Through interactions with the members of the delegation, Consul General Ma learnt about their experiences and the exchanges that took place during the trip. Mr. Ma recognized the similarities between the cultures of West Bengal and China. He remarked that Goddess Durga was worshiped by the Chinese Buddhists as well, along with Goddess Saraswati, Laxmi and Lord Ganesha. He appreciated the things the Chinese had learnt from the Indians including the art of extracting sugar from sugarcane and the art of carving stone statues. He acknowledged that from ancient times, Indians and Chinese had been learning from each other and continued exchanges as such can help us strengthen our bonds.
The members of the Durga Puja group thanked the Chinese Consulate for sponsoring the Best Pandals Competition organized by IMPACT, a non-profit NGO based in Kolkata, India.
The delegation visited Beijing and Shanghai from 13 to 21 November 2016, and its members were mostly winners of the Durga Puja competition.
Mr. Avijit Nandi Majumdar, President of IMPACT, thanked Consul General Ma for helping promote “Biswa Bangla” or Global Bengal in China through this initiative. The members of the delegation shared their experiences and appreciated the similarities between Chinese and Indian cultures. They admired the hardworking culture of the Chinese community and wish to have similar exchanges with the artists and painters of China in the future.