Professional Documents
Culture Documents
BAP is run by a group of volunteers who form the Executive Committee (EC). 2022 – 23
Executive committee is here. We strive to promote the awareness of Bengali culture and
ethos through various cultural events such as traditional musical and dance programs and
stage performances.
On behalf of the Bengali Association of Pittsburgh, I wish you all a very Happy Durga
Puja. The last couple years have been difficult for a lot of us. So, in this auspicious
occasion, I pray to Goddess Durga that she gives us the strength to get through
difficult times, brings success and prosperity and fills our heart with happiness.
Bengali Association of Pittsburgh was founded in 1981 and we have grown every
year since then. We are proud to be able to keep a close connection to our roots and
promote our beloved Bengali culture through various events all throughout the year.
We want to sincerely thank our volunteers and sponsors without whom none of our
events would have been possible.
সুধীবৃন্দ, সবাইকে জানাই শারদ শুকেচ্ছা ও আন্তররে অরেনন্দন। আপনাকদর সবাইকে রনকে আমাকদর
এই পূজা। সবাইকে জানাই আন্তররে েৃতজ্ঞতা ও ধনযবাদ আমাকদর সকে থাোর জনয এবং সহক ারিতা
েরার জকনয। োক া থােকবন, পাকশ থােকবন।
Dear BAP members, on the auspicious day of Durga Puja, let’s gather together
and cherish our time spent together. We are thankful to all of you for
participating and helping us to put this event together.
Best Wishes,
Sreela Basu
Puja schedule
Saturday, October 8th Sunday, October 9th
I am thrilled to join with the Bengali Association of Pittsburgh, and the entire
Bengali community of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, to recognize this sacred festival
season as you prepare to celebrate Durga Puja.
TOM WOLF
Governor
October 8-9, 2022
My Summer Trip to Shantiniketan
Risa Ghosh (Grade 6)
“Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka Jaya Hai….”, the Indian National Anthem
and “Kumor Parar Garur Gari….”, a famous Bengali poem – I am sure
every Bengalis knows about these two poems. Our loving Bangla Masi
aka Sushmita Masi taught us these poems in our Bengali class
(Pathshala). That’s when I heard the name Rabindranath Thakur
(Tagore), the world-famous Bengali poet who won Nobel prize. I did not
really pay much attention to these facts until this summer when I visited
my grandparents in India. One day, we planned to visit “Shantiniketan”,
just about two hours away from Durgapur, where my Dadai and Thammi
live. It was a very hot summer day and I did not want to go. But when I
heard that we were about to visit a place, where Rabindranath lived, I
got excited.
Later, Dadai told me that Shantiniketan is actually a university originally
founded by Rabindranath after he won the Nobel prize. We visited a
museum, learned about his family tree, several stuffs, like pens,
spectacles, telephone that he used. The replica of the Nobel medal
and translations of Gitanjali in many languages. We saw his car from
outside as we could not go inside. It was nice to know about a great
poet and his life. I was surprised to know that Shantiniketan has
elementary school classes outside, the real “Pathshala”. My trip turns
really interesting when our Guide showed me the big Banyan tree under
which Tagore started writing the poem, “Kumor Parar Garur Gari...”. I
was amazed realizing how my Bangla class in Pittsburgh is linked to my
roots in India!
Me w
it e
h Ta
gore’s B any an Tre
car The
Drawing by Risha Chatterjee
Drawing by Aayansh Samanta
Best wishes from Saptak Music School
Savoring India
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AHAN MAITI
Grade VI
Jefferson Middle School
All the people out there who have (experienced) autism,
YOU ARE NOT ALONE
CHAPTER 1 - THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF ALEINA’S LIFE
January 18, 2016. At the Maggie Women’s Hospital, in Pittsburg. The birth of a new kid was
in progress, my sister was just born. My name is Ahan, and I am describing a TRUE story.
Her name is Aleina, and by that time, she was unknowingly born with autism.
Autism is a mental disorder, which takes away one of the average human’s abilities. In this
case, she has the non-verbal autism.
