BENGALI ASSOCIATION OF GREATER ROCHESTER

(A non-profit organization)♦ 16 Westview Terrace Rochester NY 14620 ♦ www.bagrusa.org ♦ Volume 35 Issue 3 February 2011

Phone: 585-563-7816 Email: webmaster@bagrusa.org

Saraswati Puja 2011

Dear BAGR Members,

Welcome to another edition of BAGR eNewsletter.

Bengali association of Greater Rochester (BAGR) celebrated its first Durga Puja in 2010. The celebrations started with our puja mandap set up on Friday October 15 at India Community Center of Rochester by the community members to get us in the mood of puja. The next day (October 16), our festivities started early in the morning with prayer offerings to Maa Durga, and was followed by Pushpanjali (floral offerings) and Bhog Prasad.

Our cultural presentations for Saturday October 16 began with a dance program ‘Durga Bandana’ (Durga Prayer; directed by Raka Ghosh) and was followed by Dhunuchi Naach on the beats of Dhaak, a trademark of any Durga Puja celebration. Anabil Chaudhuri enthralled the audiences with a violin recital. He was accompanied on tabla by Nirmalya Chatterjee. The evening culminated with a Dance Drama Shyama (Directed by Sarmistha Chowdry) that regaled the audiences.

On the following day (October 17), we started early with Puja and Pushpanjali. Durga Puja celebrations culminated with Bisharjan (symbolic immersion) of Maa Durga.

On the evening of Sunday October 17th, BAGR celebrated its annual Bijoya festivities. It all started with Sharodotsab: a cultural presentation, and was followed by group songs in Bengali. Next, we had couple of presentations from students of local universities: a concert by a student band “Desert Monsoon” was followed by presentation of a Bengali play ‘Parer Upokar Koriyo Na’ (Do not help others). We hope you enjoyed the functions.

Planning for these celebrations had been going on for months. Several individuals have devoted countless hours towards the fruition of these efforts, which we appreciate from the bottom of our hearts. Of course, all this would not be possible without the patronage and presence of our community members. We would like to thank all of you who have supported in this festive undertaking, and hope you will continue to do so in the coming years.

With the advent of New Year, it is time to offer our homage to the Goddess of Knowledge, Maa Saraswati. We will be celebrating Saraswati Puja on February 12, 2011 at India Community Center (ICC). Detailed itinerary of the events are included in the following pages of the newsletter. Please join us in these celebrations.

Executive Committee, BAGR

Executive Committee 2010-2011 Soumyaroop Bhattacharya President Email: president@bagrusa.org Soumya Mitra Secretary Email: secretary@bagrusa.org Kunal Bhowmick Treasurer Email: treasurer@bagrusa.org Binita Gupta Member Mita De Member Jaydip Gupta Member Aritro Sen Member Subhashish Mukerjee President-Elect 2011-2012

BAGR Newsletter Volume 35 Issue 3 February 2011

Phone: 585-563-7816 Email: webmaster@bagrusa.org

MEMBERSHIP FEES The membership fees are as follows. Please send your membership dues (check payable to BAGR) to Kunal Bhowmick, 1526 Fieldcrest Drive, Webster, NY 14580

Family - $125/year Single - $60/year Student Family - $40/year Student Single - $20/year Guest - $20/event Guest Family - $40/event Student Guest - $7/event Student Guest Family - $15/event

UPCOMING EVENTS SARASWATI PUJA ICC FEBRUARY 12, 2011 SATURDAY NABOBARSHO ICC APRIL 16, 2011 Saraswati Puja We will be celebrating Saraswati Puja on February 12, 2011 at India Community Center (ICC) located at 2171 Monroe County Line Rd Macedon, NY 14502.

Itinerary: Puja: 11.00AM Anjali: 12 Noon Prasad: 12.30PM Table Tennis: 3:00PM Cultural Program: 5.00PM Dinner: 7.00 PM Bivash We would like to take this opportunity to request submissions to our annual magazine "Bivash", in the form of articles, pictures, children's drawings etc. Contributions may be sent via email to Soumyaroop (soumyaroopbhatt@yahoo.com) or by mail to Soumyaroop Bhattacharya, 16 Westview Terrace, Rochester NY 14620. Just like last year, Bivash will be distributed in an electronic format. Members who may be

interested in getting a printed copy of Bivash would certainly have the option to do so. The estimated cost of a printed version of Bivash would be $15. Members are requested to contact anyone from the executive committee to convey their interest. Bengali Teaching There is an interest among some of our community members to have Bengali learning classes for their children. Please contact us if you are interested in either teaching or participating in a Bengali learning class. Community News • Rajat and Devikalpa Chakraborty had a baby

boy, Ahan Chakraborty, born on 10th August, 2010. On the behalf of the community, we congratulate the proud parents.

• Soumya and Sathi Mitra, had a baby boy, Ishaan Mitra, born on 25th October, 2010. On the behalf of the community, we congratulate the proud parents.

• Samy (son of Amy and Bikram Chakraborty, grandson of Shikha and Pinaki Sett) had his Annaprashan on October 30, 2011.

• Suraiya (daughter of Sarita and Eddie, granddaughter of Binita and Pratap Gupta) had her Annaprashan of November 11, 2011.

• We extend a warm welcome to Sarkar family (Krishnendu and Anusri Sarkar and their daughters), Barr family (Paul and Sudipa Barr and their daughters), Shamik Chattopadhyay, Avijit (Raja) Banerjee, Subrata Mukherjee, Biswadeep Tarafdar, Arijit Bose, Anwesha Ghosh and Nandini Kar to our community and look forward to their participation in our events.

• Anabil Chaudhuri has left Rochester and moved to New Mexico to finish his graduate studies. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

Please send all community news to Soumya at soumya.mitra@gmail.com for them to be included in the BAGR newsletters.

Bengali Association of Greater Rochester (BAGR) bহৎ রেচ ার বা ািল সিমিত

বাতর্ াপt বছর 35 স য্া 3

কাযর্কারী সিমিত 2010-2011 aধয্াkয্ েসৗময্ প ভ াচাযর্য্

সিচব েসৗময্ িমt েকাশাধয্াkয্ kনাল েভৗিমক

সদসয্ eবং সদসয্া িবিনতা p, িমতা েদ, aিরt েসন, জয়dীপ p িনবর্ািচত aধয্kয্ 2011- 2012: সুভািশষ মুখাজর্ী

ধনয্বাদ,

BAGR কাযর্কারী সিমিত

BENGALI ASSOCIATION OF GREATER ROCHESTER

16 Westview Terrace Rochester NY 14620 ♦ www.bagrusa.orgPhone: 585‐563‐7816  ♦ Email: webmaster@bagrusa.org

Proudly Presents

Saraswati Puja 2011 When: February 12, 2011

Where: India Community Center2171 Monroe County Line Rd  

M d NY 14502 9001

Schedule

Saturday February 12

Macedon, NY 14502‐9001

Saturday February 12

Puja : 11.00AMAnjali: 12 NoonPrasad/Lunch: 1.00PM Table Tennis: 3.00PMCultural Program: 5 00PMCultural Program: 5.00PMDinner: 7.00PM

Menu

LUNCHLuchi

DINNERKhichuri

Aloo DamHalwaMishti

LabraChutneyPaporPayeshPizza — For Kids

BAGR is a registered non profit organization under Section 501 c 3 of Internal Revenue code. All donations to BAGR are 

tax exempt.  

Guest Charges for Saraswati PujaFamily: $40Single: $20Student: $15(family)

$8 (single)