“You can take a Bengali out of Bengal, but can’t take the Bengal out of the Bengali.” – Binb
A rainy day, a cup of coffee, and plateful of pakoras, are all a few Bengalis need, to start the most diversified chit-chat, which is so culturally inclined that it will make you feel nostalgic, no matter which part of the world you are sitting, you will always feel at home. Being the cultural capital of our nation, Bengal takes pride in being the most diversified, varied, and culturally enriched state that has paved the way in art forms like music, dance dramas, paintings, poetry, literature, films, theatres, and so on, to name a few.
And wherever Bengalis are, they can create a mini-Bengal around them. Keeping this as an inspiration, during the Durgotsav of 2012, a few Bengalis belonging to Binb came together to form a team, a unison to initiate and spread the cultural traditions of Bengal, for all the Probashi Bengali of Bangalore. But every such journey is easier said than done. Hence, with a lot of nervousness, caution, dilemma and predicament these few culturally inclined souls geared up the courage to perform shows like “Samanyo Jyoti” and “Tollywood through ages.”
To their surprise, they received a standing ovation for their performance, thereby establishing the foundation of the cultural wing of Binb. And since then, the rest is history. Be it well-known dance dramas like Chandalika, Chitrangada, Sanyasi Upogupto, or musical performances, band shows, or fashion shows, with each passing year, Binb has challenged, outgrown, and outperformed their previous year’s set of show structure. With each passing year, they have added one feather after another, added one occasion after another, be it Durga Puja, Rabindra Jayanti, Borshoboron, Chaitra Utsav, Kali Puja, Dol Jatra or so.
Despite Binb being a Bengali association, the aim was not just to nurture and spread Bengali culture, but also to encourage newer individuals to come ahead and provide a platform for them to showcase their talent, even if, any performance is not Bengal-centric. Hence, we got the chance to explore other regional art forms like Dolukunita, the special drummer from Kerala, and more.
Our Durga Puja’s are no less than any other Durga Puja from Kolkata. Be it rituals, or cultural shows, we cover every aspect of it. So far, we have had rock bands & solo performers from both Kolkata and Bangalore. Our cultural team ensures that an evening spent at BinB Durga Puja should feel like being at ‘Maddox Square.’
The BinB Cultural team is being spearheaded by Sailee Maitee, Nirmalya Datta, and Tiyasha Ghosh.”