CTBA celebrates Saraswati Puja with devotion and galore.
Feb 11th, Cedar Park, TX: Central Texas Bengali Association (CTBA) , a community of 700+ members celebrated Saraswati puja in Cedar Park, TX . In line with their vision of promoting Indian heritage and culture through spiritual, social, and artistic activities. CTBA organized a large scale puja to mark the beginning of spring (Basant). Men, women and children clad in gorgeous and elaborate outfits in auspicious yellow color gathered around the immaculate idol of Maa Saraswati with immense devotion. The worship of Maa Saraswati was performed with rituals using Palaash flowers, plums, phaag and abhro, bel leaves and white sandalwood paste. The ritual of 'Hatey- Khori' was also performed for families with small children marking the beginning of the learning phase in their lives. Devotees served prasad including fruits and traditional sweets and lunch to those gathered from as far as San Antonio and Dallas.
President of the organization, Dibyajyoti Bhattacharji, took center stage and thanked all sponsors and media partner Foundations TV for their support for the event. The executive team recognized the efforts of all committees including, puja, food, cultural and magazine committees. All members were informed about and thanked for their support in a recent clothing drive which collected over 200 clothes that were then donated to the needy through Goodwill.
Vice President of CTBA, Mr Arjun Pal Chowdhary who has been associated with the organization since 2019 said that the most special thing about CTBA is its people and their compassionate actions. He added “We believe if you have to go far, go together. “ CTBA is the oldest Bengali community in Central Texas and it continues to grow in its membership numbers. Chowdhary believes it is due to the welcoming attitude of existing community members. “The way existing community members extend their warmth and support to the new comers is the unique essence of CTBA.” This is particularly important for those moving in new to the area and are looking to reconnect with their roots.
The spectacular event included a cultural program organized by the cultural committee. This year’s cultural program for Sarawati Puja was named ‘Aamra Nuton Jouboneri Duut’, which translates to “We are the flagbearers of tomorrow”. Young children took the stage and mesmerized parents in the audiences. Damayanti Banerji, a member of the cultural committee, along with Basundhara Roy and Nandini Banerjee Deb , said her “My favorite part was putting together this program was the joy of seeing the community’s younger generation soak up Bengal’s rich cultural heritage and carry it forward.”
In all, it was a day celebrated in honor of Maa Sarawati, the goddess of Learning with immense devotion, and cultural galore. Pictures of the event can be seen on The Foundations Tv Facebook Page CTBA Event Facebook