She was as cute as a puppy! We took family photos which is what we usually do, when a big
event happens. Obviously, this was a very big event. We brought her home. We took great
care of her. We celebrated all her firsts, Valentines, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christ-
mas and many more.
Her very first Halloween costume was a butterfly. I was Olaf! I had a great first year with
her. We played and danced and did all those stuff that a six-year-old and a just born girl
would do. The biggest celebration was Aleina’s first birthday. We celebrated a lot, since it was
a major milestone.
The second year came. I was in school learning some new things. My sister spent time play-
ing with her toys. Then, when she was one and a half years, we moved to a new house. We
used to live in an apartment and now we live in our very own house!
We had very nice neighbors, who no matter what, was there for us. We still hadn’t discovered
Aleina’s autism, but we will soon.
We had a street party for Halloween, I was Captain America, Aleina was still a butterfly. I still
have the costume now. In fact, I have both costumes. We had fun, and we still do!
Then, the big birthday came again! Aleina turned two. We had fun on that day too!
CHAPTER 2 - THE SCHOOL AND THERAPY
Aleina started school at the age of 2, her school was at Saint Simon’s & Jude (abbreviated
SSJ). She was having a good time. I also went to SSJ during my preschool years.
One day I was visiting her school, and everyone recognized me! I was at the playroom, and
I saw my friend there, and her little brother. We were chatting something about first grade
stuff, since we were both in first grade.
Our siblings were busy playing with the sand table. Yeah, that is how little kids are. Any-
ways, I was at the gym of the school, and I was looking at stuff, when these little kids came
and started playing ball with me. Mom said, “Ahan, Aleina, it is time to go home”. I said
goodbye to the little kids and did so.
I told her that we had fun, and because of her delay of speech, we called some therapists
from her school. I got to watch, and it was cool.
The therapist had all kinds of toys and tools! That was interesting to watch. Now her therapy
takes place during my school time, and I don’t watch her anymore.
Therapists are cool! I had school, and everyone forced me to chase them, and that was weird.
Now this is much more of a relaxing year, I don’t have to chase anyone. We have fun together.
So far, we have talked about Aleina’s life. Now I will talk about the discovery of her autism
spectrum disorder (ASD). She was two years and around eight or nine months old around
then. This was about two years ago so I will recall what happened.
One day, when I returned from school, we all went to a doctor’s appointment. A psychiatrist
of course! We went there because we were wondering about her delay in speech. He did
some tests on her, I don’t know what, because I was not there with her. He said she is autis-
tic, and I had no idea what that meant. I asked him, and he said that she can’t talk. I thought
that meant she will talk at the age of five, but no. We came back, curious what that meant.
I looked it up, and I realized something is different with her brain, which is not allowing her
to talk. I told my friends about her autism, but no-one listened to me. Only said okay. That
hurt my feelings. She is a wonderful child who is suffering from non-verbal autism! I did not
like that, only my teacher paid attention, no one else did.
Her third birthday was coming up, and we had fun on that. We now knew that Aleina had
autism and we had a journey ahead of us.
CHAPTER 4 - CHANGE OF SCHOOLS & NEW SISTER
Aleina changed from SSJ to DART, which was in Baker Elementary, for her autism. DART is
a special school for children with autism. Thank God we have that nearby! That also meant
new therapists! They do therapy on the weekends and I got to see! I tried to help them; they
were nice.
On June 6, 2019, a new baby was born, another sister! Her name is Amaya! I was in the hos-
pital room, listening to Rush B. When we got home, Aleina was furious and sad. She depends
on her mom a lot, and when she is not there, Aleina gets sad. I tried to comfort her, but it
didn’t work. Slowly she realized that is how life is. She stopped crying and went with the flow.
Two nights later, Amaya came home with us, and we all had fun! We dance, play and sleep
together! We love each other. We will always be together.
Amaya was having fun at home. In fact, she was having a blast. That is what I want to see!
We can’t do anything to stop that pandemic right away but Thank God due to technology.
