Patna: They are around 8,000 miles away from India on the shores of the Atlantic but their heart and spirit lie on the banks of Ganga, all the more when festivals are around.
Bengali Society of Florida (BSF), comprising over 500 ‘probashi’ (immigrant) Bengalis, including several from Bihar, celebrated Kali Puja on Saturday evening at Sanford in the US state with as much devotion and fervour as back home.
Established in 1982, the BSF—a cultural organisation devoted to promoting Bengali language, art and traditions—started the Kali Puja around 1996, when long-time members Pronob and Sheila Bhattacharya brought an idol of the Goddess to their home in Lakeland, Florida, said senior members. Till last year, they used to bring the idol to Orlando for the community puja every year.
This year, the BSF has brought a beautiful handcrafted Kali idol from Kolkata’s Kumartuli, alongside a new Durga ‘pratima’ for the society’s annual Durga Puja.
Though celebrated two days ahead of the new moon day, when Kali Puja is held, rituals like ‘aarati’ and ‘bhog’ remain the same. Cultural head of the society, Goldy Bhowmik—who hails from Patna—said they usually hold one-day events on Saturday evening in the US, and this time it was closest to Kali Pujo, which fell on Monday.
The puja was conducted by priest Partha Mukhopadhyay and his wife Amrita, who also hails from Patna. Both did their PhD from IIT-Kharagpur and are now research scientists in Florida.
There was more—a performance by local band ‘Tawrongo’, followed by a community DJ night. There, however, was one miss: The traditional fireworks on Diwali because of restrictions in the area.
Nonetheless, a treat of traditional Bengali dinner of ‘echor (raw jackfruit) kosha’, mutton curry, barramundi ‘paturi’ and ‘aam doi’ (mango curd) among other delicacies, transported the devotees back to their native kitchens after the puja. The menu was curated by Subho Pal and Amit Sinha.
This year’s celebrations were organised under the BSF’s newly elected 2025-2026 executive committee of 12 members, including three who trace their roots to Bihar and Jharkhand—vice-president Pially Pal (Gaya), Bhowmik (Patna) and member Pradeep Nandi (Ranchi).
President Avantika Sen Sharma said for them Kali Puja isn’t just a ritual. “It’s the grand finale event of our year, bringing everyone together as one family.”
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