atmosphere.

atmosphere was so mesmerizing that the people were glued to their seats and had a wonderful time. When the day finally culminated, there were heavy hearts who left the old year behind with beginnings in the year to come.

The Durgabari temple committee arranged a devotional song program on lord Krishna’s life.

The beautiful devotional songs sung by Mita

Durga Bari Celebrates Lord Krishna’s Janmashtami Janmashtami or more popularly known as Krishna Jayanti is the birthday of Lord Krishna which is celebrated with great fervour and zeal in India and Bangladesh during the monsoon

shome, Rupa Ghosh, Anindita Roy, Sarmistha Koley, Ganesh Mandol, Achintya Ghosh and Shyamal Battachareya was in table which was further augmented the sanctity of the celebrations. A large number of devotees were present at the august gathering. After the puja and program prasad and dinner were served to all the devotees.

Durga Puja in Houston

month. According to the Hindu calendar this religious festival is celebrated on the Ashtami of Krishna Paksh or the 8th day of the dark fortnight in the month of Bhadon. Sri Krishna, the 8th and probably the most powerful human incarnations of the Lord Vishnu was born around 5,200 years ago in Mathura.

Durga Puja is one of the largest Hindu festivals that involve worship of Goddess Durga symbolizing power and triumph of good over evil in Hindu mythology. Durga Puja is also popularly known as the autumnal festival (Sharodotsav). This festival is celebrated every year based on the dates of the traditional Hindu calendar, roughly between the months of September and October.

It is also in part a harvest festival celebrating the goddess as the motherly power behind all of life and creation. Along with its religious

This year janmashtami was celebrated on August 23rd, 2019 at Durga Bari temple. The temple premises were beautifully decorated.

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significance, the puja is also a social event that brings together people of all ages, young and old- from second-generation children and adults to the senior citizens. It is an occasion when people break all the social barriers and come together on one platform to enjoy themselves to their heart’s fulfillment.

Puja committee arranged cultural programs for every day of the puja. There was a variety of events performed by local talents of all age

Durga Puja is the biggest festival for the Hindu Bengali community but over the years it has been widespread across different communities and is now celebrated globally.

As the Bengali community in the greater Houston area grows, more Durga pujas are being held to accommodate the desire of all Bengalis to participate in their biggest festival of the year.

Houston Durga Bari Society Houston Durga Bari Society (HDBS) celebrated the Durga Puja from Oct 3 to 7. It was the biggest puja in North America. Everyday nearly

2-3 thousands of devotees and individuals of our diverse community gathered to celebrates this festival in Houston Durgabari. The puja is conducted by volunteer priests over four days led by Head priest Buddhadeb Bhattachariya During arati the entire atmosphere buzzes with the sound of traditional drummers play the huge drums and plays a significant part of Durga Puja and the haze and aroma of

groups and guest artists.

This 03, year, the star Vol: 06, Page: December, 2019 attraction was the famous Bollywood playback singer Sudesh Bhosle.

He thoroughly entertained the crowd with his Bollywood numbers.

Talented local artists, including secondgeneration children and adults, performed admirably on stage at various entertaining local programs - musical and dance extravaganzas, senior programs, dhunuchi naach etc. The Durgabari food committee arranged delicious

lunch and dinner for all the members and served it under a canopy. Special attraction was the delicious Kolkata street food, fish fry and phuchka served in the evening. There was celebrations galore with food, fun and blessings of Maa Durga.

Vedanta Society of Greater Houston

dhunuchi. The entire complex became a funfilled festival with people milling around and mikes blaring.

Vedanta Society of Greater Houston (VSGH) celebrates Durga Puja on September 28, 2019, Saturday in their premises. The 5-days Puja is condensed into a half day puja. Early in the morning, the idol of Ma Durga was carried to the nicely decorated pandal outdoors to the auspicious beat of the Dhak and the blowing of the shankh (conch shell). Ma Durga was Vol: 06, Page: 03, December, 2019

decorated in festive splendor and Mother was ready to welcome and bless all her devotees.

As is the tradition every year, Swami Kripamayananda, head of the Toronto Vedanta Society conducted the puja with VSGH resident

Pandit Suman Ghosh and his team also performed during the ceremony adding to the divinity of the atmosphere. The puja ended with the beautiful arati performed by our respected swami’s with the chandelier lamp to the beat of

the dhak. This was followed by pushpanjali and offering of flowers to Ma by all devotees. The puja ceremony was attended by a huge crowd and every moment was live streamed. minister, Swami Atmarupananda and Mr. Buddhadeb from Toronto. Dr. Amrit Achari, assisted with the Chandipath.

The puja commenced on time with great austerity and devotion. Following the Belur Math tradition, the puja activities were kept strictly on schedule. Every segment of puja, a

series of melodious devotional songs on ma Durga, Lord Shiva and Ganesh were performed by the VSGH choir, led by Smt. Rupa Ghosh, made the environment reverberate with

Many of the devotees commented that the VSGH Durga Puja takes them down memory lanes fo Durga puja celebration during their childhood days in their mother land countries (India and Bangladesh). Thousands of Bengali and non-Bengali devotees were present in this

festival. All attendees enjoyed the pious, spiritual ambience of the puja festivities.

Finally, fruit and lunch prasad were served to all attendees.

