The Indian Community in Budapest Displays a Spectacle of Diverse Traditions with the Celebrations of Durga Puja, Golu, and Navaratri Together

The Grand Celebration of Durga Puja, Golu, and Navaratri.

Budapest, the capital of Hungary, witnessed a delightful display of cultural fusion and diversity through the grand celebration of Durga Puja, Golu, and Navaratri together by the Indian Community. During these three days long festivity that continued from October 21st to October 23rd, the north, central, south, and east of India came together with enthusiastic participation from more than 1600 people.

This unique event of Navaratri, Golu, and Durga Puja, Hungary, was initiated by Prabal Datta, Lt. Raman Sundaram, Santosh Sharma, Anup Gupta, and Tanwirupa Maiti, and now it is the biggest Indian festival in Budapest.

The venue was decorated with intricate flower and rangoli designs displaying the vibrant colors of Indian culture, creating an immersive experience.

One of the founder members of the event, Mr. Anup Gupta, mentioned, "We started this Navratri, Golu, Durga Puja event in 2017 with only four people, and today the entire Indian community is involved and participates in this biggest Indian festival in Budapest."

‘Golu' is an important cultural component of South India, especially Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. A beautiful array of dolls and figurines showcased diverse deities and mythological tales as part of this festival.

Then come the great celebrations of Durga Puja, the biggest festival for Bengalis. Every day, the puja was performed with every ritual and minute detail.

Kanya Puja was one of the main attractions for many devotees who travelled long distances only to attend this traditional ceremony. The celebrations came alive with the entire Indian community having Bhog with their friends. The rhythmic beats of drums added to the flavor of Durga Puja. The celebration of Durga Puja ended on a perfect note with Dhunuchi Nach, just like a Kolkata puja pandal. Thus celebrating the essence of Durga Puja in its real sense.

The whole of Budapest enjoyed the vibrant spirit of Navaratri, the most important festival of the north, central, and western parts of India. The whirl and twirl of Garba to the Gujarati tune ignited the ambience of Navaratri.

The evenings became joyous with the representation of dance and singing performances from every corner of India, including Bhajan, and the chanting of age-old Sanskrit Shlokas. During the three days, there were more than 55 performances that set the stage on fire. These colorful events added to the spirit of harmony in the diversity of Indian culture.

A range of food stalls offering an array of Indian cuisine, including traditional Indian dishes and street food, satisfied the taste buds of everyone. Traditional sweets like jalebi and Gulab Jamun were also favorites among the crowd.

Arunava Chatterjee, a young entrepreneur from West Bengal, was also present, and he said, "This is the first time that I am attending such a unique celebration. Earlier, I had no idea that Durga Puja could be organized outside the country with such beautiful thoughts."

With the Durga Puja, Golu, and Navaratri celebrations together, Budapest saw the colorful and diverse culture that the Indian community celebrated with great enthusiasm. It was indeed a unique fusion of traditions, uniting people of different backgrounds in celebration and a testament to the strength of cultural exchange and the spirit of togetherness.