Announcements

Financial Report 2024

• April 22, 2024
• BCS Executive Committee

Upcoming Events 2024

• April 10, 2024
• BCS Executive Committee

Baishakhi rehearsals in full swing

• April 10, 2024
• BCS Executive Committee

Upcoming bengali movie on March 30th

• February 25, 2024
• BCS Executive Committee

Bengali Cultural Society is going organize the screening of this movie on 30th March at Atlas Eastgate Cinemas , please join to watch this movie all together.
You can pay by scanning the above QR code or transfer to zelle address treasurer@bcscle.org.
Standard ticket price 21$ (20$ if pad by zelle),
Economy ticket price 16$ (15$ if paid by zelle)
please contact either treasurer to get your ticket and acknowledgement.

Achievements and Awards!

"Bijoyar Pore" has received recognition as an "OFFICIAL SELECTION" at
29th KOLKATA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL in the Bengali Panorama section.
22nd DHAKA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL in World Cinema section & awarded as Best Audience Choice Film.
20th Third Eye Asian Film Festival in Indian Competition & awarded Mrs. Mamata Shankar as Best Actress for the film.
Official selection Telangana Bengali Film Festival, Andhra Pradesh
"Telangana Bengali Film Festival-2024" won 5 awards in 4 categories at the Telangana Bengali Film Festival:
Best Lead Actor for Mamata Shankar,
Best Supporting Actor for Swastika Mukherjee, (Jury & Audience Award)
Best Editor for Anirban Maity
Best Director Abhijit Sridas.
Official selection at Jagran Film Festival. Mumbai Edition.
Official selection Indo Padma Bengali Film Festival at Delhi.
Official selection Diorama International Film Festival, Dubai.

• February 11, 2024
• BCS Executive Committee

ioby stands for "in our backyards," but it also stands for taking care of each other, for civic participation, and for trusting neighbors to know what’s best for the neighborhood. ioby gives local leaders the ability to crowdfund the resources they need to build real, lasting change from the ground up. Our crowdfunding platform helps connect local leaders with support and funding from their communities to make our neighborhoods more sustainable, healthier, greener, more livable, and more fun.

Saraswati Puja

• January 31, 2024
• BCS Executive Committee

Bengali Cultural Society, Cleveland is celebrating Saraswati Puja on 17th February 2024, Saturday and cordially inviting you with your family on this special occasion.

Please, come and join us to celebrate Saraswati Puja.

2022 Executive Committee Election

• November 19, 2021
• BCS Executive Committee

As the year 2021 is coming to an end, we’re rolling out the Executive Committee (EC) 2022 election procedure with the nominations. This year, the Nomination Committee will comprise of the following members:

• Subha Sen Pakrashi (Chair)
• Soumitra Ghosh
• Sadhan Jana 
• Kingshuk Das (EC 2021 Representative)

The committee is now seeking nominations for next year's Executive Committee (EC 2022). If you are interested to serve in the EC 2022, please download the nomination form as below and submit your nomination by November 29th, 2021. Contact information of Nomination Committee can be found in the BCS Directory and in the nomination form.

Click here to download nomination form

Durga Puja 2021

• August 27, 2021
• BCS Executive Committee

[Members Only Event]

It is with great pleasure that we’d like to announce Durga Puja 2021 celebrations to be a reality in Cleveland. Keeping everyone’s survey responses in mind, after much discussion and deliberations with the trustees and senior members of the community, the BCS Executive Committee 2021, has decided to host Durga Puja celebrations this year as a two-day affair, in a scaled-down format.

It will be held at: Lyndhurst Community Presbyterian Church, Bloomfield Hall, 5312 Mayfield Road, Lyndhurst, OH 44124 on October 16 (Sat) and October 17 (Sun) respectively. Please make a note that we are forgoing the usual Friday night puja this year. 

Emergency Fund

• July 15, 2021
• BCS Executive Committee

As per the discussion in our last GBM back in February 2021, an emergency fund has been created with an initial donation from a few members.  This fund is currently being managed by a committee comprising of Brojesh Pakrashi, Meera Chatterjee, Jaharul Haque, Bhaswati Bandyopadhyay, and the current BCS President, Kingshuk Das.

