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Moscow celebrates Durga Puja for 20th time     
Moscow, Sept 26: The Russian capital city Moscow is celebrating Durga Puja for the 20th time in a row this year as more and more Russians are joining the Indian community in the festivities.

It was still the Soviet Union, with curbs on public celebration of religious festivities, when in 1989 enthusiasts came together to make the Puja dream in Moscow a reality.

To bypass the Soviet rules, the first Durga puja was organised in a local House of Culture as an Indian cultural event and two priests were specially flown in from Calcutta.

Over the past 20 years after changing several venues for almost last decade, Durga Puja is annually held in the Inter-Club of the Peoples' Friendship University, where most of the students from India and Bangladesh study.

"Our first Puja was inaugurated by Swami Lokeswarananda of Ramakrishna Mission. Since then Swami Jyotirupananda who is the founder of Moscow Ramakrishna Math has been conducting our puja and is the president of our Moscow Durga Puja Committee," Debasmita Moulick of Moscow Durga Puja Committee told.

Moscow Ramakrishna Mission has many Russian followers who actively participate in Puja; some of them attend regular Sanskrit classes held at the Mission.

"We also are joined by professors and students of the Moscow State Institute of International Affairs (MGIMO) who are taught Bengali and are the future diplomats of Russia.

"Then there are Russian academicians, Indologists and people specialising in oriental culture who make it a point to visit our puja every year. And indeed there are many Russians who simply adore India, find our colourful festivals fascinating, who after 'pratima darshan' queue up for 'bhog' and 'prasad'," Moullick said.

Financed by the contributions of the Indian community, the Durga Puja Committee now has an annual Puja magazine Aaratrika and a permanent website.

Bureau Report


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