Every year in Perth, a familiar rhythm fills the air. The sound of dhaak drums, the fragrance of incense, and the echo of Sanskrit chants mark the arrival of Durga Pujo. For the Bengali community in Western Australia, this is more than a festival. It is a homecoming, a time when traditions, emotions, and memories come alive thousands of miles away from Bengal.
At the center of this celebration stands BAWA – the Bengali Association of Western Australia. For years, BAWA has brought together the community to celebrate Durga Pujo with devotion and joy. From beautifully crafted idols to the warmth of shared meals, every element reflects the community’s effort to preserve their culture in a new land.
Letthe Lightin had the privilege of capturing this celebration in all its depth. Through our lens, we witnessed not only rituals and performances but also countless small moments that tell the story of belonging, nostalgia, and togetherness.
BAWA began with a simple goal: to connect Bengalis in Western Australia through shared traditions and culture. Over time, it became the heart of the community. Durga Pujo, the biggest festival in the Bengali calendar, became its most cherished event.
The celebration usually spans five days. Each day has its own rituals, prayers, and emotions. What makes BAWA Durga Pujo truly special is the balance between authenticity and adaptation. The rituals remain deeply rooted in Bengali tradition, while the community adds touches of local flavor unique to Perth.
The pujo takes place in a hall decorated with flowers, lights, and colors that remind everyone of home. Volunteers work tirelessly to prepare the idol, set up the altar, cook traditional dishes, and coordinate cultural events. Families dress in traditional sarees and kurtas, children perform songs and dances, and elders share stories of Pujo from their childhood in India.
Even though the setting is far from Bengal, the spirit feels the same. There is joy, devotion, and the unmistakable feeling of being part of something that connects generations.
For us, photographing BAWA Durga Pujo was an experience that went beyond visual documentation. Each frame held emotion and meaning.
Candid photography plays a key role in preserving the soul of the event. It is not about staged poses but about capturing genuine expressions – a child’s excitement during a cultural dance, an elderly couple joining hands in prayer, a mother offering flowers to the goddess, friends laughing over bhog. These unguarded moments tell the real story of the festival.
Before the event, we spend time understanding the flow of rituals. We note the timings of key moments such as Pushpanjali, Sindoor Khela, and Dhunuchi Naach. This helps us be ready to capture expressions at the perfect instant.
During the performances, we focus on emotion and rhythm. Dancers twirling in colorful costumes, musicians playing traditional tunes, and the crowd watching with admiration – each frame becomes a piece of collective memory.
Group photos are taken with care, ensuring everyone feels included. Later, during the editing process, we maintain the natural warmth of the scene rather than over-stylizing it. Our aim is to make viewers feel the same energy and connection that we felt while taking the photo.
The celebration begins with Mahalaya, which marks the arrival of Goddess Durga on earth. In Perth, the idol unveiling ceremony often becomes the emotional starting point. When the curtain lifts and devotees see the goddess for the first time, there is a sense of awe and reverence. Capturing this exact moment is a privilege, as faces light up with faith and joy.
Morning prayers and Pushpanjali are moments of quiet devotion. People close their eyes, hold flowers, and chant mantras together. In our photographs, we aim to reflect this serenity—the bowed heads, the folded hands, and the sunlight falling softly on the idol.
On the last day, married women celebrate Sindoor Khela by applying vermillion to each other. It is both a joyful and emotional tradition, symbolizing strength, unity, and farewell. Photographing these moments requires sensitivity. Every smile, every touch of vermillion, and every tear carries the weight of farewell until next year.
Beyond rituals, the cultural programs bring energy and laughter. Children perform dances, families sing Tagore songs, and groups present drama acts that celebrate Bengali literature and humor. The food stalls serve classics like khichuri, labra, luchi, and mishti. These shared meals are as much a part of the celebration as the prayers.
A professional Perth event photographer helps preserve these rituals and emotions. While guests experience the moment, we make sure it stays alive in their memory through photographs that feel authentic and heartfelt.
The beauty of BAWA Durga Pujo lies in its people. You can feel the emotion in every corner of the hall. Parents introduce their children to customs they grew up with. Young adults volunteer in organizing the event, connecting to their roots through service. Elders watch with pride as new generations keep the tradition alive.
The festival also brings together people beyond the Bengali community. Friends from different cultures join in to experience the celebration. It becomes a shared cultural exchange, building understanding and unity.
As photographers, what touched us most was the sense of belonging that filled the space. These are not just images of a festival but portraits of a community building a home away from home. When future generations look at these photographs, they will see more than rituals. They will see the love and effort that kept their heritage alive in Perth.
In today’s fast-paced world, memories can fade quickly. Photography helps preserve the essence of tradition. For events like BAWA Durga Pujo, photographs become living archives. They remind people where they come from and what binds them together.
Every picture tells a part of the larger story—the lighting of the first diya, the collective laughter after a performance, the tearful moment of immersion. These are more than visuals. They are emotions frozen in time.
At Letthe Lightin, our goal is to document culture with care and creativity. We believe that every photograph should carry the emotion of the moment and the warmth of human connection.
BAWA Durga Pujo is an annual festival organized by the Bengali Association of Western Australia. It celebrates the worship of Goddess Durga and serves as a cultural gathering for the Bengali community in Perth.
A professional event photographer captures both rituals and candid emotions, ensuring that every important moment is preserved with clarity and care.
Photography captures expressions, gestures, and details that reflect devotion and community spirit. These images become visual stories that keep the memories alive long after the event ends.
BAWA Durga Pujo is not just a festival. It is the heartbeat of Perth’s Bengali community. It bridges the distance between continents and generations, reminding everyone that culture thrives wherever people nurture it.
Through our lens, we aim to honor these emotions and preserve them for years to come. Every click is an act of storytelling, capturing joy, devotion, and togetherness in their purest form.
Experience the magic of BAWA Durga Pujo through our lens. Book your Perth event photography session today.
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