Durga Puja in Bangalore & Cultural Programs - 2011

For schedule and location of 2012 Durga Puja, check out Durgotsav 2012 page.

Information is scattered and there is chaos everywhere. Here is a tiny bit from me to bring order into this world. It might not be complete or entirely correct.

Please help me add or correct information by means of comment. If you happen to be at one of the location, post the link of your pictures in the comment as well.

Durga Puja Locations: There are 27 places where Durga Puja is organized in Bangalore.

1. The Bengalee Association - http://www.bengaliassociation.org/
   Gayatri Vihar, Palace Grounds
2. Jayamahal Sarbajanin Durga Charitable Samiti - http://jayamahaldurgapuja.blogspot.com/
   Adjacent to Jayamahal Park, Jayamahal Extension
3. Socio Cultural Association - http://scaindiranagar.com/
   Defence Colony, Near 100 Ft Road, HAL 2nd Stage (Indiranagar)
4. Bengali in Bangalore - http://bengaliinbangalore.org/
   Aicoboo Residents Welfare Association Ground, Opp to Udupi garden, behind Bharat Petroleum Pump, 2nd Stage, BTM Layout
5. Poorva Bangalore Cultural Association - http://www.pbca.in/
   VSR Convention Hall, Brookefields, Opposite Hindustan Lever, Post, Marathalli
6. Sharathi Socio Cultural Trust - http://www.sarathionline.org/
   Mangala Kalyana Mantap, 8th Block, 80 Ft Road, (Opp. Ganesha Temple), Koramangala
7. “SORRBA” Durga Puja - http://www.sorrba.org/
   “SUN City” Apartment. Outer Ring Road, Sarjapura Circle
8. R T Nagar Durga Puja Committee - http://www.rtnagardurgapuja.org/
   Sai Baba Mandir, HMT Layout, Anand Nagar, Next to R.T. Nagar Bus Depot
9. Probasi Aassociation
   Canara Union Hall, 8th Main, Malleshwaram, Near - Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy
10. North Bangalore Cultural Association
    “Mandir”, 8A, FTI Colony, Nandini Layout, Opp. ISKCON Temple
11. Air Force Training Command
    Mekhri Circle, Bellary Road
12. Air Force Station, Jalahalli West
    Air Force Station, Jalahalli West, Near Peenya Circle
13. Air Force Station, Jalahalli East
    Air Force Station, Jalahalli East, Near HMT Circle, Gokula
14. Vivekananda Cultural Association
    New Town, Yelahanka
15. South Bangalore Cultural Association
    N R Kalayana Mantapa, Bannerghatta Road, J P Nagar 2nd Phase, Opp. Shoppers Stop
16. Antaranga Bengali Cultural Association
    Ramana Maharishee Heritage Centre, Near Food World, Sanjay Nagar, Off Bellary Road
17. Banaswadi Bengali Cultural Union
    Sitarama Kalyana Mandap, Kullappa Circle, Banaswadi Main Road
18. Command Hospital
    Old Airport Road
19. Bangalore Rural Association
    Sedul Dassappa Kalyana Mantap, Near Attibele Bus Terminal, Hosur Road, Attebele
20. Murugeshpalya Durgotsva
    Air Force Campus, Wind Tunnel Road, Airport Road, Rifco Apartment
21. Hebbagudi Durga Puja
    Near Hebbagudi Bus Stand, Beside BIOCON Factory, Hosur Road
22. Swarnakar Samiti Durga Puja
    Near Corporation, Beside GEO Hotel
23. Kaggadasa Pura Durga Puja
    SCT College, Kaggadasa Pura, C V Raman Nagar, Bangalore
24. Magadi Road Durga Puja
    Industrial Area, Kamakshi Palya, Magadi Road
25. Purvankara Apartment Residential Association
    Marathalli, Near Spicy Garden Restaurant
26. Sahakara Nagar Durga Puja
    Sahakara Nagar, Kodigehalli, Bellary Road
27. Munikolala Durga Puja
    Munikolala, Opp Innovative Multiplex, Ring Road, Maratahalli

Cultural Programs: There may be other programs happening but this is all that I could find online. Please comment if you know about other programs.

Sunday, October 2nd, 2011 - Shashti

1. Musical Programme by Indian Blue - The Bengalee Association (Palace Grounds)
2. Sukumar Ray’s “Ha Ja Ba Ra La” by Bannerghatta Banar Sena and Dance Drama by Dishari - Jayamahal Sarbajanin Durga Charitable Samiti (Jayamahal Extension)
3. Songs by Kavita Krishnamurthy (8 PM) - Sharathi Socio Cultural Trust (Koramangala)
4. ‘Phire Esho Aronyo’ (Children’s dance performance) - RT Nagar Durga Puja Committee (RT Nagar)
5. Performance by Anupam Roy (6:25 PM onwards) - “SORRBA” Durga Puja (Sarjapur Circle)
6. Rabindra Sangeet by SBCA group - South Bangalore Cultural Association (JP Nagar)

