While Durga Puja has been celebrated by Bengali communities in the Netherlands for over a decade, with nearly 15 pujas held across the country, Kali Puja is relatively unfamiliar to the the local Dutch population. (Photo: Special Arrangement)Written by Sharanyo BasuFor the past three years, members of the Indian diaspora in the Netherlands have been working to bring a festival from home to their adopted country. This year, they are preparing to host the first community Kali Puja in the wider Benelux region, which comprises Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.The celebrations are organised by Uchchas, an Indian cultural community founded in 2024 by four diaspora families. The group has since grown to nine families and aims to bring Indians living abroad together and keep Indian traditions and Bengali culture alive.While Durga Puja has been celebrated by Bengali communities in the Netherlands for over a decade, with nearly 15 pujas held across the country, Kali Puja is relatively unfamiliar to the the local Dutch population. Uchchas is introducing the festival through a community celebration in Alphen, near the country’s capital Amsterdam, at a local community hall.Speaking to The Indian Express, Sreyoshi Danda, one of the directors of Uchchas, said the celebrations bring together long-term Indian residents, students, their families and friends from both India and the Netherlands. “Since Kali Puja is fairly unheard of among most Dutch people, we see significant local participation,” she said. Diwali will be celebrated on November 7 with cultural performances, music, DJ, and dance, followed by Kali Puja on November 8. (Photo: Special Arrangement)Danda said organising a Kali Puja in the Netherlands had initially been her idea. While she had considered hosting the festival at home, others suggested a community celebration. That eventually led to the formation of Uchchas.Preparations involve members of different age groups, who came together to decorate the venue around a chosen Indian art theme. This year, the decorations will draw on Rajasthani art. Danda said the effort was also a way of introducing local residents to different aspects of Indian culture.Story continues below this adThe two-day celebration is expected to draw more than 800 people. Diwali will be celebrated on November 7 with cultural performances, music, DJ, and dance, followed by Kali Puja on November 8.Niranjan and Lipika Bhattacharya, who live in Belgium, will conduct the rituals, following the traditions of the Dakshineswar Kali Temple, Danda said.Food is another part of the gathering. Free bhog prasad is expected to be served to around 400 people. The ingredients are donated by diaspora members Suparna and Vikas Magoon, while the food is prepared at an Indian-owned local restaurant.The fibre idol, made by Kolkata-based artisan Jayanta Pal, has been procured from Kumartuli. Since local regulations do not permit immersion after the puja, the organisers follow the Bengali ritual of boron before packing the idol in a box and storing it for the following year. A pran-pratistha, or consecration ceremony, is performed before it is worshipped again.Story continues below this adAlthough its members are Bengali, Uchchas describes itself as an Indian cultural community. Danda said the group does not promote an exclusively Bengali identity. Its cultural programmes reflect a pan-Indian approach, while its publications are produced in English and Hindi.(Sharanyo Basu is an intern with Kolkata office of The Indian Express)