Times Square hosted vibrant Durga Puja and Navaratri celebrations on October 10–11, with Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaking out about the festival in an X post. Videos of the celebrations have surfaced on social media.
The second annual Times Square Durga Utsav on October 10–11 featured traditional pujas, Mahalaya rituals, dance dramas, and live music, drawing families despite the adverse weather. Mamdani shared a message honoring the Hindu festival’s dances like Garba, Sindur Khela, Tika blessings, and Golu displays, calling it a time of reflection whether known as Durga Puja, Dashain, Dussehra, or Navratri.
“This week, our Hindu neighbors celebrate the Goddess Durga during the festival of Navaratri,” wrote Mamdani on X. “Our neighbors will dance Garba, venerate the Goddess Durga with Sindur Khela, receive Tika from elders, set up Golu in their homes, and so much more.”
Organizers of the celebration recognized six US groups from states like California and New York for preserving Bengali culture over 50 years. Guests included India’s Consul General and Prince Mario-Max of Denmark.
Celebration highlights
The festival was organized by the Times Square Durga Utsav Association and had Asha Group as its event partner, with support from Apnabazar. A highlight was the recognition of six organisations that have organised Durga Puja in the United States for at least five decades and helped preserve Bengali culture – Bay Area Prabasi Inc. of California; the Bengali Association of Greater Chicago in Illinois; the Bengali Cultural Society in Ohio; the East Coast Durga Puja Association in New York; Kallol in New Jersey; and Pragati in Pennsylvania.
Cultural highlights included the Dash Mahavidya dance drama and musical performances by Mekhla Dasgupta and Deyashini Roy. There were performances by children and young people too.
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In the end, association president Shashadhar Hawladar and general secretary Nirupama Saha thanked all volunteers and participants who had travelled from different parts of the US. They thanked everyone for their presence, and expressed gratitude for their cooperation and enthusiastic participation.