This fund is created to have readily available cash to help members in need right away without having to go through a bureaucratic process. There have been heartbreaking examples in the recent past when BCS members needed funds during personal emergencies. 

The aforementioned committee members are working on various fund policies, which will be presented at a future GBM for members' approval. We will keep you posted on how you can contribute to this fund once we finalize all policies on fund collection, maintenance, disbursements, etc.

Stay safe and enjoy the Summer.

Donation for INDIA

• May 3, 2021
• BCS Executive Committee

This message comes to you at a time of insurmountable distress to our beloved motherland. We are all aware of the catastrophic events happening in India due to the recent surge of Covid-19 cases. All of us are deeply affected due to this alarming event. But whenever we have grappled with a crisis of this magnitude, our Bengali community in Cleveland has invariably always come forward to extend every help they can. In this regard, we would like to inform you about a very worthy fundraiser launched by the Federation of Indian Cultural Associations (FICA): the India Covid-19 Relief Fund. On behalf of FICA, we are forwarding their appeal to Indian diaspora. FICA website provides all the information on how to donate to this timely initiative. 

Many organizations around the globe are mounting similar efforts to alleviate the grave situation in India. We’re sure you are already doing all that you can personally and with your favorite charities. However, in case you are looking for a suitable aid initiative to contribute to, please go through the following news articles:

Rescheduling of Baisakhi

• April 28, 2021
• BCS Executive Committee

না, আমাদের মন ভালো নেই।

All of us have been deeply affected by the dire situation in India and the steady onslaught of concerning news that we have been getting about our near and dear ones across the shores. Our heart is heavy with sadness and worry as we anxiously pray for everyone’s safety back home. In view of these circumstances, we have postponed Online Baishakhi Sandhya 2021. We will reschedule Baisakhi Sandhya to a later date, and will update you with such details as and when possible.

আমাদের সবার মনই ভারাক্রান্ত, এখন শুধু এটুকুই যথেষ্ট আর এটুকু শুনলেই ভালো লাগবে যে আপনারা সবাই ভালো আছেন, আর দেশে আপনাদের প্রিয়জনেরা নিরাপদে আছেন। এই দুশ্চিন্তাজনক অবস্থার পরিপ্রেক্ষিতে, বৈশাখী সন্ধ্যা ২০২১ আপাতত স্থগিত রাখা হল। অনুষ্ঠানটি পরে একটি যথাযথ সময়ে আয়োজিত করা হবে, তার details আমরা যত তাড়াতাড়ি সম্ভব পাঠিয়ে দেব।  

LAKSHMI PUJA

• November 3, 2020
• BCS Executive Committee

Nov 7, 2020 (Saturday)

5:00 PM – Prayer offering at Parma’s Shiva Vishnu Temple. The event will be telecasted live on Facebook.

6:00 PM – Premiere of BCS cultural program “Aji E Ananda Sandhya” . This is a virtual event showcasing the fine talents and artistic side of our own BCS friends and peers.

Nov 8, 2020 (Sunday)

11:30 AM – Virtual Live Concert by SaReGaMaPa star Sohini Mukherjee.

Links to all programs will be sent via email closer to the date.

Download Flyer

শারদীয়া

• October 19, 2020
• BCS Executive Committee

This is to inform you that due to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in Ohio, we have decided to move the puja part of Durgatsov celebrations to the Shiva Vishnu Temple in Parma, OH. We made this decision keeping in mind the safety and well-being of all our volunteers. Only members of the EC, who are taking part in the Puja will attend. It will be a condensed version of the 3-day celebrations and will be streamed live for the benefit of the members of the community.

Titled Agomoni, the Durga Puja celebrations of BCS, Cleveland will comprise of the following programs for the three days: 

1. Friday 10/23, 8 PM: Children’s Cultural Program, ChotoderAgomoni, will be broadcasted on YouTube. The link will be shared before the program commences.

