UKHCA - Durga Puja Brochure - 2019

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Durga Puja

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2019

UK Hindu Cultural Association Registered UK Charity No 1069932

New Venue: The Olympic Hall Beechenlea Lane, Swanley, BR8 8DR For Donation: Bank Name: Barclays United Kingdom Hindu Cultural Association Sort Code: 20-06-72 , AC No. 50740896

www.ukhca.info ukhca.info@gmail.com

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Swimming Pool Indoor Games Cafeteria Multipurpose Hall

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Jogging Track Gym Meditation/Yoga AV Room

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Library Multipurpose Court Water Features, Sculptures Outdoor Amphitheatre

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Registered Office: 6/1A, Moira Street, “Mangal Deep”, Ground Floor, Kolkata 700017 Phone: (033) 2281 2601/2602, 2283 6227/6230 • Email: bphdc@bengalpeerless.com WBHIRA REGN NO: HIRA/P/KOL/2019/000366 | Website: https://hira.wb.gov

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• Reflexology Garden • Rain Water Harvesting • Moon Garden and many more

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CONTENTS

Page

Executive Committee .......................................................................................................................................................3 Puja timetable & Cultural programme .....................................................................................................................4 Editors message & Major Sponsors .......................................................................................................................5 President’s & Secretary’s messages ..........................................................................................................................6

Joint Treasurer’s message .............................................................................................................................................7

Members contribution: Durga pooja and women’s empowerment ............................................................9 Members contribution: Bengali poem .................................................................................................................. 11 Children’s art workshop 2018.................................................................................................................................. 22 Young members contributions .......................................................................................................................... 23-26 Members contribution: The strength of diaspora ........................................................................................... 31 Members contribution: Recipe ................................................................................................................................ 33 Members contribution: Photography.................................................................................................................... 34

Photo gallery .............................................................................. 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 21, 27, 28, 29 & 31

UK Hindu Cultural Association Executive Committee 2019

President

General Secretary

Vice President:

Professor B. Bhaduri

Dr Tapon Halder

Dr Ashis Sau

T: 01732 843660/07747 795574 E: bim.bhaduri@btinternet.com

Vice President:

Dr Sanjoy Basu

T: 07824337805 E: sanjoy.basu@nhs.net

T: 02036323211/07545221829 E: tapon_halder@yahoo.co.uk

Joint Treasurers

Mr Dwaipayan Ray E: dwairay@yahoo.co.uk

Mr Tanuj Banerjee

07501015205 E: tanujbanerjee@gmail.com

T: 01917138105 E: ashsau17489@gmail.com

Joint Assistant Secretary:

Mr Suman Das (07985 009826) E: sumankdas@gmail.com

Mr Debanjan Mukherjee T: 07789942133 E: demukherjee@gmail.com

Members: Mrs Krishna Baruah, Mrs Sunanda Sarkar, Mrs Pieu Chaudhuri, Mr Debashish Sarkar, Mrs Paramita Pandit, Dr Roshmi Kumar, Dr Amitav Datta, Mr Debottom Das, Mrs Rajnigandha Banerjee, Mrs Rama Karmokar, Mrs Shampa Nag, Mrs Sumita Mukherjee, Dr Saibal Hazra, Mrs Shipra (Millie) Roy.

Priest: Dr Hirak Haldar Sarodiya Page • 3

Sharodiya Sri Sri Durga Puja Time Table 2019 4th Oct. ‘19 Maha Friday Sasthi Sponsored by Mrs Pieu Chaudhuri & Dr Sourja Chaudhuri

2pm onwards: Lunch 5pm - 7pm: Bodhan, Amantran Adhibas, Puspanjali, Arati, Prasad Bitaran 7pm to 9pm: Cultural Programme 9pm onwards: Dinner

5th Oct. ‘19 Maha Saturday Saptami Sponsored by Mrs Jharna & Mr Prashant Verma Drs Ashis & Mita Sau, Drs Shanshank & Gayatri Ranjan

