HYDERABAD: The skies have already turned a bit bluer, the breeze a bit cooler ready to give way soon to mild Deccan winter nip. And while ‘Kaash’ flowers grow abundantly near lakes, they also signify the arrival of Goddess Durga with the ten-day celebrations across the city, which will soon see a huge footfall in the pandals. There are nearly four lakh Bengalis in the city who are employed in different sectors ranging from IT, hospitality, banking, finance, education and more. Like other communities, Bengalis are quite active in arts and cultural activities. The Bengali platter has a variety of delights like Rohu fish fillet cooked in mustard paste, minced meat cutlets or the spongy white roshogullas. But there’s more to the community than just a penchant for art and grub. We take a closer look:
Durga Puja
Keyes High School, Secunderabad and Bengalee Samity Domalguda are renowned for showcasing splendid idols of Goddess Durga. The pandals are elaborate, the deities sparkling with the craftsmanship of artistes based in Kumartuli, Kolkata. The idols are given final touches after they are brought to Hyderabad. At the puja venue, stalls of authentic Bengali food is prepared on the spot. Puja at Keyes Girls High School is organised by Bangiya Sanskritik Sangha (BSS), while the one at Domalguda, Ramakrishna Math is organised by Hyderabad Bengalee Samity (HBS). Another group, Bengalis In Hyderabad (BIH) organises Sharad Somman Jury Award for the Best Durga Puja pandals. In all, there would be a minimum of 30 Durga Puja pandals erected in the city in areas like Miyapur, Madhapur, Balanagar, Attapur and even Khajaguda. One gets to see the devi in “Daaker Shaj” with her jewellery made of gold or ‘shola’ – a milky-white sponge wood also known as Indian cork.
Food finds
With a population of four lakh, one expects an array of Bengali restaurants serving hot Gobind Bhog rice with steamed hilsa, begun bhaja, potol dolma, aloo posto, luchi and other mouth-watering delights. No disappointment here. There are several eateries in the city. Says Sabyasachi Roy Chaudhuri, a food enthusiast and marketing consultant who’s has been living in Hyderabad for the past 25 years, “My pick is a small list comprising Oh!Calcutta, Nabanno, Sarkar’s Kitchen, Amantran, and Kolkata House. Then there’s Roll Call at Punjagutta for typical Kolkata Kathi Kebab Roll.” Bengalis are known for their sweet tooth and that’s how Ganguram, a 100-year-old famed sweet shop in Kolkata, known for its Sondesh and other sweets has two branches in the city – one at Kondapur and another at Sainikpuri. They even have a popular Facebook group named ‘Bengali Food Lovers in Hyderabad’.
Hyderabad Bengali Film Festival
In its sixth edition, Hyderabad Bengali Film festival (HBFF) is held every year at Prasad Films Lab, Banjara Hills. Its director Partha Pratim Mallik informs us about the seventh edition of HBFF. “In 2020, we plan to highlight not just Bengali films, but also those in less popular languages. We will be introducing short films and documentaries from across the globe especially from Africa and Latin American countries. There are more surprises for the next edition that we are working on.” So far they have invited noted Tollywood stars like Prosenjit, Rupa Ganguly, Rituparna Sengupta among others. HBFF is quite popular, given their curation of classic and contemporary films.
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Hyderabad Bengalee Samity has a large library at its premises in Domalguda, with a collection of 5,520 books in Bengali. There is a nominal annual membership fee. But the entry is granted for special requests and research initiatives.