2.  Saturday 10/24, 11 AM: Durga Puja at Shiva Vishnu Temple will be telecasted live. Only participating EC members will be in attendance. Dinner pickup is scheduled strictly between 3 PM-5 PM from either of the two locations - Paradise Biryani Point, Mayfield Hts. or 6 Flavors Indian restaurant, Parma. depending on your survey response. 
A virtual live concert by SaReGaMaPa famed Sourav Das and Sneha Bhattacharya, Gaane Gaane will begin for your viewing pleasure at 8.30 PM

3.  Sunday 10/25, 1 PM: Pujor Shaaj Contest - We know how much this season means to us and our fresh new outfits! We're requesting all our members to send in your favorite clicks of your Pujor Shaaj. Dress up in your finest Pujo garb and send us your entries by 10/23, 5PM. Two entries per person are allowed. We will display this in a slideshow ahead of the GBM. You can also send in pictures of Durgatsov celebrations with your friends and family and for us to put on our Facebook page. Send in your entries for Pujor Shaaj and Durga Puja celebrations to Taniya (taniyatalukdar@gmail.com) by 10/23. Online GBM will begin at 2 PM on Zoom. The link will be shared ahead of the event.
This will be followed by Virtual Natok, “Bharate Chai”, at 4 PM.

We’d also like to inform you that Lakshmi Puja will be held on 11/7 and will be live-streamed. Virtual live concert by singer Sohini Mukherjee is scheduled for 11/8 at 11:30 AM. More details to come soon.

Download Flyer

BANGLA PODCAST – VIRTUAL LIVE CONCERT FEAT. ARITRA DASGUPTA

• August 30, 2020
• BCS Executive Committee

Hello Friends, We hope you are all doing well. 

In keeping with our endeavor to provide our members with rich and engaging virtual cultural experiences this year, we have planned a musical treat.

We present to you our first live digital concert on August 30, 2020 (Sunday) at 11:30 AM.

Click here to access the show! The access code will be shared with members in email.

Artist and Zee Bangla SaReGaMaPa grand finalist, Aritra Dasgupta is all set to enthrall you with his magical voice.

Virtual Live Concert

• August 18, 2020
• BCS Executive Committee

Hello Friends,

We hope you are all doing well.

In keeping with our endeavor to provide our members with rich and engaging virtual cultural experiences this year, we have planned a musical treat.

We present to you our first live digital concert on August 30, 2020 (Sunday) at 11:30 AM.

Artist and Zee Bangla SaReGaMaPa grand finalist, Aritra Dasgupta is all set to enthrall you with his magical voice.

Please refer to the flier for more details, we will send you the link to the live program on the assigned date.

The program is sponsored by our very own, Bangla Podcast.

Bhalo thakun,

Sincerely,

BCS, Executive Committee, 2020

Download Flyer

জীবন, জয় ও প্রার্থনা

• August 2, 2020
• BCS Executive Committee

Dear Friends,

We hope you are doing well. We miss our community dearly during the COVID-19 pandemic! To keep our spirits high in these trying times and celebrate our love for music and performing arts, we present to you জীবন, জয় ও প্রার্থনা – a virtual cultural program showcasing BCS’s deep reservoir of talents! Our sincere thanks to all the members who participated!

You can watch the entire program here.

Hope you will enjoy the program!

Bhalo thankun!

Sincerely,

BCS EC 2020

Thank You!

• June 17, 2020
• BCS Executive Committee

Dear Friends,

We hope you are staying safe, healthy and living to the best of your spirits in these difficult times. Our fundraising for those affected in this situation has just ended, although the pandemic is far from getting over but these contributions will surely help the most unfortunate victims here and back home in India. We owe you a big THANK YOU to everyone who made generous contributions and an applause to our entire community for supporting the cause. We could not do this without your support.
Your contributions of $3908.00 collected by us are being sent out to:

• Greater Cleveland Area Food Bank
• University Hospitals COVID-19 Community Response Fund
• Amphan Cyclone Relief Work by Bharat Sevashram Sangha
• Ramakrishna Math & Mission Amphan Cyclone Relief
• Sewa International Appeal for Cyclone Amphan

• April 9, 2020
• BCS Executive Committee

BCS Mailing Address:

Bengali Cultural Society, Cleveland
32624 N Roundhead Dr, Solon OH 44139

Event Updates

• April 8, 2020
• BCS Executive Committee

Hello Friends,

Greetings from BCS!