12pm to 2pm: Saptami Puja, Puspanjali Bhog, Arati, Prasad Bitaran, Chandi Path 2pm onwards: Lunch, 3:30pm: Kid’s Activity 5pm to 7:00pm: Puspanjali, Arati Prasad Bitaran 7:00pm to 9pm: Cultural Programme 9pm onwards: Dinner

6th Oct. ‘19 Sunday

11pm to 2pm: Ashtami Puja, Puspanjali Bhog, Balidaan, Arati, Prasad Bitaran Chandi Path 2pm onwards: Lunch, 3:30pm: Kid’s Activity 6pm to 8:30pm: Sandhi Puja, Puspanjali Dipa Mala, Arati & Dhunuchi Nritya Prasad Bitaran 8:30 to 9pm: Dhak Competition 9pm onwards: Dinner

Maha Astami

Sponsored by Drs Bikram & Priti Bhattacharya Mrs Alo Ray & Mrs Mousumi Das

7th Oct. ‘19 Monday

12pm to 2pm: Nabami Puja, Puspanjali Balidaan, Arati, Prasad Bitaran 2pm onwards: Lunch 5pm to 7pm: Homa, Puspanjali, Arati Chandi Path Sponsored by Dr Dipankar Choudhury & 7pm to 9pm: Cultural Programme 9pm onwards: Dinner Mrs Shumi Choudhury

8th Oct. ‘19 Tuesday

Maha Nabami

Bijoya Dashami

Sponsored by Dr Roshmi Kumar, Mr Debottom Das, Mr Partho Karmakar

12pm to 2pm: Dashami Puja, Puspanjali Daikarma, Arati, Ghat Bisarjan, Sindur Khela 2pm onwards: Lunch 5pm to 6pm: Bijoya Sammiloni Activities & Mistimukh 6pm to 7:30pm: Cultural Programme 7:30pm onwards: Dinner 8pm onwards: Packing

Cultural Programme 7-9 pm Sasthi, Friday 4th October 2019 Musical performance by Dr Rajat Subhra Banerjee

Saptami, Saturday 5th October 2019 Famous band from Kolkata led by Mr Raghab Chaterjee (This is a ticketed event) Children activity: Sit and draw competition from 3:30pm

Astami, Sunday 6th October 2019 Dhak competition: Interested members of the public are requested to join Children activity: Durga Puja story hours and quiz from 3:30pm

Nabami, Monday 7th October 2019 Musical Extravaganza by Mrs Bithi Purkayastha and her school of music (Rabi Chhondo) and Dance by Mrs Suchismita Ganguly

Bijaya Sammilani, Tuesday 8th October 2019 Musical performance by Miss Shreya Nayak

for upto date information visit www.ukhca.info

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Sharodiya Editor’s Message Dwaipayan Ray (Ayan)

The United Kingdom Hindu Cultural Association (UKHCA) was created to preserve and promote our Indian diaspora’s culture. Societies are de�ined by its territory, its interaction with itself, and its culture. Our territory includes a memory of India. We interact because we are brought together by a common language and culture. And cyclically our beliefs and behaviours, our norms de�ine us and our culture. Our society has a tradition of high culture, of sophisticated intellectual pursuits such as music and dance, literature and poetry. For us ‘adda’ (i.e. an intellectual exchange) is a pastime.

Our community is part of a pluralistic society; it is exposed to and shares ethical norms and cultures with different groups. Our community like all others will naturally adapt and evolve the way we think, appreciate things, and behave. Creating changes in the literature, music, and the thinking within and between generations. The UKHCA provides a bridge between our generations, allowing us to remember our norms and beliefs whilst we evolve. And in common with all festivals Durga and Kali Puja will allow us to make new friendships, and renew old ones, with the companionship of our current friends. It will let us immerse ourselves in our culture. It will allow us to showcase our culture to our friends and neighbours from other communities.