Vedanta Society Celebrates Kali Puja Sri Sri Shyama Puja, the second largest festival of Bengali Hindus celebrated in Houston.

divinity. The other participants in her choir included Meenakshi, Mahashweta, Jharna, Amit, Laboni, Arghya, Sonali, Mitra, Nandini, Pamela etc. Joydeep Mukerjee and Bidyut Ghosh were accompanied on table and mandira with them respectively.

Usually, Shyama Puja or Kali Puja, worshipping the Goddess of strength, wisdom and Vol: 06, Page: 04, December, 2019

enlightenment, is celebrated at the night of new moon of the Bengali month of Kartik. At the night of Shyama Puja or Kali Puja, the Hindu community light earthen lamps (Pradeep) at their houses and at the crematoriums in

Kali. The puja culminated with arati and pushpanjali.

During the puja, Smt. Rupa Ghosh sung a series of devotional songs or shyama sangeet in the honor of Ma Kali. Her beautiful voice made the environment reverberate with divinity. After puja and pushpanjali, prasad was served to the attendees and all enjoyed the evening’s proceedings.

Bangladeshi Community Celebrates 49th. Victory Day in Houston memory of their departed elderly persons. It is also called Deepavali or Diwali, the festival of lights.

Ma Kali was born to save heaven and earth from the growing cruelty of the demons. Vedanta Society of Greater Houston (VSGH) takes pride in celebrating Kali Puja every year with immense piety, dedication and sincerity. This year was no exception.

October 27, 2019, Sunday, Swami Atmarupananda, resident of VSGH performed the puja. Ma Kali’s image was decorated in festive splendor and the images of Sri Ramakrishna, Mother Sarada and Swami Vivekananda were beautifully lit, with lamps,

Bangladeshis at home and abroad proudly celebrated Bangladesh's 49th Victory Day this year.

It was a joyous and somber moment for each and every one who paid homage and tribute to the martyrs who laid down their lives for the motherland during the Liberation War.

Bangladesh was born as an independent sovereign nation on this day in 1971 when the

reflecting the spirit of Deepavali. A crowd of devotees attended and offered flowers to Ma

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Pakistani occupation forces surrendered after a

ongs, recitations, dances etc. to pay tribute to their heroes who laid down their lives and made supreme sacrifices to establish a new countryBangladesh.

A group of students from Surangan music school actively participated in each of the events organized by these three organizations.

Sharada Devi’s Birthday Celebration

nine-month bloody war in which three million people sacrificed their lives and hundreds of thousands of women were dishonored.

‘Holy Mother’, Sri Sarada Devi, the spiritual consort of Sri Ramakrishna, was born on 22 December 1853 in a poor Brahmin family in Jayrambati, a village adjoining Kamarpukur in

The independence movement was led by the country’s founder and father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

In Houston, the victory day was celebrated across the city by various Bangladeshi organizations.

Bangladesh Awami Leaque (BLA)-Houston and Texas branches, organized a community event where there were patriotic songs performed by local artists. They also arranged complimentary delicious food for everyone present.

Bangladesh Association of Houston (BAH) organized a vibrant cultural program in which they honored the freedom fighters who live in Houston and, Bangladesh American Society of Greater Houston (BASGH) also celebrated a vibrant cultural program including patriotic

West Bengal. When she was about six years old, she was married to Sri Ramakrishna, according to the custom prevalent in India in those days.

However, after that, she continued to live with her parents, while Sri Ramakrishna lived a God-intoxicated life at Dakshineshwar.

In 1872, when Ma Sarada was nineteen years old, came from the village to meet Sri Ramakrishna. Ramakrishna received her cordially, and taught her how to attend to household duties and at the same time lead an intensely spiritual life. One night he worshipped

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her as the Divine Mother in his room at the Dakshineswar temple.

Although Sarada

continued to stay with him, they lived immaculately pure lives, and their marital relationship was purely spiritual.

This year, Vedanta Society of Greater Houston (VSGH) celebrated Maa Sharada Devi’s Birthday on 22, December, 2019 at their center.

Swami Atmarupananda, resident of VSGH performed the worship and homa. The puja prayers were accompanied by melodious spiritual songs sung by Smt. Rupa Ghosh in throughout the ceremony. Lots of devotees attended the august gathering and sought the blessings of goddess Kali. The puja ceremony ended with arati and pushpanjali. Dinner prasad was served to all the attendees present.

children's literature. He earned Bangla Academy Literary Award for his contribution to

children's literature in 2007. He is best known as a rhymester.

More than 20 local poets from Bangladeshi community were participated in this event. It was a very organized program.

Such type of ‘Kobitar Asor’ can encourage our new generation who are born and brought up in USA and also promote our Bangali poetry across the world. We hope poetry lovers will find the festival entertaining in future.

Kobita Sandhya in Houston In Houston, a group of Poetry Lovers (Shahid Minar Committee, BAH) arranged a ‘Kobita Sandhya’ on December 29, 2019, Sunday at Bangladesh American Center Auditorium (BACAuditorium), Houston. Eminent poet Lutfor

Rahaman Liton inaugurated the Kobita Sandhya as chief guest and recited from his own writing poem. Lutfor Rahman Riton is a Bangladeshi writer of young adult and

Surangan’s mission is to create, teach and encourage Bengali Music to our new generation, who are born and brought up in USA.

Rupa Ghosh; Director; Surangan Music School; 17714 Strolling Stream Ln, Richmond, TX 77407; Phone: 832.704.8867; 832.274.6823; Email: surangan2010@yahoo.com; website: www.surangan.org