We hope this note finds you well. The Executive Committee is reaching out to you to let you know that owing to the impact of COVID-19 and the continued lock down, we have decided to cancel the Baishakhi Sandhya event. 

As you all are aware, a lot of preparation goes into organizing the event, which includes dedicated rehearsals on the part of the participants for weeks together. As the social distancing continues, it is highly uncertain when we will be able to start the rehearsals. Under this ambiguous situation, considering the safety of our members and patrons we have taken this unfortunate decision. 

MESSAGE FROM BCS EC 2020 ON COVID-19

• March 19, 2020
• BCS Executive Committee

Hello Friends,

Greetings from BCS Executive Committee. We're all going through testing times right now and we wanted to check-in and hope everyone is being safe and taking care. 

Though everyone should already have seen all the guidance, here’s a few useful links to stay on top of the latest updates from CDC, Ohio and local authorities:

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/index.html

Ohio Department of Health: https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/

Cuyahoga County Board of Health:  https://www.ccbh.net/coronavirus/

Summit County Public Health:  https://www.scph.org/covid-19

Saraswati Puja

• January 12, 2020
• BCS Executive Committee

We’re kickstarting the year with our first event, Saraswati Puja, and are looking forward to your active participation and support. It will be held on February 1, 2020 at the Shiva Vishnu Temple premises. The day long event will start with the pujo followed by different cultural activities and of course, scrumptious food.

The celebration is especially for children and will include activities like sit-and-draw competition to keep them occupied, followed by a cultural evening that will include individual performances by the child wonders and also two plays starring the child actors.

If you haven’t already done so, please get in touch with our cultural secretaries to submit the names of your children for individual performances and sit-and-draw competition.

Download Flyer

Holiday Party

• December 2, 2019
• BCS Executive Committee

It feels like the year 2019 just flew past and before long the holiday season will be upon us. But before we wrap up the year, let’s all come together one last time - for the BCS Holiday party!

Parents, please do bring a wrapped gift for each of your kids, labeled with the child's name. It will be loads of fun for them to receive their gifts, straight from Santa.

We also want to take this opportunity to remind you about our donation drive. December 7 is the last day of collecting donations so please make sure to bring in your contributions in terms of: non-perishable food items, winter clothing, books and stationary items for kids.

Date: 7th December, 2019 (Saturday)
Time: 6:00 PM
Venue: Cleveland Heights Church, 12412 Cedar Rd, Cleveland Heights, OH 44106

Bijoya Sammilani

• November 5, 2019
• BCS Executive Committee

The Bengali Cultural Society of Cleveland cordially invites you to the BCS Bijoya Sammilani 2019 on 9th November, Saturday.

We'll start serving the snacks at 5.15 PM which will be closely followed by kids dinner. At 6 PM sharp, the first play সত্যসন্ধ, will start. This will be followed by a short tea break of 15 minutes and the second play, দেনা পাওনা will commence at 7.30pm.

Date: 9th November, 2019, Saturday
Venue: Solon Center for the Arts, 6315 SOM Center Road, Solon, OH 44139

Download Flyer

শারদীয়া

• September 20, 2019
• BCS Executive Committee

Durga Puja will be hosted over three days during the weekend of October 04 - 06, 2019, at the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, 1900 Carlton Road, Parma, OH 44134.

Hopefully by now you’d have registered for the cultural program and started with the rehearsals. Anyone looking to volunteer with the puja preparations can get in touch with the members of the executive committee. Options are open in the decor team, cooking team, pujo team and so on.

Looking forward to see you soon and celebrate with you.

Maa Ashchen!

Wish you a VERY HAPPY SHARODIYA in advance.

