Association of Bengalis in Harrisburg Area – ABHA

ABHA update – Dr. Jeffery Long

The Association of Bengalis in the Harrisburg Area (ABHA) has had some wonderful successes in the year 2016.  At the start of the year, ABHA held a Saraswati Puja and cultural program on February 13^th at Shaull Elementary School.  Despite the bitterly cold winter weather on that day, the warmth of the community was very much in evidence!

On September 11, our ABHA picnic was held at Gifford Pinchot State Park.  This event was greatly enjoyed by all.

Finally, on the weekend of October 8 and 9, our Durga Puja event was held at Hampden Township Fire Company, Enola.  This event, too, was a massive success, involving a cultural program that highlighted the talents of many members of our community.  As a large-scale event, this Puja involved many weeks of advance preparation and practice.

Best of all, many of our members have observed over the course of this year how much closer the community has become through this venture.  Despite involving so many people in the planning of complex events with many ‘moving parts,’ everything has proceeded without conflict or ill will on the part of anyone.  In fact, people who hardly knew one another at the start of the year have become good friends through ABHA.

We look forward to building upon this sense of community and having even greater successes in the year ahead.

 

ABHA in 2016 – Semontee Mitra

2016 has been a very successful year for ABHA. We organized many religious and secular events.

Saraswati Puja: We started 2016 with the grand celebration of Saraswati Puja. It was celebrated on February 13, 2016 at Shaull Elementary School, Enola. The celebration brought to life our Bengali culture and heritage. We not only had a traditional Bengali meal, but also organized a Bengali cultural event in the evening which encouraged our children as well as our adult members to participate and showcase their talents. On the very next day, February 14, we sponsored lunch at HARI Temple to continue our tradition of celebrating Basant Panchami at the temple.

India Day: This was our next big event which was a huge success only because we had an active participation of ABHA members as well as non-members. India Day is organized by AIACPA every year at HACC. In 2016, it was organized on August 6. We represented Bengalis in Harrisburg through our famous traditional Bengali sweets. Various members of our association not only made the sweets at home, but also devoted their time and energy at the stalls for visitors to know and taste our culture. We also organized Sit and Draw competition to encourage children to develop their creative potential. This unique event provided all the kids with a large platform to showcase their talent and brilliance.

Durga Puja: This was our grandest and most successful event of the year. This is our second year of Durga Puja celebration. As Bengalis, we all terribly miss those five days of Puja in the U.S. Organizing and celebrating Durga Puja is a huge endeavor; but with your immense help, enthusiasm, and strong support we made it a grand success. We celebrated it on October 8th and October 9th at Hampden Township Fire Company, Enola. We had traditional Bengali food on both days and cultural program on October 8th. The cultural event included kids and adults showcasing their diverse vocal, instrumental, dancing, and theatrical skills. It was a true community event (Sarbojonin Durgotsav) which brought us all closer and together.