East Coast Durga Puja Association (ECDPA) is the first Bengali club in North America, which started celebrating Durga Puja in the year 1969 in Manhattan, New York. Later on as most Bengali started living in Queens, puja move to Queens. In the beginning puja used to be in the public schools, later it moved to Gujrati Samaj building. This became the permanent place for celebration of Durga puja.
For many years annual durga puja celebration by ECDPA was the main event of the year for Bengali of New York. It was going on smoothly, then to select the officials of the puja committee a election was proposed.The people who lost the election brought the allegation of election manipulation, and didn't accepted the outcome. Subsequently they formed another committee and named New York Puja Association (NYPA) and started a separate durga puja in the same Gujrati Samaj building on a different weekend.
A group of Bengali of Long Island started another Durga puja in the year 1985.There puja location was at VFW hall,Franklin Square, New York.
In the beginning I was involved with ECDPA, then with NYPA ,I kept close contact with both puja committees and also with Long Island puja committee. In the beginning NYPA had no deity, also not enough funds. I decided to donate and I made the arrangements to get the deity from Kolkata. I got in touch with Mr. Amarnath Ghosh the famous shola shipi of Kumartuli, and ordered the deity. There were a subtle competition between ECDPA and NYPA . NYPA wanted to do something different. Those days puja was done by placing the deity on a platform. There was very minimal effort for decoration. In Asansol I was involved in decoration, so I had some ideas. I wanted to apply those in New York pujas. So I made a plan, discussed with puja committee, formed a team and started working. It was a risky venture, beside me I don't think anyone else fully understood the plan but they offered full co operation and work started with full enthusiasm.
For many years annual durga puja celebration by ECDPA was the main event of the year for Bengali of New York. It was going on smoothly, then to select the officials of the puja committee a election was proposed.The people who lost the election brought the allegation of election manipulation, and didn't accepted the outcome. Subsequently they formed another committee and named New York Puja Association (NYPA) and started a separate durga puja in the same Gujrati Samaj building on a different weekend.
A group of Bengali of Long Island started another Durga puja in the year 1985.There puja location was at VFW hall,Franklin Square, New York.
In the beginning I was involved with ECDPA, then with NYPA ,I kept close contact with both puja committees and also with Long Island puja committee. In the beginning NYPA had no deity, also not enough funds. I decided to donate and I made the arrangements to get the deity from Kolkata. I got in touch with Mr. Amarnath Ghosh the famous shola shipi of Kumartuli, and ordered the deity. There were a subtle competition between ECDPA and NYPA . NYPA wanted to do something different. Those days puja was done by placing the deity on a platform. There was very minimal effort for decoration. In Asansol I was involved in decoration, so I had some ideas. I wanted to apply those in New York pujas. So I made a plan, discussed with puja committee, formed a team and started working. It was a risky venture, beside me I don't think anyone else fully understood the plan but they offered full co operation and work started with full enthusiasm.
Our combined efforts were very successful.Everyone liked our decoration. And each year I use to come up with new plans . It was lots of fun. Subsequently ECDPA also started to come up with different decoration plan for ECDPA puja.
Gradually Kali puja, Sarswati puja were added to the celebration.
do you know the website or the contact number for the durga puja in Long Island VFW Hall?
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