For a lifelong Kolkatan, autumn begins with the immortal voice of Birendra Krishna Bhadra, and the rhythmic beat of the dhaak.
Yet, after 14 years in Hanoi, waking up to the hum of motorbike-filled streets instead of the sounds of Kolkata, I have learned that the spirit of Durga Puja is not confined by geography. It travels with people, memories, and traditions.
Every year, as social media fills with images of Kolkata's dazzling pandals and crowded streets, Bengalis living abroad experience a familiar tug of nostalgia. For us, Durga Puja is far more than a religious festival. It is an emotional bridge connecting us to home.
During the past few years, I have watched with pride as the Indian community in Hanoi has re-created a small yet vibrant corner of Bengal in the heart of Southeast Asia.
The celebrations here may not rival the scale of Kolkata, but they possess something equally precious: the warmth of a close-knit community.
Organised by Bengali expatriates along with members of the wider Indian community, the festival brings together families, professionals, diplomats, students, and friends from across India and beyond.
Preparations begin months in advance.
Volunteers devote countless hours after work, planning cultural programmes, decorations, rituals, and community meals. The senior volunteers approach the Indian Embassy for the approval of holding the Puja in the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, inside the Indian Consulate building.
Within a city better known for its ancient pagodas and French colonial architecture, the sight of a Durga idol standing proudly amid Vietnamese surroundings remains both striking and deeply moving.
Growing up in Kolkata, Puja meant a sensory overload of lights, crowds, pandal-hopping and endless food stalls. Today, living abroad, the festival serves a different purpose. It has become a connection to identity and memory, a reminder of where we come from.
During the festivities, women dressed in colourful saris, men in traditional kurtas, and children born and raised far from Bengal gather under one roof to celebrate their heritage. The rituals are conducted with remarkable devotion, carrying all the familiarity and solemnity of a traditional neighbourhood puja back home. The main pandit for the past two years have voluntarily flown in from Kolkata to conduct the rituals – it’s a phenomenon to witness how passionately he takes everyone through the rituals such as Arati and Anjali.
The cultural programme is often the highlight of the celebrations. Children perform dances to Bengali and Hindi songs, while adults present music ranging from Rabindrasangeet to
contemporary Indian melodies. More than entertainment, these performances represent a conscious effort to pass our traditions to the next generation. This year it was a pleasure to see, H.E the Indian ambassador to Vietnam, Mr.Tshering W.Sherpa, enjoying the cultural festival on Ashtami evening.
Food naturally occupies a place of honour. Khichuri, beguni, chutney and sweets evoke memories of community pujas throughout Bengal. The aroma alone is enough to transport many of us back to our childhood.
What makes Hanoi's Durga Puja especially unique is the participation of Vietnamese friends and colleagues. Many attend the celebrations out of curiosity and leave with a genuine appreciation of Indian culture. They are fascinated by the artistry of the idol, the rituals, the music and the strong sense of community.
As India and Vietnam continue to deepen their relationship, such people-to-people connections become increasingly significant. Durga Puja in Hanoi is therefore more than a religious observance. It is also a celebration of cultural exchange, friendship and shared humanity.
For expatriate Bengalis, however, the festival remains intensely personal. Standing before the goddess thousands of kilometres from Kolkata, listening to the familiar rhythms of the dhak (played over a Sound mixer by a DJ!) and sharing bhog with fellow Bengalis, one realises that home is not merely a place. It is a feeling carried within us.
There are no vast crowds or grand riverbank processions here. Dashami concludes with a quieter and more intimate farewell. Yet the emotions are no less profound.
The lights may not be as dazzling as those lining Kolkata's streets, and the crowds may be far smaller. But every year in Hanoi, Durga Puja reaffirms a timeless truth: Bengal travels wherever Bengalis go. As the final echoes of the dhak dissolve into the evening sounds of Hanoi, the distance between the Ganges and the Red River feels just a little shorter.
Subhobrata Talukdar is a former banker-turned-IT professional who has been living and working in Hanoi, Vietnam, for the past 14 years.
