Durga Puja celebrated in Auckland
Hindu expatriates, from Bangladesh and India, celebrated Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of Hindu community, in Auckland, New Zealand amid festivity and religious fervour.
Sarbojanin Puja Sangha of New Zealand organised the puja at Blockhouse Bay community hall in Auckland on 7-8 October, said a press release.
This year’s occasion turned out to be bigger and more festive than previous celebrations as situation returns to normal after two years of Covid-19 pandemic.
According to organisers, this year devotees took the opportunity to their fullest to celebrate the puja.
Beside regular activities such as worshiping Devi Durga and distributing bhog (religious offering), devotees also performed dhunuchi dance unique to Durga Puja while the ritual drummers or dhakis played tunes for them.
A cultural event was also held to represent Bengali culture to a foreign land, with non-Bengali Indians and Nepalese expatriates participating in the puja festival and the cultural event, according to the press release.