All About Bharati

Bharati was conceived 35 years ago, to bring a few much-missed festivals to expat Bengalis, who missed them as much as they missed home. From that moment on ‘The Bengali Association of Thailand’ became the second family to all Indians connected to Bharati. Bharati is that place we search for ever since we set foot on foreign land. The little bit of home, hearing those familiar languages, the food we crave, the adda we miss and much more. Here at Bharati, we add on to all those little memories we are carrying in our heart.

The main festival that people started coming together for, was of course the one we all wait for around the year, Durga Puja. This year…

“Considering the many traditional values, workers, artists and sentiments involved, The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has finally included Kolkata’s famed Durga Puja in its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list (ICH).”

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Bharati started integrating other Indian festivities like the ‘Dandiya’ and ‘Holi’ into the lives of its members. Thanks to our endeavours, more and more people around the world have been enjoying and identifying with our many festivals. Thailand has seen a boost in the number of foreigners joining the Holi festivities year over year and in the year 2022 Diwali was celebrated with prominence in many parts of Bangkok.

Not only festivals but like true Bengalis we look for excuses to have more addas and celebrations. Bharati has had some super fun filled events like the picnics over the years and many different parties.

Since its inception in 1986, the Bengali Association of Thailand has been promoting Bengali culture and awareness by hosting cultural programs through out the year and celebrating prominent Bengali events such as Durga Puja, Lokhhi Puja, Saraswati Puja, Paila Baishak and Rabindra Jayanti.

Bharati’s mission of celebrating Bengali culture in Thailand reflects traditions of Barowari Puja (publicly organized Puja) (BN: বারোয়ারী পুজো) and Sarbojanin Durga Puja (inclusive, community-wide Puja)(BN: সর্বজনীন দুর্গা পুজো). These concepts emphasize Bharati’s communal spirit, welcoming all Bengalis and friends to come together and celebrate Durga Puja. By offering a platform for collective celebration, Bharati creates a space reminiscent of Kolkata’s traditional festivities, fostering a sense of belonging and unity for the Bengali diaspora. This reinforces Bharati as a cultural home, providing an inclusive celebration for everyone far from their homeland.