Venue: Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist
1900 Carlton Road, Parma, OH 44134
Date: Oct 04th, 2019 (Fri) - Oct 06th, 2019 (Sun)

Detailed schedule

The Anupam Roy Band

• July 10, 2019
• BCS Executive Committee

Live In Cleveland

Get ready for Anupam Roy and his band to rock Cleveland!

Venue: Center For Performing Arts, 5407 Turney Rd, Garfield Heights, OH 44125

Date: October 11, 2019

Time: Dinner 6:30 PM, Seating opens 7:30 PM

Book your tickets online and grab early bird discounts

[Use the code earlybird8 to avail 15% off on tickets till August 15, 2019. Students can use student25 to avail 25% off on tickets (Admission subject to providing valid ID)]

Download Flyer

Picnic ও আড্ডা

• July 1, 2019
• BCS Executive Committee

Now that summer is here, it's time to get out and soak up the sun! And to help you enjoy the summer weather, the Bengali Cultural Society, Cleveland, is organizing a Summer Picnic on Saturday, July 27, 2019 (11am-5pm) to be held at Hudson Springs Park, May Pavilion, 7095 Stow Road, Hudson, OH 44236.

In order to help us plan better and get a clear head count, we kindly request you to pre-register for the picnic using the link below:

Pre-register for Picnic

While the picnic is free for the BCS members, non-members too can join us at a nominal fee of $10 per head.

Looking forward to see you at the event for some great food and adda session while summer lasts.

Meet and Greet – Somen Debnath

• March 14, 2019
• BCS Executive Committee

The Bengali Cultural Society of Cleveland (BCS) would like to extend an invite to its event, Meet and Greet with Somen Debnath, between 6.30 PM - 9.30 PM, Friday, April 12, at Cleveland Heights Church (former ICC Building), 12412 Cedar Rd., Cleveland Heights, OH 44106.

The event’s mission is to raise funds for Somen, a fellow Indian from Kolkata, who’s on a World Tour on his bicycle, to spread HIV/AIDS awareness among the underprivileged people who have the lowest level of awareness about this deadly disease. In his quest, the daredevil globetrotter, is also conveying the message of peace and humanity, as well as promoting Indian culture worldwide.

Somen believes in humanity and Swami Vivekananda’s message and treats everyone as equals. The love and respect he shows others fortunately is almost always reciprocated. Each time he ran into a predicament - whether it was a stolen bicycle or lack of a place to sleep or food to eat - the locals came to his aid. The backing for his world tour has been mostly provided by patrons that he met on his way. Now that he’s stopping through Cleveland, let’s show him some Northeast Ohio love!

Holiday Party

• November 29, 2018
• BCS Executive Committee

After a blessed year of many joyous gatherings in your presence, finally 'tis the season to brave the snow and rock the final party of the year.

Bengali Cultural Society of Cleveland, OH cordially invites you and your family to the BCS Annual Holiday Party. There will be activities galore, and also a DJ on the dance floor! Come dance your cares away as we bid goodbye to the year.

Parents, please do bring a wrapped gift for each of your kids, labeled with the child's name. It will be loads of fun for them to receive their gifts, straight from Santa.

Date: 15th December, 2018 (Saturday)
Time: 6:00 PM
Venue: Cleveland Heights Church, 12412 Cedar Rd, Cleveland Heights, OH 44106

Bijoya Sammilani

• November 5, 2018
• BCS Executive Committee

The Bengali Cultural Society of Cleveland cordially invites you to the BCS Bijoya Sammilani 2018 on 11th November, Sunday.

This year, the theater luminaries of our community will present not one, but two theater productions for your enjoyment: Pashupati Opera written by Bimal Bandyopadhyay and Parashmani written by Shyamakanta Das.

Date: 11th November, 2018, Sunday
Venue: Solon Center for the Arts, 6315 SOM Center Road, Solon, OH 44139

Download flyer

Lakshmi Puja

• October 22, 2018
• BCS Executive Committee

After celebrating the festivities of Durga Puja, Bengali Cultural Society cordially invites you to celebrate Lakshmi Puja on October 27, 2018, Saturday at Saint John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church, 1900 Carlton Road, Parma, OH 44134.

