GNVBNG will be able to get discounts in rates and considerations for our activitiesģ. We will issue a receipt for your donations, for your documentation purposesĢ. All donations, cash or in kind, can be treated as Tax Deductible.
What does the organization's IRS 501c(3) tax exempt mean to all of us?ġ. The Association is open and welcomes anyone who would like to join and participate in its events. Our annual activities include Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja, Freshers’ Welcome, and picnics. The Association mainly provides a focal point for Bengalis and helps to promote the rich Bengali culture in Gainesville, Florida and the surrounding areas. GNVBNG was established in 2016 as a non-profit tax exempted (501c3) organization to serve this Bengali community. This community was established in the early eighties and now has nearly two hundred members including Bengali students attending the University of Florida (UF). Gainesville Bengali Association is a non-profit cultural organization of the Bengalis living in Gainesville, Florida in USA. The association does not discriminate based on race, religion, nationality, or sexual orientation. The members join their hands to help the new students get settled in this Gainesville area. This event introduces the newcomers to this existing society and its members. The community plays an important role in welcoming the new students in Gainesville. The community actively organizes this event every year where community members cook food outdoors and engage in various entertaining activities. Picnics are organized either in spring or fall to celebrate the Florida outdoors weather and have some fun in the natural surroundings. The community in Gainesville is active in organizing this event every year to celebrate the spirit of this festival. Nevertheless this event has attracted a wide celebration in Bengal. Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, arts and science. The celebration of Durga Puja festival involves a combination of religious, cultural, and social activities.
With the established immigrant population of Bengalis abroad desiring to celebrate the festival and spread the Bengali culture, many Bengali cultural organizations arrange Durga Puja festivals in countries such as the United States, Canada, and in the continents of Europe and Australia. Additionally, Durga Puja is celebrated as a major festival in India’s neighboring countries such as Nepal and Bangladesh. Apart from eastern India, Durga Puja is also celebrated in other parts of India where the Goddess is worshipped in different forms. Durga Puja is widely celebrated with pomp and grandeur in Bengal and other states in eastern India typically over five-day annual holiday. In the Indian state of Bengal, Durga is worshipped as the destroyer of evil and the protector of her devotees.
The festival marks the victory of Goddess Durga over the evil forces. Our major events include:ĭurga Puja is an annual festival in India that celebrates the worship of the Hindu goddess Durga. This serve as a platform to showcase the talent hidden inside the members of this community. The cultural activities serve as a major channel in preserving the Bengali heritage through various musical and dance programmes, dramas, poetry and various other creative works. Other students from the neighboring country of Bangladesh who speak the same Bangla language also associate with GNVBNG in certain social and cultural activities.Īll year round we organize different kinds of activities which bridge the gap from our origin and make us attuned to the chords of Bengali culture. They participate actively in all the activities of GNVBNG including its biggest event which is the Durga Puja. GNVBNG provides a home base for them and supports them socially during their stay here. These students are mainly from the Indian state of West Bengal. There are more than a hundred Bengali international students who attend the University of Florida to pursue their education. Our major goal is to keep alive the Bengali culture in this town and nurture the heritage of our community in the state of Florida. This community was established in the year 2010 when the Bengalis residing in the city joined their hands to give a formal structure to our community. We are a close knit group of Bengalis in Gainesville.