The Bengali Cultural Society of Milwaukee (Popularly known as BCSM), is a non-profit cultural organization established in 1983, serving as a hub to all the immigrant ‘Bengalis’ residing in the greater Milwaukee area and in and around the State of Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.
The Society organizes various cultural events throughout the year to keep the community spirit alive and help its members stay connected with their roots. BCSM, in collaboration with other Non-Profit organizations of WI, participates in various community services. The society encourages its members to actively participate in the community events by serving in the various community kitchens, Food Pantries etc.
It is a pleasure to see our BCSM Family growing slowly but steadily with the help of Bengali’s relocating to Milwaukee from all over the globe.
BCSM welcomes the New Calendar Year by celebrating the festival of Vasant Panchami or Saraswati puja, every year in the Month of January/February, depending on the Lunar Calendar. According to the Hindu Mythology, Ma Saraswati is the Goddess of Learning and we at BCSM, believe in starting the new year by seeking her blessings. Saraswati Puja is popularly known as “Chotoder Pujo”- a festival of the Children.
The main attraction of this celebration are the performances by our BCSM Children. The Children put up a great show in the form of Dance dramas, Songs, Dance & Recitation.
The community also organizes the well-known ritual of “Haath -e- Khodi” for the toddlers to celebrate their first introduction to writing
"Adda” is the secret to Bengali conviviality and BCSM’s Boisakhi Adda is gaining tremendous popularity with each passing year and has become one of the community’s signature events. BCSM organizes this event to welcome the ‘Bengali New Year’(Borsho Boron) and to celebrate the Birth Anniversaries of two literary giants of Bengal, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and Kaji Nazrul Islam. BCSM family members, pay homage to their vision for equality, dignity, and social justice to the world by performing to their songs and poetry. As the Boisakhi Adda is organized in the month of May, BCSM takes this opportunity to celebrate Mother’s Day by felicitating all the “BCSM Moms” with a small token of appreciation to celebrate and honor “MOTHERHOOD”.
BCSM’s Annual ‘Picnic in the Park’ is an exciting and fun filled day event, organized towards the end of Summer, normally in the month of August. The pristine and beautiful parks of WI serve as a perfect location for our BCSM Family members (and non-members) to spend a day amidst natural beauty and makes them forget the din and bustle of the hectic life while enjoying scrumptious Food and enjoying a bevy of games and competitive activities organized for our children, youth and adults, throughout the day.
আশ্বিনের মাঝামাঝি উঠিল বাজনা বাজি,
পূজার সময় এল কাছে।
Durga Puja is not only a Hindu festival, it is an ‘emotion’ for the Bengalis throughout the world. It is a celebration of good over evil. This is the time when Bengalis, settled outside Bengal aka “Probashi Bengalis”, miss their hometown the most.
The sight of Ma Durga’s glorious ensemble, the sounds of “dhaak” and conches, the smell of incense sticks, the aroma of khichuri and laabra, has been an integral part of this festival since its inception. Durga Puja in Kolkata has been inscribed on the Intangible cultural heritage list of UNESCO.
BCSM celebrates this autumn festival with full enthusiasm for two days with authentic Bengali food & various cultural programs.
Bijoya Doshomi also known as Dussehra, is another significant Hindu festival celebrated across India and Nepal every year at the end of Navaratri. In West Bengal , Bijoya Doshomi (Vijayadashami) is observed immediately after the day of Dashami (the tenth day of Navaratri).
BCSM rounds up the season of festivities every year by hosting a musical extravaganza performed by various popular Bengali Singers from Kolkata, to celebrate the spirit of this festival with friends and family in the form of’ Bijoya Sammellini’. The event is followed by a scrumptious dinner, “Mishti Mukh” and the most loved slogan of the Bengalis “আসছে বছর আবার হবে”
The Bengali Cultural Society of Milwaukee (BCSM) is proud to be associated with various community services organized in the state of WI. The society has a dedicated group of volunteers who organize food drives and other initiatives.
BCSM in collaboration with local organizations, provide relief and support to those affected by natural disasters or other emergencies.
BCSM welcomes ‘One and All’ with open arms and strives to be known as an inclusive community that celebrates diversity and encourages social engagements. The society provides equal opportunities to people of all ages and ethnicity to participate and be a member of the community fostering a sense of belonging and mutual support.
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