Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Durga Puja in Bangalore -- places to visit

To all of my Bengali and non-Bengali friends, here's a valuable piece of information provided by Somnath Ray, a key member of the Jayamahal Durga Puja Committee, Bangalore.Many thanks, Somnathda for providing this information. He has also provided a great map, which is visible here. It clearly highlights the key Durga Pujas that are held in Bangalore.

Durga Pujas in Bangalore

1. JAYAMAHAL SARBAJANIN DURGA CHARITABLE SAMITI
Jayamahal is close to Bangalore Cantt. Rly Station/Mekhri Circle/TV Tower. The Puja is next to the scenic Jayamahal Park.

Jayamahal Durga Puja can be reached through:
Mekhri Circle
(Preferable if you are coming from/through Airport/Hebbal/Yesvantpur/Malleswaram/RajajiNagar/IISc/Palace Orchards/Vijayanagar areas)

Cantonment Rly. Stn./Vasanth Nagar
(Preferable if you are coming from/through MG Road/Shivaji Nagar/JayaNagar/Majestic/High Grounds)

Miller Road Underpass
Preferable if you are coming from/through Ulsoor/Indira Nagar/Coles Park/Fraser Town/KR Puram/Banaswadi)

Directions From Mekhri Circle:
o Take the road towards Cantonment Rly. Stn. (Jayamahal Main Road)
o As you go beyond the TV tower, and then the Funworld, you will cross a small circle (In front of JC Nagar Police Station). The road sort of bifurcates around a HP Petrol Bunk. You are to take the left flank (Nandidurg Road).
o Continue on the Nandidurg Road. You will cross Canara Bank on your left and reach Airtel/Cypress Technologies Office (Also on your left).
o Take a right turn just after the Airtel Office and you will hit the Jayamahal Park. The Puja is adjacent to it. Take a left turn!

Directions From Cantonment Rly. Stn./Vasanth Nagar:
o Pass the Cantonment Rly. Stn. underbridge and take the road on left to proceed towards the TV Tower/Mekhri Circle.
o Take a right turn the first break in the median (next to SBI/Wine & Cheese/Women's World.
o Continue on this road (5th Main). This road curves, and leads you to Jayamahal Park. The Puja is held here.

Directions From Miller Road Underpass:
o Come up from the underpass from the Ulsoor side (proceeding towards Bangalore Cantonment Rly. Stn).
o Take a right turn into Nandidurg Road (first major right turn) to proceed towards the TV Tower/Mekhri Circle.
o Continue on the Nandidurg Road till you cross NEFERTITI, a Floral Boutique, on your left (You can see the Airtel/Cypress Technologies Office on your right).
o Take the second left turn after Nefertiti (just before the Airtel Office) and you will hit the Jayamahal Park. The Puja is adjacent to it. Take a left turn.

Jayamahal Samiti
Jayamahal Puja Blog

DON'T MISS IT. EVER!

2. THE BENGALEE ASSOCIATION
RBANMs (Exhibition) Ground, St. Johns Road (Off Commercial Street) -- Opposite Ajanta Theatre - Close to Ulsoor tank. This is the biggest Durga Puja in Bangalore.
Bengali Association

3. SOCIO CULTURAL ASSOCIATION (INDIRANAGAR PUJA)
Defence Colony Play Ground, Indiranagar. New location this time, but easy to locate -- on 6th Main, Between Indiranagar, 100 Ft. Road and 80 Ft. Road.
Puja site

4. PROBASI ASSOCIATION
Malleswaram Canara Union Hall/BPL Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy on 8th Main, 13th Cross, Malleswaram - Not far away from MES College -- (8th Main starts from Yesvantpur circle and goes toward Malleswaram Rly. Station. Malleswaram addresses are easy to locate once you know the Main & Cross).

5. NORTH BANGALORE CULTURAL ASSOCIATION
"Mandir"; 8A, FTI Colony, Nandini Layout, Bangalore 560096. This is near Nandini Layout Bus Stand. By the way, Nandini Layout is opposite to ISCON Temple -- on the other side of Chord Road -- you have to go inside some distance.

6. SOUTH BANGALORE CULTURAL ASSOCIATION (JP NAGAR PUJA)
Usually, at the junction of Bannerghatta Road and Outer Ring Road in JP Nagar. In NGR Kalayana Mantapa, Bannerghatta Road, JP Nagar, 2nd Phase. A Kalyana Mantapa opposite to Shoppers Stop.

7. SHARATHI SOCIO CULTURAL TRUST (KORAMANGALA PUJA)
'Police Choultry' (Mangala Kalyana Mantapa, 8th Block, 80 Ft. Road, Koramangala) opposite Ganesh Temple.

