Bichitra Inc.
Magazine 2013-2014
Message from the President
Dear Fellow Community Members, Friends and Families,
On behalf of the 2013-2014 Executive Committee, it is my privilege and honor to
welcome you all to the 2013 Durga Puja Festival organized by our club Bichitra
Inc. of Michigan, USA.
As you know, the very basis of any “Community” is a sense of common thread, mu-
tual-support, solidarity and the spirit of camaraderie – we deeply treasure your
eloquent presence, gentle demeanor, your unconditional support and your pure
joy during this auspicious time together.
We all possess our very own nostalgic memories of Durga Puja from our childhood
days; the period of nervous anticipation, followed by few days of freedom; the aro-
ma in the air, the euphoria, the jubilation.
As they say, ‘one can take a boy out of a country, yet one cannot take the country
out of a boy’ – here we are, 13,591 km away from our quintessential motherland
India – still celebrating the same festival with equal passion, dedication & spirit –
not just for us, but also for our next generation – so that they can see and learn our
culture and create their own memories – which they will cherish many years down
the road.
I’d like to take this opportunity to say my sincere thanks to Abhijit (Biswas), Ran-
jit-da(Roy), Subimal-da (Dinda), Krishna-di (Roy), Mam (Anindita Mukherjee),
and last but not the least Sujay (Dutta) for pursuing the painstaking task of put-
ting this publication together.
Best wishes, always
Amitabha Neil Ray
President, Bichitra Inc.
Bichitra Inc. Executive Committee 2013-2014
President
Amitabha Neil Ray [email protected]
Vice President
Facility/Cultural Program
Madhu (Soma) Scherba [email protected]
General Secretary and Communication
Sujay Dutta [email protected]
Treasurer
Krishna Roy [email protected]
Other Members:
Puja Sumi Mukherjee [email protected]
Food & Beverage Shyamal Sarkar [email protected]
Kalyan De [email protected]
Kids Program Leema Bose [email protected]
Brochure & Printing Abhijit Biswas [email protected]
Fund Raising Subimal Dinda [email protected]
WE THANK OUR VOLUNTEERS
Meena Bhattacharya
Mahesh Bhattacharyya
Rita Bhattacharyya
Anita Biswas
Dolly Biswas
Kaushik Bose
Pulak Chakraborty
Gopa Chanda
Mita Chatterjee
Biswajit Choudhuri
Ratula Choudhuri
Niladri Das
Shanky Das
Kajari De
Alaka Dinda
Monalisa Dutta
Gopa Gangopadhyay
Arup Gangopadhyay
Paula Gangopadhyay
Neal Ganguly
Indrani (Monti) Ganguly
Amitabh Ghosh
Indira Ghosh
Ila Guha
Jayashree Guha
Sharbari Joshi
Shashank Joshi
Meena Khasnabis
Adhip Majumdar
Aparajita Mazumder
Purba Mears
Walter Mears
Ranjan Mitra
Shyamalima Mitra
Susmita Mookherjee
Anindita Mukherjee
Ranjit Roy
Rupa Roychoudhury
Barun Saha
Devjani Saha
Mala Sengupta
Sephali Sil
Debasish Talapatra
Pali Talapatra
With Best Wishes for Durga Puja
from the Mullick Family
Mona, Dilip, Joey and Rick
Anita, Abhijit, Rohan and
Ishan Biswas
Best Wishes and
Puja Greetings
The Bhattacharya Family
Meena, Pallab, Ramona and
Monica
Madalasa, Chandan,
Saumya and Tisha SA-
HA
The MAITRA Family
Wendy and Satyabrata
Ranjan, Rahul, Terra,
Layne and Londyn
The CHOUDHURY
Family
Lynn and Sajal
Sourab, Amy and
Sonya
Manideepa and Amiya
HAJRA
PUJA GREETINGS !!!
WITH BEST
COMPLIMENTS
FROM
Douglas M. Rouff, D.D.S.
31700 W 12 Mile Rd; #103
Farmington Hills, MI
48334
248.553.4600
http://www.drrouffdds.com/
Greetings
From
Mini Garg
Varalakshmi Kanduru
and
Krishna Senapati
Devyani, Barun, Rohit
and Raima SAHA
The SARKAR Family
Norma and Ashish
Alicia, Jaydev and Mon-
ica
Rupa, Rajshekhar,
Rooshaty and Rohon
ROYCHOUDHURY
PUJA GREETINGS
The DOSHI Family
Shukla and Boghilal
David, Jimmy, Avik
and Shirin
Sukla DUTTA
Pradip, Mausumi and
Sujata SYAMAL
The KHASNABIS
Family
Meena and Snehamay
Shoma, rakesh, Arjun,
Zubin, Raiva and Ri-
shi
Debi, Kevin, Ela and
Lola
Joyous Celebrations!!!
The Chatterjee Family
Mita, Anjan, Alok and Priya
Best Wishes and
Warm Greetings
Sati and Tapan Datta
Gopa, Arup, Payel and
Moynawk
GANGOPADHYAY
Sephali and Ranajit
SIL
The SENGUPTA Family
Mala, Subrata, Vikram
and Vivek
Paula, Utpal and Richa
GANGOPADHYAY
Best Wishes for the Puja!!!