Monday, October 3rd, 2011 - Saptami

1. Dance recital "Probaho" and vocal recital by Chandrabali Rudra Datta - The Bengalee Association (Palace Grounds)
2. Bangla Band Cactus - Jayamahal Sarbajanin Durga Charitable Samiti (Jayamahal Extension)
3. Odissi Dance by Sangita Ghosh (7:00 PM), Song by Aditya Vittal (7:20 PM), Dance by Rupa Mondal (7:30 PM), Classical Fusion Dance by Dishari (8:00 PM), Bengali Folk Rock by Manjira (9:00 PM) - Poorva Bangalore Cultural Association (Marathalli)
4. Retro and Contemporary music by Kohal (7 PM), Fusion music by Indian Blue (8:30 PM), Dance Drama by Shyama (9:30 PM) - Sharathi Socio Cultural Trust (Koramangala)
5. Sonar Tori (Reciation skit) (7 PM), Rabindra Sangeet "More Bare Bare" (7.30 PM), Bengali Drama "Sandhatara" (8.15 PM), Garwa (9.30 PM) - RT Nagar Durga Puja Committee (RT Nagar)
6. Performances by Suthirtha and Tannishtha Sarkar (6:30 PM onwards) - “SORRBA” Durga Puja (Sarjapur Circle)
7. Bangla Band "Alpin", Comedy drama for kids "Ha Ja Bo Ra La" (6 PM onwards) - Bengali in Bangalore (BTM Layout)
8. Bharatnatyam dance program, Music program "Ek Sham 7 Surke Naam" by 7 Sur - South Bangalore Cultural Association (JP Nagar)

Tuesday, October 4th, 2011 - Ashtami

1. Bangla Band Dhumketu and Dance recital by Saptarshi and Troupe - The Bengalee Association (Palace Grounds)
2. Rabindra Sangeet (Tumi Sondhar Meghomala) by Debjani Dutta Group and Dance Drama “Shyama” by Probal & Group - Jayamahal Sarbajanin Durga Charitable Samiti (Jayamahal Extension)
3. Rabindrasangeet by Chandrabali Rudra Dutta (7:00 PM), Musical Night by Emon Chatterjee (9:00 PM) - Poorva Bangalore Cultural Association (Marathalli)
4. Bengali songs by Barnali (7 PM), Dance based on Tagore songs "Praner Shara (7:30 PM), Contemporary Hindi songs by Sinchan-Biji (9 PM) - Sharathi Socio Cultural Trust (Koramangala)
5. Bengali Modern songs "Surer Jhankar" (7 PM), Dance Recital ‘Ami Sei Meye’ (8.15 PM), Dhunuchi Nach (9 PM) - RT Nagar Durga Puja Committee (RT Nagar)
6. Indian Classical "Sur O Chondo" by Tamashri Ghosh Deb, Rock music by fusion band Indian Blues (6:25 PM onwards) - “SORRBA” Durga Puja (Sarjapur Circle)
7. Indian Band "Sarangsh", Fusion Band "Tannishtha & Pulse Craft" (6:45 PM onwards) - Bengali in Bangalore (BTM Layout)
8. Dance program by Priyodarshini Dance Academy, Bangla Band Maseeha - South Bangalore Cultural Association (JP Nagar)

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011 - Nabami

1. Collage “Hashi Kanna”,  Fusion Dance by Sapphire and Dhunuchi Dance Competion - The Bengalee Association (Palace Grounds)
2. Musical Extravaganza by Biju Nair and Party and Amaader Gaan by Priyanka Mitra - Jayamahal Sarbajanin Durga Charitable Samiti (Jayamahal Extension)
3. Song by Swagata Mitra (7:00 PM), Rock Nite by Cactus (8:00 PM), Dandiya with Live Band (10:30 PM) - Poorva Bangalore Cultural Association (Marathalli)
4. Rabindra Sangeet "Bhanga Gaan" (7 PM), Contemporary music by Emon Chatterjee (8 PM) - Sharathi Socio Cultural Trust (Koramangala)
5. Drama Recital "Birpurus" (7.30 PM), Ganer Asor by Debaroti Mitra (8 PM)
6. Music by Bangla Band Chandra Bindoo (6:30 PM onwards) - “SORRBA” Durga Puja (Sarjapur Circle)
7. Open air freestyle music sessionn "Maddox Square Recreated" (7 PM onwards) - Bengali in Bangalore (BTM Layout)
8. Dhunuchi Naach, Bangla Band Indian Blues - South Bangalore Cultural Association (JP Nagar)

Thursday, October 6th, 2011 - Dashami

1. Dandiya Dance - South Bangalore Cultural Association (JP Nagar)

It All Goes Back In The Box

I first learned it from my grandmother. Now, my grandmother was a wonderful person. She taught me how to play the game monopoly. She understood that the name of the game is to acquire. She would accumulate everything she could and eventually she became the master of the board. And then she would always say the same thing to me. She'd look at me and she'd say, "One day, you'll learn to play the game."


One summer, I played monopoly almost everyday, all day long and that summer, I learned to play the game. I came to understand the only way to win is to make a total commitment to acquisition. I came to understand that money and possessions, that's the way that you keep score. And by the end of that summer, I was more ruthless than my grandmother. I was ready to bend the rules, if I had to, to win that game.


And I sat down with her to play that fall. I took everything she had. I watched her give her last dollar and quit in utter defeat. And then she had one more thing to teach me. Then she said, "Now it all goes back in the box – all those houses and hotels, all the rail roads and utility companies, all that property and all that wonderful money–now it all goes back in the box. None of it was really yours. You got all heated up about it for a while, but it was around a long time before you sat down at the board, and it will be here after you're gone. Players come and players go. Houses and cars, titles and clothes, bulging portfolios, even your body. Because the fact is that everything I clutch and consume and hoard is going to go back in the box and I’m going to lose it all.


So you have to ask yourself when you finally get the ultimate promotion, when you have made the ultimate purchase, when you buy the ultimate home, when you have stored up financial security, and climbed the ladder of success to the highest rung you can possibly climb it, and the thrill wears off - and it will wear off - Then what? How far do you have to walk down that road before you see where it leads? Surely you understand it will never be enough. So you have to ask yourself the question: What matters?


- A transcript of the film "Zeitgeist: Moving Forward" penned by John Ortberg

Doubt - Rene Descartes

Dubito ergo cogito; cogito ergo sum.
- Rene Descartes