Enjoy the music, enjoy the theatre, enjoy the food. The UKHCA is an open house.

Sri Sri Durga Puja 2019 Major Sponsors: Mrs Mallika Bhaduri, Drs Priti & Bikram Bhattacharya, Mrs Sumona & Dr Sanjay Chatterjee, Mrs Shumi & Dr Dipankar Choudhuri, Mrs Pieu & Dr Sourja Choudhuri, Mr Debottom Das, Mrs Mousumi Das, Drs Minoti & Dibyendu Datta, Ms Sananda Ghosh, Mrs Jaba & Dr Tapon Halder, Mr Partho Karmokar, Drs Ratna & Mihir Khan, Dr Roshmi Kumar, Dr Abhijit Mandal, Drs Gayatri & Shashank Ranjan, Mrs Alo Ray, Drs Ashis & Mita Sau, Mrs Jharna & Mr Prashant Verma

Kali Puja & Diwali 2019 Sunday, 27th October 2019 Kindly sponsored by Drs Joyanto Kumar Choudhury, Sanjoy Basu & Chandrima Basu 5pm to 7pm: Puja, Puspanjali, Bhog, Arati, Bisarjan, Dakhinadan 8pm: Dinner

Saraswati Puja: Wednesday, 29th January 2020, 2pm to 10pm Kindly sponsored by Mrs Shipra (Millie) Roy & Mr Sanjoy Roy Sarodiya Page • 5

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President’s Message Professor Bimal Bhaduri

United Kingdom Hindu Cultural Association will be holding its 7th Annual Durga Puja celebration again in new and spacious venue The Olympic in Swanley. From next year we hope to be back at the Swanley Town Hall for at least next �ive years.

UKHCA Durga Puja celebration is now established �irmly in the calendar of every Indian resident in South East England. The celebration brings us together as big united family.

Every organisation has to go through changes and we had our election in recent months forming a new Executive Committee with new Of�ice Bearers who are young, enthusiastic and hard working and completely professional in attitude. I noticed with pleasure that the average age of the of�ice bearers has been halved.

Highlight of our cultural events will be performance by two Indian artists, one established and famous singer Mr. Raghab Chatterjee from Kolkata and the other budding student of Royal School of Music Miss Shreya Nayak. There will be plenty of home grown talents and familiar faces in UK cultural circle like Mrs. Bithi Purkayastha and Mrs. Suchismita Ganguly who will grace the occasion.

As the President, I must thank our Priest Dr Hirak Haldar who has been an inspiring �igure in the Durga Puja celebrations for last �ive years. All our activities successfully executed only because of hard works of all the Executive Committee members specially the Of�ice Bearers. My thanks go to all sponsors without whose �inancial backing we cannot celebrate such an event. Above all you the devotees deserve special thanks, only your participation can make this event successful.

Lastly, I feel I have been at the helm of UKHCA for too long, time has de�initely come for a smooth, orderly and successful transition that I will be working towards in the coming months.

Happy Bijoya Greetings!

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Secretary’s Message Dr Tapon Halder

My name is Tapon Halder and this is my �irst UKHCA event as your new General Secretary.

I look forward to welcoming you all at The Olympic, Swanley to celebrate Durga Puja from Friday 4th October to Tuesday 8th October. This year is particularly special as we will be celebrating Durga Puja with new idols from Kolkata.

As a way of introduction, I am a retired General Practitioner and an alumnus of National Medical College in Kolkata. As one of the founder members of this organisation, it is my vision to bring every member of UKHCA, their families and friends together to celebrate this Durga Puja and all our future events.

Following the recent election I wish to welcome the new of�icer bearers and give my heartfelt thanks to all our present and past Executive Members for their wholehearted support. I have a hard act to follow as I take over the reins from our President Professor Bimal Bhaduri who has worked tirelessly to grow UKHCA over the past �ive years. I wish to nurture and encourage the next generation to become future leaders of UKHCA. We have an exciting line of cultural events during the �ive days of Puja festivities with artists from India and the UK as well as our own home grown talents.