Veena and Debashis
Bhattacharya
Wishing the Best for
Durga Puja
The Rajput Family
Minoti, Hemant and Shaili
Keya and Robert Milla
Sharbari, Shashank,
Reejuta and Aurko
JOSHI
Aparajita, Jyoti,
Debashis and Debayan
MAZUMDER
Sharmistha, Jayato,
Josh and Tia
MUKHERJEE
Snigdha, Amitabha Neil,
Anwesha and Akash RAY
PUJA GREETINGS
Durga Puja
Greetings
Sheila, Saikat, Aeva, So-
ha and Ayon Dey
Alaka and Subimal Dinda
and Family
Puja Greetings and
Best Wishes
Monalisa, Sujay, Oishi and
Rishita Dutta
Rita, Mahesh, Sneha and
Neel BHATTACHARYYA
Nita and Gautam BOSE
Ratula, Biswajit, Raina
and Ritvik CHOUDHURI
Oli and Ajit BANERJEE
Sharadiya Shubheccha
Summer with Dadu and Thamma
This summer (2013) was very special for us. Our dadu and thamma came to
visit us from Kolkata. It was the best summer we had in a long time. We learnt
a lot of Bengali words, Bengali songs and about Bengali cultural events
happening in Kolkata. We went to many places with them and had lots of fun.
Although we made fun of them when they could not put their seat belts or
when they forgot to say excuse me after they burped or when they pro-
nounced the words different than what we are used to, we think the differ-
ences taught us what life is all about. It taught us how we should accept the
variations in life and embrace the diversity life provides us.
As a special tribute to our Dadu and Thamma, we will sing for you during
the Pujo, two of the songs they taught us while they were here. This would
not have been possible if they were not here this summer. We are ever so
grateful to them for this wonderful gift. We hope to see them again very soon
in the future.
Krishanu and Kunal Bose
With Best Wishes for Durga Puja
Susmita, Avijit and Joey Mookerjee
Aak
ash
Nei
l Ray
Best Wishes from
Jagneswar Saha
Durga Puja after over
Fifty years of our Independence
Oh Durga, Godess Durga,
Mighty Rama invoked you out of the turn
To pray for power, to destroy Ravana, the evil incarnation,
So we the people of Bengal too have
worshipped you,
Every year through the centuries
And immortalized the event,
But through only worshipping, meeting and
eating
And not through any matching action, as did
the Lord Rama.
As the Puja approaches, we become restive,
To prepare for receiving you, Ma Durga,
In the most befitting manner.
Starting first with the collection of donations,
Often through blackmail and the use of
muscle power,
By the Mastans and Dadas,
Who find the season ideal for
harvesting of the 'Chandas'.
As the Puja committees are formed,
Many clamour for the positions, with their own
motives and intentions
So that, they can handle the contributions as
cleverly and cleanly as possible,
To minimise the effects, on the Puja-functions.
Pandals are made ready and bedecked
For the reception of Parvati
Who as the legend goes is now coming to the
parents,
After household chores with her consort
'Shiva' for a year.
Oh Parvati! Oh Durga! your images are
meticulously made
By our best artisans and the enchantingly
dressed up and decorated
With the choicest ornamentations, that include
the ten "Ayudha's'' for each of the ten
positions.
Pandals are made to great artistic designs
and unmatched perfection
To look like some of the World's best
architectural sensations,
The finest monuments and the palaces from
the World over,
Come to Life in Calcutta,
Through matchless devotions and skill of our
artisans
And for them it is a million dollar occasion.
Then passes the days of Puja,
In the midst of glitter of the lights,
beating of the bands,
chanting of mantrams and taking Prasadams.
And come finally the 'bidai' and 'Bisarjan'
Time to say adieu to the departing daughter,
Through wailing and shedding of the tears
By the millions who love and care.
All said and done, Ma did not shed
A drop of her tear as she was to go
Since she was aghast and angry
At the ostentatious show of gourmet, glamour
and glitter,
That revealed little concern for the needy and
the poor.
And above all for the ill fated nation
That is being systematically swindled and
fleeced
By deceitful traders and the politicians.
Trinayani, Dasabhuja, Singhabahini Durga,
Looked on with much consternation
Not a drop of tears in her eyes
As her sons and daughters appear to have
forgotten,
To protest and fight and have surrendered
themselves
To the suicide course with total resignation,
After fifty years of independence of our nation.
Oh! Mother, Danabadalini, Durgatinashini
Durga
Pray give us 'Shakti'-the power and the
resolve to fight back
To save ourselves and our future generations
From ultimate, inevitable annihilation
May be, in another fifty years of
Independence, of the nation.
Dr. Shantimoy Dasgupta
MITRA Family
and
K&A Resource Group
Visit us at
knaresourcegroup.com
Mitha and Shyamal
SARKAR
Soma, Ranjan and Sa-
maira MITRA
Anindita, Debasish and
Debnita TALAPATRA
PUJA GREETINGS !!!