Debangana Sarker will present Rabindrasangeet and other Bengali songs at 7.30 PM.

Detailed schedule
A Musical Evening with Debangana Sarker

শারদীয়া

• October 3, 2018
• BCS Executive Committee

Please join us to celebrate Durga Puja, to socialize, and to get nostalgic

There will be performances by local artists of all ages to make the event memorable. And of course, there will be the quintessential parts of Durga Puja - অঞ্জলি, সিঁদুর খেলা, ধুনুচি নাচ, ভুরিভোজ ........

Venue: Saint John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church
1900 Carlton Road, Parma, OH 44134
Date: Oct 19th, 2018 (Fri) - Oct 21st, 2018 (Sun)

Detailed schedule

SUR-RANJANI

• August 7, 2018
• BCS Executive Committee

Bengali Cultural Society of Cleveland proudly presents Sur-Ranjani, an evening of Hindustani classical music and timeless Bengali songs with Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty on Saturday, 1st Sept., at 6 PM. On behalf of BCS, we are delighted at this opportunity to be able to host Pt. Ajoy Chakrabarty, one of the premier torchbearers of Indian classical music

You can become a Diamond Sponsor of this event at $1000, a Gold Sponsor at $500, or a Silver Sponsor at $250. All sponsors receive preferred seating and free reserved parking. Please call Mrs. Subha Pakrashi at (440) 498 0102, Mr. Soumitra Ghosh at (330) 714 8313, Mr. Soumen Bhattacharya at (419) 768 6362, or Mr. Amiya Ghosh at (330) 780 0248 to sponsor the event. On behalf of BCS, we extend a sincere Thank You to all those who have already sponsored the event.

General tickets are $30, and student tickets are $15 on displaying student ID

Venue: CSU Main Classroom Auditorium, 1899 East 22nd Street, Cleveland, OH 44115

Download flyer

সংলাপে – সংগীতে

• June 7, 2018
• BCS Executive Committee

BCS Cleveland is hosting a unique summer cultural event সংলাপে-সংগীতে (Sanglape-Sangeete) on Sat, July 14, 2018. This rare event will bring together two highly accomplished artists on one stage on the same day: Debshankar Haldar and Shovan Ganguly.

Debshankar Haldar will present the drama কাল্লু মামা (Kallu Mama). He is the recipient of the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for 2014 for his immense contributions to Indian theatre.

Shovan Ganguly will present the musical program নানা রঙের গান (Nana Ronger Gaan), with live orchestra. He is a prolific and versatile playback singer and the winner of 2013 Zee Bangla’s Sa Re Ga Ma Pa.

Venue: St. Ignatius High School, Breen Center, 2008 W 30th St. Cleveland, OH 44113

Read more | Download flyer

Baisakhi Sandhya

• March 29, 2018
• BCS Executive Committee

We are just a month away from what promises to be an evening full of fun and festivities on the joyous occasion of Baisakhi.

The delectably chosen songs of Tagore and Nazrul, to the lively beats of Adhunik songs, the delightfully choreographed dance sequences and the timeless poems of our folklore, will surely transport you to the shores of Bengal.

Whether it’s a familiar face to greet, a new friend to meet, or talk to someone you share your roots with, BCS enables us all to celebrate such occasions we have cherished since our childhood with our family and friends. So, don’t hold yourself back, and come celebrate Baisakhi with us. You will have a blast!

Baisakhi Sandhya – call for participation

• February 13, 2018
• BCS Executive Committee

Baishakhi Sandhya is scheduled for April 29th this year. As many of you know, this is a platform for BCS members to showcase their talents in the performing arts. If any of you are interested in participating in the program in music, dance or recitation and have not already been approached by the executive committee yet, please send clips of your performance to the cultural secretaries by February 20th, 2018 for consideration for inclusion ....

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Saraswati Puja

• January 20, 2018
• BCS Executive Committee

We cordially invite all of you to please join us in celebrating Saraswati Puja, on February 3, 2018, Saturday at Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, 1900 Carlton Road, Parma, OH 44134 ....

Read more