We can do ZOOM meetings now. I use it in my daily life. We must stare at screen for more
than seven hours. Imagine how hurt our eyes will be after this whole pandemic. It ruined
all our plans. At least, we have time to relax, which is what we did, except me and my dad. I
have schoolwork, while my dad has online work from the start anyways. In the summer, we
had to wear a face mask wherever we go! This is truly a pandemic!
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(412) 728-6457
Drawing by Aleina Maiti
WE’RE ALL IN
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Drawing by Anusha B. Chatterjee
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পূজ ো পূজ ো গন্ধ
- নন্দিনী মিত্র
শরতকাল আমি আমি করছে। িকাছল মিি পড়ছত শুরু কছরছে, গাছে গাছে স্বন আভা ন উঁমকঝঁ মক মিছে
যাছে। তারপরও এ মিছিশ মিভঁ ইছের ঘমড়র কাটাে িাঁধা জীিছন পছজার গ� পপছত িছল যছে�
কল্পনামিলািী িছত িে। এখাছন পনই মশউমল ফছলর গ�, পনই িিালোর আগিনী িানী, পনই পাড়াই পাড়াই
প্রমতিা গড়ার ধি, পাড়ার পিকার পেছলছির িেছরর িিছেছে িযস্ততি িিে ও পার করা পিখা যাই না
এখাছন। তিও িাঙামল িন স্মৃমত িাঁতছর মফছর যাই পফছল আিা মিছন, িাতাছি খছঁ জ পনই পছজা পছজা গ�।
পোটছিলা পেছকই আিার জনয িরগাপূূূঁ জা শুরু িত িিালোর িকাল পেছক। িিালোর িকাছল িািা
পরমিও পত আগিনী িানী োমলছে মিত। ঘি ভাাংছতা পিই িজ্রকঠিন অেে িধর কছে িাছের আগিনী ধ্বমন
শুছন, অি্ভুত ভাল লাগাে ভছর পযত িনটা, পভছিই আিার গাছে মশিরণ মিছে যাছে আজও । িিালোর
মিন পেছক শুরু িছে পযত পছজা উৎিছির আছিজ। িামড়ছত িানাছনা শুরু িছে পযত নানারকি নাড়।
নারছকছলর নাড়, মতছলর নাড়, মতমির নাড়, িমড়র পিাো, মেছড়র পিাো। আিা! িাতাছি মক িির মিমি
গ�। ঘরছিার ধপিস্তর করা িত পছজা উপলছে। িিমকেু ধছে িছে ঝকঝছক তকতছক কছর িাছের
আগিছনর মিন গুছন েলতাি আিরা। কছি িা আিছি, পছজা শুরু িছি, িন্ডছি িন্ডছি ঘরা িছি, নতু ন
নতু ন জািা পড়া িছি, নাড় মিমি খাওো িছি িনভছর আর িিছেছে িড় কো পড়ছত িিার জনয পকও
তাড়া পিছি না পজার কটা মিন। এইিি পভছি পভছি অছপো করছত োকতাি কান্দিত পজার মিছনর জনয।
এিন িধর অছপো আর িে না। এর িাছঝই েলছত োছক নতু ন জািা পকনাকাটার পি।ন পোটছিলাে নতু ন
জািা িছলই খমশ িছে পযতাি। তার িলয কত, পকিন তার নকশা, িাছলর ফযাশান মকনা পিিি িাোই
পিাছটও োকত না। নতু ন জািার গ� পয িখ মিত তার তু লনা পকানমকেুর িাছে িে না। এখন যত িামি,যত
িাল ফযাশান এর পপাশাক মকমন না পকন পিই আনি আর িে না। নতু ন জািা খি িির কছর গুমেছে