Gopa, Jayanta , Munmun
and Tanya Chandra
Durga Puja
Greetings
The Mazumdar Family
Sara, Adhip, Mita,
Sumona and Sharmila
Indira and Amitabh Ghosh
Durga Puja
Greetings
Ila and P.K. Guha
and Family
Bob and Denise
Karishma and Barry and
Rekha Beverly
THROUGH THE
EYES OF ARTISTS
KOLKATA
Full credit for the artworks above belongs to the original artists. The artworks are included here for display only.
Jamini Roy’s Paintings
Full credit for the artworks above is Jamini Roy’s. The artworks are included here for display only.
Dolly and Supriyo
BISWAS
Jayeeta, Suprateek,
Ishani and Arin
CHAMPATI
Leema, Kaushik,
Krishanu and Kunal
BOSE
Rita, Ranjan and Rishi
CHAUDHURI
PUJA GREETINGS FROM
BANGALI’r
KHAOA-DAOA
KONTA CHERE KONTA KHABO!!!
MUKH MISHTI
Swarupa, Niladri and
Aanya DAS
Anindita, Sankhya
and Vir Alexander
DAS
Kajari, Kalyan and
Mita DE
Sudipta, Subrato and
Rhea DHAR
Joyous Celebrations!!!
Aakash Neil Ray
The Khetrapal Family
Sarmistha, Sanjay, Rahul
and Rishi
Sharodiya
Shubhechha
Anindita, Prabal, Praneel
and Jukta BASU
Debjani, Sushanto, Karna
and Arjun SARKAR
PUJA GREETINGS!!!
Bipasha GUPTAROY,
Pramod and Proma
KHOSLA
Ishita, Pranab and
Preeta GUPTA
The GANGULI Family
Indrani, Neal, Isha
and Diya
Leena BOSE
Sriradha, Probir, Rohin
and Rahul GUHA
Best Wishes for the Puja!!!
Krishna and Ranjit Roy
Ciaran Kumar Mears and
Kamala Roy Carethers
Best Wishes and
Warm Greetings
The Guha Family
Jayashree, Subhendu,
Aveek, Jessica and Zoe
(Based on film “Bhooter Bhabisyat”.)
Drama Stage Date: Sunday Oct-13-2013
Venue: Seaholm High School Main Auditorium
Birmingham, Michigan, USA
Concept, Narration and Direction: Amitabha Neil Ray
Script Transcription: Sujay Dutta
Production Manager: Arup Gangopadhyay
Audio/Visual: Shashank Joshi and Shanky Das
Prompter: Gopa Gangopadhay and Anita Biswas
Light: Kaushik Bose
Make Up: Indrani (Monti) Ganguly
Stage Management: Shanky Das and Shashank Joshi
Cast:
Adhip Majumdar (Ramsay Saheb from London)
Arup Gangopadhyay (Jamindar Dropo Narayan Chowdhury)
Abhijit Biswas (Refugee Bhootnath Bhaduri and Local Thug Pramod Pradhan)
Sujay Dutta (Promoter Ganesh Bhootoria and Nayeb)
Sharbari Joshi (TV Anchor Sonali)
Mahesh Bhattacharyya (Loose-character Keshab Narayan Chowdhury and T K Guchait)
Anindita (Mam) Mukherjee (Actress Kadalibala from B&W film days)
Snigdha Neil Ray (Koel from Kolkata)
Rita Bhattacharyya (Luxmi, originally from Rajasthan)
Monalisa Dutta (Modern days Film Star Madhumita Sanyal and Secretary Rosy)
Barun Saha (Khaja Khan from Siraujdulla’s era)
Pulak Chakraborty (Atmaram Paswan from Durbhanga, Bihar and Ukil)
Niladri Das (Local Thug Hut Kata Kartick and Pramod’s Bootlicker)
Abhijit Guha (Eskimo and Pramod’s Bootlicker)
Gopa Gangopadhyay (Hena, from background)
Amitabha Neil Ray (Film Director, from background)
The “Bhuteraa Shob Jaabey Kothaaey?” stage production is an edited and condensed version of the 2012
commercial film “Bhooter Bhobishyot” directed by Anik Dutta. Full credit for the original work goes to the
creators of the movie “Bhooter Bhobishyot”.
Bengali Drama: Bhuteraa Shob Jaabey Kothaaey?
Founded in 1974 by the people of Bengali origin in Metro-
Detroit area, Bichitra Inc. is a charitable, non-profit organization
dedicated to promoting Bengali culture and values in Greater
Detroit and neighboring communities in Michigan, USA.
This organization sponsors several socio-culture, sports and phil-
anthropic events throughout the year, and collaborates with other
sister clubs, and Indo-American cultural organizations in the
Greater Detroit and Michigan communities.
Bichitra Inc.
SUBHO BIJOYA
Bichitra Inc.
Magazine Printed by Artistic Printing, Inc. 248. 356.1004