EVENT: CASULA MELA

The Durga Puja festival celebrates the goddess of fearlessness, power and humour, and marks one of the biggest events on the Hindu calendar. With Patel now topping the surname lists of Parramatta amongst other Western and South Western Sydney suburbs, it is no surprise that the area is also home to one of the festival’s most impressive global celebrations. Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre is the base for a program of six exhibitions and three festivals, as well dance, food and Bollywood movies. Centre Director Steven Alderton says of the exhibitions: “The standout images would have to be Ashis Bhattacharjee’s Durga Idols, the Navaratri Dolls exhibition and the Textile exhibition. The Ashis Bhattacharjee’s Durga form the centrepoint where this festival and exhibition radiate from. The performances all take place in front of the Idols … The Navaratri Dolls exhibition comes from local family collections and once a year the dolls are put on display collectively for all to see.” On Saturday Oct 30 you get the chance to see a demonstration of the Durga Puja ritual by priest Sandip Bhattacharjee, while on Nov 13-14 the program comes to a close with Diwali fireworks, movie screenings (3 Idiots, The Waiting City and Mukhamukhi), Indian food stalls, sari workshops and more.

Until Nov 14, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, 1 Casula Rd, 9824 1121, casulapowerhouse.com