Md Mojahidul Islam Dheow:
For the first time ever, Times Square Durga Utsav Association is set to organize Durga Puja according to the hindu lunar dates at New York’s iconic Times Square on October 1st and 2nd. This historic announcement was made by the organization’s Chief Advisor Mridul Pathak during a “Meet the Press” event held on the evening of August 10 at Jackson Heights, New York.
At the press conference held to mark the announcement of the first-ever Sharadiya Durga Utsav at Times Square, Chief Advisor Mridul Pathak, along with President Sasadhar Howlader, Vice President Kallol Basu, Secretary Nirupoma Saha, Treasurer Soumyabrata Dasgupta, and Advisory Committee Members Milon Awon and Nirmal Pal, addressed questions from the media. The event was anchored by Sriyanka Basak.
The Durga Puja will take place at Father Duffy Square (next to the red stairs) in Times Square, where the theme and pandal are being designed by pioneers of theme pujas from Kolkata. The ambiance will aim to recreate the festive spirit of Maddox Square in Kolkata and Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka right in the heart of New York.
A specially crafted idol of Goddess Durga by renowned Kumartuli artisan Pradip Rudra Paul is on its way from Kolkata. The two-day celebration will include traditional rituals such as Sindoor Khela, Dhunuchi Naach, and other Navratri festivities, alongside live performances by top artists from Kolkata and Dhaka.
This international Durga Utsav will bring together Bengalis from around the world, and the event will be broadcast live globally. The festival is open to all and aims to celebrate and share Bengali cultural heritage with a global audience.
At the press conference, various organizations and individuals, including CAB (the organizers of the North America Bengali Conference) and Vedanta Society of Bangladesh, expressed their support and announced their collaboration with the Times Square Durga Utsav.
