MUMBAI: Bollywood’s Bengali legend Bappi Lahiri will perform on Navami (18th October) at the Durga Puja celebration by Navi Mumbai Bengali Association (NMBA) (Vashi Kalibari), while talented singer Jaspinder Narula will perform on Ashtami (17th October) at CIDCO Exhibition Centre, Hall No. 1, Sector 30, Vashi, Opposite Centre One Mall (next to Assam Bhavan). NMBA @Vashi is a fine mix of commemoration, celebration, and social commitment. NMBA is the foremost social organization for Bengalis in Navi Mumbai and has taken a pledge towards positive contribution to the community and society.

NMBA Durgotsav 2018 in its 39th year will be bigger than ever before in terms of its scale, grandeur, and epitome. It is the biggest Durgotsav in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. This year, the Puja will be held from 15th to 19th October at CIDCO Exhibition Centre. It’s a fully air-conditioned hall of around 45,000 square feet. Around 5 lakh people are expected to take part in this 5-day long mega-festival.

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The biggest attraction is the theme of The Great Bengal Pavilion, including the grand display of Bengal art and culture. The Durga idol will be around 20 feet in height and made of natural artifacts of Bengal.

Elaborate cultural programmes will be held on all days. With NMBA’s in-house talents and the likes of Jaspinder Narula and Bappi Lahiri, there’s never going to be a dull moment.

Bivas Maiti, President, MNBA, says, ‘Durga Puja is the ultimate platform for us to demonstrate our core values of Social commitment towards the people. When we come together to make things happen, dreams do come true. Our members have proven that such ambitious social and cultural projects are possible only if we collaborate and trust each other. I am proud of the work members are taking up even amidst their hectic daily schedules. We only wish to grow bigger and better. Do drop by at our Durga Puja pandal to seek blessings of the goddess, witness classy cultural programmes or to have our delicious bhog!’

A substantial portion of the revenue generated from this event, through individual donations and corporate sponsorship, will be used for the construction of an ambitious Senior Citizen Living Project. It will provide housing for senior citizens who live in this city all by themselves. The facility will have provision to coach economically challenged children by the residents. It will have a fully equipped multipurpose hall for coaching and workshops. In fact, a Kala Bhavan for classes on art and culture is part of the design. There will be separate rooms for guests/ relatives of the residents to come and visit, a separate hall for meditation and prayer, and a Bengali restaurant/ pantry for the residents. This will be made available to the residents at a very reasonable price.

NMBA also runs a Home for Cancer Patients, a unique social initiative where subsidized accommodation and various other free facilities are provided to the patients coming to Mumbai for cancer treatments irrespective of their cast, creed, religion, faith, etc. NMBA also render services for