After a gap last year due to pandemics, the majority of the Bengali diaspora in the U.K. under the aegis of an all-women organization called the Heritage Bengal Global (HBG) went back to celebrating Diwali. The main focus was on the essence of Shakti’s triumph over evil. And it was the theme of this year’s celebration of ‘Diwali on Trafalgar Square’ on Saturday 23^rd October organized by the office of the Mayor of London, Mr. Sadiq Khan towards celebrating the cultural diversity in London.

HBG showcased Bengal’s fervor of Kali Puja with the introduction of the traditional heritage of Alpana artwork, wherein the theme was coming back into the light – the triumph of good over evil after the severe trauma of covid in the last one and half years. All participants in this event joined in a best rangoli competition, where the selected ones were laid next to the stunning rangoli centerpiece, managed by the Greater London Authority who was one of the main organizers.

The showpiece ‘Alpana’ artwork of Bengal on a red base was presented by Heritage Bengal Global’s vice president Mahua Bej. In other performances of the evening, Senjuti  Dass and Anashmita Saha rendered dance performances

The other highlight showcased by HBG was the screening of a video on Bengal which depicted how Kolkata and the state gradually had been trying to come back into the light with covid restrictions post lockdowns. This video wouldn’t have been possible without the untiring efforts of the members of Heritage Bengal Global, U.K. namely Arijit Sarkar, Tithi Sen, Debdeep Sen, Kaushik Lahiri, Mousumi Lahiri, Subhadeep Bose, Rahul Dasgupta, Pushali Bera, and Yachna.

The Directors of HBG Mr. Pradip Chopra who is also the founder Chairman of iLEAD Institute in Kolkata and Mr. Anirban Mukhopadhyay, both emphasized that this event was part of their continuous endeavor to promote and showcase the rich cultural heritage of Bengal globally.