NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has warned against attempts to undermine social unity and create divisions in the United States, calling for collective efforts against forces of hatred and evil. “Evil forces have not stopped. Durga Puja has arrived with a resolve to stand united against the forces of evil,” Mamdani said.
He made the remarks Tuesday evening while addressing the closing ceremony of Durga Puja celebrations organized by the Bangladeshi community at Om Shakti Temple in Jackson Heights, Queens. The mayor was welcomed at the temple by its founder, Gouranga Kundu; temple committee president Swarup Saha; and general secretary Bhavatosh Pal. He was then presented with a traditional uttariya, a ceremonial shawl.
This year, Bangladeshi communities organized Durga Puja celebrations at 18 venues across New York City, including Times Square and locations in Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Island. Mamdani said Goddess Durga symbolizes the destruction of evil and the triumph of good. Inspired by this belief, Bangladeshi Hindus gathered to celebrate the festival with hopes for peace and prosperity.
He also praised the contributions of Bangladeshi Hindus to the city’s multicultural identity, saying their role in making New York more vibrant and prosperous would be remembered. Other speakers at the event included attorney Ashok Karmakar, Professor Dwijen Bhattacharya, City Council Member Shekar Krishnan and one of the event’s organizers, Dinesh Majumdar.
Majumdar said events of this kind were essential to presenting Durga Puja, the largest religious festival of Bengali Hindus, to an international audience. He added that the growing popularity of Durga Puja celebrations at Times Square reflected this ambition.
