Who we are and what we do:BCS was set up by the local Bengali community in 1982 and is now a UK registered charity. As one of the oldest cultural organisations of its kind, our mission is to practise and preserve Bengali culture and its literary, artistic and educational heritage. We provide a common platform to the Bengali community in and around Reading for these purposes and at the same time, we try to expose other communities to our culture and heritage.
BCS organises at least four regular events every year, these are:
Saraswati Puja Poila Baisakh Annual Dinner Durga Puja (Sharad Utsav) Other events are organised as and when opportunities arise, such as musical programmes, dramas and plays, day outings, picnics, puja parikrama and fundraising for worthy causes. Unless otherwise notified our activities are normally held at the following address: Indian Community Centre 2 Norris Road Reading RG6 1NJ
BCS is not a closed society. | Looking back:In the beginning there was only ‘adda’ (a kind of informal get together!), a unique feature of Bengali culture and so often the inspiration behind many Bengali ventures. The actual roots of BCS can be traced back to the late 70s when many of the first generation immigrant Bengali families of Reading used to meet in the houses of their common friends to socialise and exchange views. Soon these families realised that there was no Bengali organisation in the Reading area and felt the need to get together a few times a year to celebrate a few uniquely Bengali socio-religious traditions such as the Saraswati Puja, Vijya Sammilani etc. As a consequence, BCS Reading was formed to provide a medium through which Bengali people could meet, socialise, maintain a cultural identity and have fun.
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