AN EVENT celebrating India's biggest festival is said to have been the biggest gathering of Hindus in Swindon on one day.
After three days of marking the Durga Puja on October 3, 4 and 5, more than 2,000 members of the Indian and Bangladeshi community gathered at the Swindon Cricket Ground on Wednesday evening for Dashmi Puja, Sindoor Khela and Raavan Dahan.
It included special Moortis statues brought all the way from Calcutta in India as well as authentic Bengali delicacies served as Prasad to devotees who visited throughout the three-day festival.
Other food stalls ranged from rich masala tea to authentic Bengali sweets, vada pav, sev puri, bhel puri, dahi Bhalla, chaat and freshly prepared warm Jalebis.
SHAROD in Swindon organised the cultural celebrations and have done so every year but one (due to Covid restrictions) since 2016.
A spokesman said: "The festival was a huge success and [was] the biggest ever gathering of Hindus on a single day in Swindon - a tremendous achievement indeed.
"People as far as Reading, Oxford, Bristol and Cardiff came to join in the Durga Puja celebrations.
"Special thanks to Swindon Cricket Club who helped host the event and run it smoothly."
The last day saw Raavan Dahan - the burning of the effigy of evil king Raavan - which signifies the victory of good over evil, and was followed by gala fireworks.
The effigy was the largest ever made for the Swindon event, measuring just under 16 feet in height.
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