About Us
CTBA, also recognized as Dhrubotara, stands united as a vast family that joyously embraces Bengali art, culture, literature, music, theater, sports, food, and festivals. Within this familial bond, it cultivates a sense of home amidst a distant land. CTBA serves as a cross-cultural platform, fostering the appreciation of 'Bangaliyana' through social gatherings and activities that not only inspire the dissemination of our culture worldwide but also encourage us to assimilate the best from our surroundings. The community's social cohesion creates strong bonds, paving the way for camaraderie that manifests in charitable endeavors, such as engagement with the 'Texas Food Bank' and contributions to the "Mayor's Fund."
Throughout the year, CTBA organizes events that promote face-to-face interactions, fostering a welcoming environment where everyone feels like an integral part of the community. These events become cherished memories, showcasing our uniqueness in promoting talent by encouraging every member to actively participate, considering each individual a star within the CTBA family.
CTBA, with its perfect blend of tradition and innovation, experience and execution, aspires to continue the successful journey initiated by a handful of enterprising families decades ago. The blending of old and new elements has propelled CTBA's growth over 30+ years, and as a community, we eagerly anticipate everyone's cooperation to sustain this success. From the inception, CTBA envisioned creating a close-knit family where everyone is accepted, fostering equal participation and support among members. The committee consistently passes the operational responsibilities to newer members, who demonstrate enthusiasm in growing the community bigger and stronger together.
Since its inception, CTBA has witnessed almost a 50% growth in the last five years, with a projected annual growth of 15%. As a community boasting 700+ members, CTBA strives to leverage its connections across the greater Austin area, collectively delivering maximum value to its members through partnerships.
We take pride in being Bengali, aiming to pass on our rich cultural heritage and traditions to the next generation. For us, being Bengali entails seizing opportunities for social gatherings, relishing soulful music, engaging in 'adda' or discussions during dinner featuring delectable cuisines. Our collective appreciation for art and literature nurtures poets and writers among us, while our passion for sports is evident in Sunday morning cricket sessions in Austin and occasional Sunday siestas as the world moves on.
In essence, CTBA is more than a community; it is a shared journey where its success is synonymous with our success. Together, we embark on special journeys, enriching each of our lives.
Our Vision
CTBA strives to promote and nurture Indian heritage and culture through spiritual, social, educational, artistic, and literary activities for and on behalf of the Central Texas Bengali community.
Who's Who
President
President
Basundhara
Roy Chowdhury
Cultural Committee
Damayanti Banerji
Cultural Committee
Nandini Banerjee Deb
Cultural Committee
Suman Sen
Cultural Committee
Srirupa Chatterjee
Food Committee
Priyanka Bhowmick
Food Committee
Debayan Saha
Food Committee
Avijit Sarkar
Food Committee
Anindita Roy
Bardhan
Puja Commitee
Rupa Mukherjee
Puja Commitee
Samira Ghosh
Puja Commitee
Suma Dasgupta
Puja Commitee
Dibyajyoti Bhattacharji
President
Arjun Pal Chowdhury
Vice President
Pushpak Bhattacharjee
General Secretary
Abhirup Mazumder
Treasurer
Debasmita Paul Chatterjee
Magazine
Ritwik Sen
Magazine
Subha Addy
Magazine
Diganta Sengupta
Technology & Innovation
Arnab Kumar Saha
Technology & Innovation
Asish Das
Operational Excellence
Our History
By Subhadi
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Austin was a smaller city then and the Bengali community consisted of a small group of people, a far cry from the vibrant community of today. From information shared by some of the first Bengal residents of Austin, such as Binita Bose, Neeta Ganguli and Indira Chakravorty, (who has since relocated to California but still has a close and warm connection with the Bengali community here), it was very interesting to learn the origin of the Central Texas Bengali Association which has been growing and serving the Bengali community for 30+years. In the early 1980’s a few Bengali residents of Austin and a large group of University of Texas students and their families met informally from time to time to socialize and observe events such as Bijoya Sanmiloni. In the year 1983, the group had the first Saraswati Puja held at the married students’ quarters on the UT Campus. Most of the work, like cooking, decorating other responsibilities were distributed to and performed by the members of the group. Many residents present during those events have fond memories of working hard but also having enormous fun and a pleasant feeling of being a part of a large family. Bishwanath Chakraborty, Indira Chakraborty and Binita Bose were at the helm as the organizers at these early events.
As the community started growing, there was a consensus to celebrate Durga Puja, a desire that every Bengali holds dear to heart. The first Durga Puja was held in 1991, with Amit Chakravorty as the president, Indira Chakravorty as the secretary and Binita Bose as the treasurer of the first Puja committee. It was held at the Leander City Hall situated in a very rural setting, not the present-day bustling suburb of Austin. There was almost no development much beyond the 183/620 junction, which was a simple 4-point intersection in those days. The first Protima was a story all its own. Financial resources being limited, it was not possible to have a professional idol manufactured, so other avenues were investigated. As it so happened there was an American Chinese University of Texas student, Mark Gee with an artistic bent and a friend of Amit and Indira Chakraborty’s son, who agreed to create the Idol from pictures. He used papier-mâché and later added clay to complete his creation. This hybrid Protima lasted for several years, living in people’s closets during the rest of the year, until a new Protima replaced it. The first Puja was performed by Professor Ranjit Chakraborty from Houston.The guests, 250 +, were all eager participants and quite a few were involved in preparing the food, decorations and clean ups. The first formal entertainment program was performed by community children, during the Durga Puja in the year 1993.