If you come from FORUM towards National Games Village, after some distance you will find this Puja on your left side.

If you are coming from SONY WORLD crossing, come upto National Games Village main gate, take a right turn on the road which leads to Forum -- Police Choultry is on your right.

8. WHITEFIELD CULTURAL ASSOCIATION
C/o Chetan Building, Beside WhiteField Police Station, White Field Main Road.

9. POORVA BANGALORE CULTURAL ASSOCIATION (ITPL ROAD)
VSR Convention Hall, ITPL Road, Brookfields. It is reached crossing Marathahalli railway overbridge. Take the first left turn going towards ITPL, the Choultry is on your left about 1km ahead, next to Café Coffee Day.

10. ANTARANGA BENGALI CULTURAL ASSOCIATION (SANJAY NAGAR PUJA)
Ramana Maharishi Centre for Learning, Post Office Road, Sanjay Nagar.
Take the Sanjay Nagar Main Road from Gangenahalli on Bellary Road -- go ahead about 1km to reach FoodWorld. Take the Post Office Road, which is next to it. The puja is on your left, a few steps away.

11. VIVEKANANDA CULTURAL ASSOCIATION (YELAHANKA PUJA)
Seshadripuram 1st Grade College Campus, opposite Railway Reservation Counter, New Town, Yelahanka, Bangalore 560064.

12. AIR FORCE STATION, JALAHALLI WEST
Reach the AF Station, Jalahalli West, and inquire at the gate.

13. AIR FORCE STATION, JALAHALLI EAST
Reach AF Station Jalahalli East, and inquire at the gate.

14. SHARATHI FORUM (Koramangala 2nd Puja)
Munireddy Kalyana Mandapa, 80 Ft. Road, 6th Block, Koramangala. This is next to Post Office (opposite puja # 7).

15. BANGALORE RURAL ASSOCIATION
This is at Attibele, Hosur Road. Sidla Basappa Nanjamani Charitable Trust, Attibele. Beside Attibele Police Station, and near the Attibele bus terminal circle.

16. BANASWADI BENGALI CULTURAL UNION
Sitarama Kalyana Mandap, Banaswadi Main road, Bangalore-560 043 -- Near Uttam Sagar Restaurant.
* Through RamaMurthy Nagar Ring Road Circle: Come straight about half km on Banaswadi Main Road, it will be on right side.
* If you come from the ITC Factiory side: Cross Rly. overbridge; after another half km, it will be on left side.
* From Hebbal side through Ring Road: After Hennur Ring Road Circle, take the next Circle (Royal Concorde School).
* Kalyana Nagar Circle: Go straight upto Banaswadi Main Road and take left turn, it will be on your left.

17. RT NAGAR SARBAJANIN DURGA PUJA SAMITI
Sai Baba Mandir, HMT Layout, Anand Nagar, next to RT Nagar Bus Depot.
You can take the road next to CBI office that takes off from Bellary Road towards RT Nagar Main Road. Go to the end, then take a left turn. Go across the BMTC Depo and reach the Sai Baba Temple.
Puja Blog

18. MURUGESHPALYA (AIR FORCE)
Air Force Puja: After you enter Wind Tunnel Road from Airport Road, halfway on Wind Tunnel Road, there is a driveway that takes you into an Air Force Campus. This is probably opposite Rifco Apartment. A sureshot way to not miss it is to realize that the Air Force Campus wall stretches from Airport Road halfway into Wind Tunnel Road.

19. COMMAND HOSPITAL, ULSOOR
If you go from MG Road towards the Airport, you will notice a left turn just before Command Hospital pops up on your left. Entering this left turn, you'll find yourself deep inside the defence's property. A few hundred metres in, there is a circle where you have to enter the hospital gate on the right. Inside you wind along towards the commotion and presently you'll find yourself at a large playground where the puja is held.

20. AIR FORCE TRAINING COMMAND, MEKHRI CIRCLE
Travel along Bellary Road from the city centre (Windsor Manor or Cauvery Theatre) towards Hebbal. As you cross the Mekhri Circle underpass, you will see an entrance to an Air Force Campus on the left side. The puja is almost just inside the gate.

21. GEO HOTEL
Near Corporation, beside GEO Hotel.

22. HEBAGUDI DURGA PUJA
This is near the Hebagudi bus stand, beside BIOCON factory, Hosur Road.

Somnathda would also like to thank a lot of bloggers and the respective Associations from whom the information was gathered.

Friends, I am also available at Jayamahal Puja, so those wanting to meet up, are most welcome there. Everyone, have a great, great Durga Puja.

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