Durga Puja in United States and Europe and Australia

In the United States the pujas are often hosted during weekends with few exceptions. The puja weekends are time for Bengal friends and family to gather together to spend the weekend savouring Bengali culture. Cultural programs are held there is food stalls selling ethnic clothes, jewellery, books, music DVDs etc. There is a general atmosphere of festivity.In Australia, the major Durga Puja festival were held in Sydney and Melbourne. They are also held very grandly in Perth, the capital of Western Australia. Bhog Distribution, Cultural Programmes, anjali and dhunuchi naach were the main events. BANSW and BPCSV were the main organizers in Sydney and Melbourne respectively.In Germany several Durga Pujas are celebrated along with Bhog distribution and Anjali in Bremen, Berlin over 40 years old, FrankfurtMain, Hamburg, Koln Cologne, Stuttgart and Munich Munchen. In France, the Sammilani association has been celebrating Durga Puja in Paris for 27 years as of 2013, for the whole five days of Mahashashti to Mahadashami. This festival, which includes diverse cultural programmes, is the social epicentre of Bengali Hindus in France and a major attraction for all others interested in Bengali and Indian culture.