I personally look forward to welcoming you all to the Puja. Please join in the celebrations from Friday 4th October to Tuesday 8th October 2019 to make it a memorable occasion.

Sharodiya Treasurers’ Message Dwaipayan Ray (Ayan) & Tanuj Banerjee

2018/19 was a successful year �inancially and culturally for us. It was our �irst year in Swanley, and the success of the venue has encouraged us to hold a second year’s event in with Swanley Town Council (albeit due to a wedding on Saptami we are in a different venue to last year). We continued on a sound �inancial footing maintaining a healthy �inancial reserve we use to underwrite more cultural events. We organised another wonderful Holi event, and before this year’s Durga Puja are organising Melan Mela with all the investment of money plus importantly time and effort by our volunteers. We are eager to organise more cultural events and encourage our members and friends to being more ideas and suggestions to us.

Once again we thank the Executive Committee members and other Major Donors (see page 3 & 5), the individuals sponsoring each day of Puja (please see page 4 and our �lyers), our brochure sponsors and all our friends and members of the public for your donations. We are also indebted to our volunteers without whom it would be impossible to hold any events – from stage and sound management to shopping, artistic direction to Pooja prep, collecting donations to serving food. Your contributions are wide and varied, and priceless.

The roles of Joint Treasurer continue to work very well, giving greater oversight over our �inances and strategy. This year Suman with his invaluable operational and organisational skills has been elected as Assistant Secretary whilst Ayan continues and is joined by one of our new members, Tanuj Banerjee. This gives us a wonderful balance of old and new youth, UK and desi perspectives.

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DURGA POOJA AND WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT

by Amit Kolvankar (Welling)

Durgã, the unassailable, is one of the most impressive, beautiful, and formidable warrior goddesses of the Hindu pantheon. Her story is the victory of good over evil.

As ‘Mahishasurmardini’ she slays the buffalo demon who threaten the stability of the cosmos.

She is also the Divine Mother protecting all from evil and misery. Durgã is not the quintessential Hindu woman. She is not submissive and takes the battle to the males. In this role reversal, she stands outside the stereotype of Hindu society.

The women of India, who worship her, are known to be independent, feisty and are equal in most gender relationships. What better way to celebrate Durga Puja than to laud their beauty and spirit across the �ive days of the festival! Durga Puja is a popular festival of the worshipping of Goddess Durga, a deity of Shakti (Power) in India. The story of Mahishasura Mardini depicts the victory of Maa Durga over Mahishasura, the buffalo Demon to protect the Universe, which epitomizes the spirit of Durga Puja, the victory of good over evil.

During her annual visit, Maa Durga holds various weapons like the trishul, sudarshan chakra, sword, thunderbolt, bow and arrow. These weapons symbolize the various qualities of human nature and can also be used to destroy evil. Besides these, the conch and the lotus �lower in her hands symbolize the dominance of the sound of God (Om) in life and the ability to achieve spiritual heights amidst all sins and evils in the surrounding, respectively. Every day of the festival marks the battle between good and evil, whereby the goddess takes different forms and uses the different weapons to �ight the asuras (demons).

Just like Ma Durga, women in India are powerful, sensitive, righteous and courageous. The history of women in India has been eventful and has seen a vast change in perception over several decades. Modern India now has successful women participation in areas of education, sports, politics, media, art & culture, service sector, business, science & technology, social work, etc. Women like Mother Teresa, Indira

Gandhi, Bachendri Pal, Shovana Narayan, Kiran Bedi and many more have inspired thousands of girls to walk on the road less travelled and leave a trail behind for millions to follow. But in this 21st Century and a country like India where Maa Durga is worshipped and women form the backbone of the society, India is still �ighting several demons of crimes against women like human traf�icking, rape, sex-selective abortion, dowry, domestic violence and child marriage.

