Durga puja celebrations adjusted by global diaspora for convenience and participation
Times of India | 26 September 2025celebrations to the upcoming weekend, beginning Friday and concluding with Dashami rituals on Sunday, which is Sashti or the pre-inaigurate day, as per the almanac.
Some are postponing their annual autumn extravaganza to the next weekend (3-5 October) because the main puja dates fall on working days.
The luckier ones, non-resident Indians (NRIs) who secured leave and found available venues on weekdays — from Monday to Thursday — are following the assigned nirghonto or the almanac, starting 28 September and ending 2 October.
The main Durga Puja schedule, according to the almanac, commences on Monday (Saptami), with Ashtami on Tuesday, Navami on Wednesday, and the Puja concluding on Thursday (Dashami).
Sujan’s Puja in Dublin, Ireland, will celebrate their event next week (3-5 October) “for the sake of convenience.” Madhudeep Basu, one of the organisers, explained, “We are celebrating a week later because of availability issues.” For them, the Durga Puja is also about ensuring maximum participation. “We are deeply passionate about Sujan’s Puja,” said Sujan’s President Soumyadipta Das. “Watching people from all walks of life embrace it with such warmth and enthusiasm makes every effort worthwhile.
It is truly a celebration of community and culture. The dates were chosen to ensure most people (Indians living in and around Dublin) could attend," he said. Sujan’s Puja, which began in 2011, is recognised as the oldest Durga Puja in Ireland, with more than 500 Indians attending. “It is both a sacred observance and a vibrant cultural landmark, inspiring a sense of pride among the Indian diaspora and admiration beyond it.
What sets our Puja apart is its ability to blend authenticity with community spirit,” the Sujan President said.
Across the oceans, Alapon, a Bengali cultural group of 250 families around Fort Mill, South Carolina (USA), is also observing Durga Puja next weekend (3-5 October). Alapon debuted last year with gender equality as its theme, having Moumita Chakraborty, a teacher, as the priest. “The theme remains unchanged.
Not only do we believe in the concept of Devi Shakti (woman power) to the hilt, but we also strive to break the caste barrier and go out of our way to welcome everyone to participate in this auspicious event.
The Puja dates were selected to accommodate one and all,” Chakraborty said.
Maitree Club in southern Germany’s Stuttgart, the city of Mercedes and Porsche, is organising the pujas this weekend. “We will have completed our Durga Pujo by Sunday, when Kolkata and the rest of India will be starting.
We are stepping into our fifth year. For Bengalis here, Durga puja is not only about worship, but also about culture, food, and bonding,” said Amit Chakraborty, an organiser. This year, the arrangement is grander.
The idol is from Kumartuli, Kolkata. The mandap is traditional, glittering with illumination and the beat of dhak (traditional drums of Bengal). More than 1,200 people are expected, Chakraborty said.
In the heart of São Paulo, Brazil, a close-knit Bengali community, the Barowari Durga Pujo, will observe their one-day Durga Pujo this Sunday. “All the rituals covering the four Pujas days – starting with inaugural bodhon (the arati conducted on Sashti) and ending with bisarjan (immersion of the goddess on Dasahmi) – will be performed in the span of 12 hours on Sunday. What makes our Pujo extraordinary is not just its scale but its distinction as the largest, and probably the only Durga Puja of its kind in Latin America,” said Anuja Bhattacharya, an organiser.
Caption: Sujan's Durga Puja in Dublin, last year.
