In a first, Great Britain Sharad Samman 2023 to award Durga Pujas across UK
Kolkata: In a historic first, Durga Puja celebrations in Great Britain are gearing up for a thrilling competition, vying for the ultimate supremacy in pure Kolkata style. This year, Durga Pujas across the UK will be judged and awarded just like it happens in Bengal. This move not only celebrates and preserves the rich cultural heritage of the festival but also fosters a sense of unity and pride among the Indian diaspora in the UK.
The first-ever Great Britain Sharad Samman will roll out this October where Durga Pujas across England, Wales, Scotland and even Northern Ireland will be judged. The award will not only recognise the best pandal, best Puja and best idol but also acknowledge the involvement of the Indian diaspora, the participation of British nationals in organising it and the Puja with the highest number of present-generation kids involved in the celebrations. To ensure a diverse and fair evaluation, the jury will comprise not just Indians but also eminent British nationals. The Great Britain Sharad Samman 2023 will also rate and award the UK’s Pujas on various verticals, including innovation in design, best protima (deity), community involvement, cultural programmes, and the extent of British nationals’ involvement. The cross-national partnership between Sayantan Das Adhikary from the UK and Shubham Dutta from Kolkata has been instrumental in making this award a reality.
Interestingly, Bengali has been officially named the second most-spoken language in London, followed by Polish and Turkish. Britain has the largest Bengali population outside Bangladesh and West Bengal globally. The past decade has witnessed an extraordinary surge in the celebration of Durga Puja, not only in London or Great Britain but across the world. London alone hosts over 40 Pujas. Meanwhile, Durga Pujas have been recorded in nearly 40 countries spanning from Norway to Fiji, South Africa to Japan, and Colombia to the United States.
“Durga Puja is like the Olympics of culture. It is no more religious in nature but a cauldron of incredible art, festivities and the coming together of people as one. Durga Pujas in the UK have been steadily increasing. We want more Britons to become part of the festival,” said Adhikary.
Dutta, too, is excited about the awards and said: “Out of the 281 million global migrants today, almost 18 million are Indians, as per the UN estimates from 2020. They are the true ambassadors of India holding on strong to its cultural ethos. The Great Britain Sharad Samman 2023 will recognise and celebrate the best of not just Bengalis — both from India and Bangladesh — but also Britons, many of whom love being part of the Pujas.”
Anirban Mukhopadhyay, director of Heritage Bengal Global, also hailed the idea of the award function. “Durga Puja is fast becoming a rage having been celebrated in nearly 40 countries. Several new Pujas are starting this year in London. Great Britain has a very strong, affluent and successful Indian diaspora. Not all of them get to go home every year to celebrate festivals. The awards will motivate the Indian community even more to start their celebrations, however big or small,” said Mukhopadhyay from London.
Interestingly, Durga Puja in Wales is celebrating its 50th year. Speaking from Cardiff, Sandip Raha of the organising committee, said: “Our Puja started in 1974. Last year, we had over 2,500 people visiting it. Lots of students from Cardiff University visit the Pujas and we are seeing a rise in the number of local Welsh population and members of the Welsh government becoming part of it. This award will help in improving the quality of Pujas across Great Britain.”
Wyndham Durga Utsav in Melbourne, Australia, began in 2015. “We have 2,500-5,000 visitors on the days of the Puja. We have our MPs and Councillors also attending and promoting the multicultural environment,” said Anindya Ghosh, a member of the Puja committee.