This is an irony, a struggle, a �ight! We worship our goddesses but tend to forget respecting the spirit of those deities in our girls. Demons of societal illiteracy promote bad practices like female infanticide and foeticide. In a time when women are world leaders, we as a country are still asking them to follow certain norms which are hindering their progress. As we celebrate 72 years of Independent India, we should promise to stop turning a blind eye to these societal demons we live with. We need to welcome a change in perspective of looking at our girls. This change in mind set will showcase freedom of Mother India in its truest sense. As we welcome Maa Durga this year, let us all join hands and come victorious over the evil within and all around us and give our girls all the reasons to celebrate the festivities that are about to begin.

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CHILDREN’S DURGA PUJA ART WORKSHOP 2018

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UKHCA YOUNG MEMBERS CONTRIBUTIONS

THE OCEAN

by Ishaan William Dasgupta Hudson (9 yo)

The Ocean’s a brave soldier , He waits for his time, He came to invade, And he lands in a line, The Ocean’s an explorer, He goes where he wish, He’s brave as a lion, And loves to take �ish,

The Ocean’s a friend, He brings us to land, He brings us to deadly beasts, And exciting new lands,

The Ocean’s a killer, He wrecks small ships, He wrecks big boats BANG! And the boats that live have rips,

The Ocean’s an Empire, He never gives up, He owns so much water, And protects all his things down to cups, The Ocean’s a myth world, Mermaids and Triton, Poseidon and Neptune, And monsters the size of a Titan

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A sequenced flower

Artwork by Aadya Satosker (6 yo)

Love is in the air

Artwork by Aadya Satosker (6 yo)

A cock-a-doodle-doo

Artwork by Aadya Satosker (6 yo)

Flower arrangement

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A happy unicorn

Artwork by Aadya Satosker (6 yo)

UKHCA YOUNG MEMBERS CONTRIBUTIONS

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Resilience

Artwork by Diyasha Mukherjee (7 yo)

Chatter cat

Artwork by Diyasha Mukherjee (7 yo)

Sun and sea

Artwork by Diyasha Mukherjee (7 yo)

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UKHCA YOUNG MEMBERS CONTRIBUTIONS

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Early morning sky

Artwork by Raina Sahoo (9 yo)

Durga Maa

Artwork by Raina Sahoo (9 yo) Sarodiya Page • 26

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THE STRENGTH OF DIASPORA

by Mrs Alo Ray

After 49 years living as an Indian in London this year I spent four months in Kolkata because I needed to prove my Indian origin. One day after I came back to London sitting on my veranda and it dawned on me whilst we had to go through this because we live in a diaspora, it is also being part of the diaspora that helped us navigate the labyrinth.

My husband always encouraged my independence, but 1960s India was not as progressive as he was. In 1965 we decided London was going to be our home. Whilst we lived within a Bengali diaspora we still had a multi-cultural group of friends. It allowed us to maintain ties with our country, heritage and youth culture whilst enjoying the fruits of a liberal society.

Back then there were only a few Durga Poojas.

We attended poojas in Euston and near home in Belsize Park. Most of our friends went to Belsize Park and we ended up volunteering there. Back then the camaraderie happened in our homes.

Things were prepared in our homes then merrily taken to the venue. For example the naroos were made at my home with friends. Durga Pooja was only a joyous event. Some years later my son was born and as he grew older I started to worry about his assimilation into the culture of our new home. How would he learn about our history and heritage? He was going to lose our attachment to his ancestral homeland. So whilst Durga Pooja remained joyous it also became a cultural ‘baptism’ for him.

It is only now I begin to understand the strength of a diaspora. Whilst my son’s knowledge of Hindu mythology, rituals, and superstitions is weak his ethics and standards are clear. He knows how to walk straight in London whilst ambling the social avenues and administrative side streets of Kolkata. The fact is every generation is different and our community, like all others, prospers because new generations come over from India.