রাখতাি আর আছগ পেছকই ঠিক করা োকছতা পকানমিন পকানটা পরা িছি, পকাছনাভাছিই তার িযমতক্রি
িত না। মকছির মভমিছত এই মনিােন ন করা িত আজ আর �� িছন করছত পামর না। খি িম্বি ওটা মেল
মশশু িছনর মনেক পখোল। তারপর আিছতা পিই িহুল প্রমতমেত পঞ্চিীর ি�যা পজা। িাছের প্রমতিাই
প্রাণ প্রমতষ্টা আর েেিাছনর িাধযছি আনষ্টামনক ভাছি শুরু িছে পযত িগা ন পজা, িাঙ্গালীর প্রাছণর পজা।
িই খাতা পক মিছে মিতাি েুঠট পাঁে মিছনর জনয। িা িরস্বতী পক িছল মনতাি, িা কটা মিছনর জনয িাফ
কছর িাও। িা ও মনশ্চে িাফ কছর মিত। ষষ্টীর মিন িকাল পেছকই শুরু িছে পযত িন্ডি ঘছর পিড়াছনা।
প্রেছি েছল পযতাি অঞ্জমল মিছত। পজার প্রমতটা মিন ই রািকৃষ্ণ মিশছন মখেুমড় প্রিাি মিত, পয প্রিাছির
জনয আমি িারা িের অছপো করতাি। জামন না, িারা িের যতভাছি মখেুমড় রান্ধা করা িত না পকন পজার
প্রিাছির পয অিৃত তু লয স্বাি তা পাওো পযত না। আিার কাছে পজার মখেুমর প্রিাি ও মেল মিছশষ
আকষণ। ন ি�যা িা মিছকল র মিছক পিিি পছজা িন্ডছি যাওো িত পযখাছন মিছশষ আছলাকিজ্জা িা মেি
পজা িত। পি মক মিশাল ল�া লাইন িত। তারপর ও আগ্রছির কিমত িত না, ক্লামি আিছতা না। আর
িন্ডি পঘারার ফাঁছক ফেকা, েটপঠট, নিুলি এিি পতা খাওোই িত। ও ি�ছির িছধয আিরা প্রমতছযামগতা
করতাি পক কত টা িন্ডি ঘরছত পারলাি তা মনছে। এ কছর কছর কছি পয িশিী েছল আিত। িাছক
মিিাে পিোর প্রস্তুমত। িশিীর িকাল িকাল অঞ্জমল মিছত েছল পযতাি। অঞ্জমল মিছে এছি িড়ছির প্রনাি
করতাি আর িশিীর মিঠ� পখতাি। িাি আিাছির িলত িাছের কাছে মেঠি মলখছত িছনর কো
জামনছে,পোটছির িছনর কো িা আগ্রি মনছে শুছন আর একশত এক িার যাছত িা িগা ন মলমখ এটাও
িলত। পতা মিঠ� জলখািার পখছে আিরা পোটরা িছি পযতাি মেঠি মলখছত। মিঁির পখলার পর িা পক যখন
ভািাছনর জনয মনছে যাওো িত তার আছগই িাছের িাছত মেঠি টা িযছে গুঁ ছজ মিছে আিতাি আর খি
কছর িলতাি আিার এছিা িা। এরপর আিার পিই এক িেছরর প্রমতো। প্রিাছি পিশ কছেকঠট িের
পকছট পগল। প্রমত িের পছজা এছিছে। িভনাগা আমি এ কে িেছর একিার ও িাছের পজা প্রতেয
উপমিত োকছত পামর মন। কখনও মেল কমভি, কখন ও িা এিন জােগাে োকা িছেছে পযখাছন পকান
িাঙামল পনই, পছজা ও িে না। এিাছরর পজা মনছে আমি আশািািী। আর মলখছত িছিই পছজার িৃমত
মনছেই মলছখ পফললাি। এত িের পয আছিগ িাস্তিতার মনষ্িুরতাই তালাি� মেল তা পযন িাঁধ পভছঙ্গ এল।
জামন না আছিছগর উোছি পলখাটা এছলাছিছলা িছে পগল মকনা। তছি পলখাটা মলছখ আিার খি ভাল
লাগছে। আমি এিার িাতাছি প্রিল্ভাছি পান্দে পছজা পছজা গ�। িিাইছক শারিীে শুছভো।
Drawing by Rini Chatterjee
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