British Bengalis celebrated Durga Puja on the River Thames in London on Saturday. Hundreds joined the fifth annual Durga Parade organised by Heritage Bengal Global (HBG).The celebration featured traditional dhak beats, dancing and musical performances, with a decorated idol of Goddess Durga sailing past some of London’s best-known landmarks, including Big Ben, the Tower of London and the London Eye.The idol, created by students of Techno India University in Kolkata, was set afloat on the river as participants sailed along the Thames. Bihar tourism minister Kedar Prasad Gupta was among the guests at the event.“My best wishes to all British Indians participating in this blessed event,” Gupta said.He also invited Indians living in the UK and other tourists to visit Bihar. “I would like to take this opportunity to invite all UK-based fellow Indians and tourists to plan a visit to my state of Bihar and witness the immense development that has taken place in recent years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.The parade was launched in 2022 by HBG, a not-for-profit organisation comprising members of the British Bengali diaspora. It aims to bring together Durga Puja celebrations from across the world and create a global platform for the festival.The initiative followed Unesco’s declaration of Durga Puja as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2021.“Our vision is to put Kolkata and Durga Puja on the global tourism map, converting the Unesco intangible tag of Durga Puja to something more tangible to realise its full potential,” said HBG Director Anirban Mukhopadhyay.“It gives us immense pride to be celebrating this joyous festive occasion for the fifth year, with iconic London landmarks serving as the perfect backdrop,” he said.Musical performances by members of the British Bengali community and traditional dancing added to the celebrations aboard the boat. These included performances by father-daughter duo Krishnendu and Gungun, who have been part of a viral social media trend.