And they have the knowledge my son lacks. My generation remember a Kolkata we left a lifetime ago, the next generations were brought up in an India that progressively changed. So even though my son and these next generations grew up thousands of miles apart he has different peer groups he can be familiar with more than he can with mine. And because of this they will be able to expose him to the vibrant colours, song and dance, and adda of being a Bengali.

This clarity of understanding of who he is culturally and ethically helped him make the friends needed to deal with Indian administration. And by taking the time to understand and give back to our place of heritage we pay homage to our ancestors and learn about our self. It allows my son to maintain a strong connection to a place which his parents left a long time ago whilst being himself. That I believe is a strength of diasporas.

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CARAMEL BHAPA MISHTI DOI (Baked sweetened yoghurt)

by Madhurima Chowdhury

Mishti doi or sweetened yoghurt is a very popular dessert from West Bengal. While mishti means sweet, doi means yoghurt in Bengali. My grandparents resided in Kolkata, so my cousins and I were treated to this delicacy every summer vacation, when we visited them. And, how we looked up to devouring it everyday after lunch!

So, a few days back when I was reminiscing about those beautiful days we spent with them, I also craved for the doi. Since I don’t �ind these beauties here, I made some myself. The best part about the mishti doi is that, there are a lot of variations to it. And believe me, all of them taste heavenly. In my recipe, the yoghurt has a caramel �lavour and is baked. Baking gives the yoghurt mix, a beautiful texture and consistency. So, my caramel bhapa mishti doi (baked sweetened yoghurt) is nothing short of divinity.

Moreover, the caramel �lavour, really ups the �lavour quotient.

Quick and easy If you are wondering about the ease of making this, then hold your thoughts right there. This mishti doi recipe is a super easy and quick one too. And it gets even better. You only need four ingredients to make or bake this! No kidding there. Additionally, it will take you less than half an hour to make it. Yes, it is an under 30 minutes recipe as well. Hence, there are enough reasons for you to get cracking with this recipe. Also, since my family and I are fans of caramel, I like adding it as a �lavour to the yoghurt. However, you could also make it without and your mishti doi will still taste delicious.

The only part that tests my patience is, waiting to gobble up this creamy doi. And that is when my caramel bhapa mishti doi (baked sweetened yoghurt) is chilling in the fridge. But it is totally worth the wait! This chilled and delicious baked yoghurt tastes delightful.

You can bake this yummy delight when hosting your next Indian dinner party. This mishti doi will de�initely pair vey well with your Indian food menu.It is incredible easy to make and delicious to taste. So, you could easily whip his yummy vegetarian dessert up for your loved ones. And of course win accolades. Try this easy recipe soon

and drop me your feedbacks.

You can also check for pictorial recipe step for this and many more recipe on my blog www.kitchenmai.com Eat hearty!

Recipe: Ingredients 200g Greek yoghurt 200g condensed milk 4 tbsp milk 4 tbsp sugar For garnishing 2 tbsp pistachios (chopped) 2 tbsp dried rose petals (crushed)

Method • Make the caramel �irst. In a pan, heat the sugar until it caramelises. Do not stir, only swirl the pan around • Quickly add the milk to make a sauce and set aside so that it cools • In another mixing bowl, add the condensed milk and the yoghurt and whisk until smooth.

Add the cooled caramel sauce and mix well • Divide this mix into 4 or 2 oven proof bowls.

Pre-heat your oven to 100°C and bake them for 10 minutes or until completely set • Chill in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours and serve the caramel bhapa mishti doi (steamed sweetened yoghurt) topped with some pistachios and dried rose petals. Enjoy!

Additional notes • Flavoring the baked yoghurt with caramel is optional. You could also make the bhapa mishti doi (baked sweetened yoghurt) just as is • Instead of dividing the yoghurt and condensed milk mixture in separate bowls, you could bake in a larger dish as well • g - grams

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Sharodiya A selection of photographs taken by Dr Sanjoy Basu whilst on holiday with his family in Utah and Arizona, USA.

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