It has been a pleasure and privilege to keep everyone updated on the CDU 2014 happenings over the past few months... it's time to sign-off now. This site will go offline soon and we will revert to www.cciorg.com - our parent site. We will see you around at CDU 2015 on October 16, 17 & 18, 2015.

Meanwhile, visit the homepage at www.cdu2014.org to watch a nice video capture of the Bisarjan dance. 

Enjoy the rest of the year and stay safe .. adios from the CDU 2014 Communication Team.

Friends:

We deeply mourn the sudden passing of Jnan-da. He was admitted to the hospital this morning, but could not survive cardiac arrest. Dr. Jnanendra Bhattacharjee was Professor Emeritus of Microbiology at Miami University, in Oxford, Ohio and widely recognized as an eminent scholar and dedicated teacher. He was a strong leader of Cincinnati’s Bengali community, and has always represented it with pride and dignity. 

Jnan-da, as he was known to many, was always enthusiastic about children’s cultural performances, and encouraged adults to leave the stage for children, when stage time was challenging to find at TSDP. He was an ardent supporter of numerous social causes and consistently generous toward many, in the Bengali community as well as at Miami and in the Oxford community. 

Jnan-da is survived by his wife Tripti-di, and his children, Gourav and Mala, and scores of admirers in the tri-state communities.Our celebrations this year were bracketed by the sad demises of two of our stalwarts, on either side of our Durga Pujos. 

As we offer our prayers for the departed souls, may we humbly request all members of Cincinnati Cultural Initiative to refrain from Liking or Commenting on Pujo-related photographs on the CCI Facebook page for one day, on Tuesday, Oct-7th, as a mark of respect.

Thanking you, for your kind consideration.

Mournfully,

CCI Board of Trustees.

What an amazing kick off to the annual Cincinnati Durga Puja this evening... the raw pictures hot off the press are here. More to come over the next few days .. meanwhile, feel free to tag yourself and your friends !!

The Puja was streamed live at our website www.cdu2014.org. Let your friends and family know that they can watch the festivities and more importantly, they can watch your participation from across the globe through our live streaming!!

Looking forward to tomorrow and day after, meeting new people, making new friends, re-kindling old acquaintances.

Happy Durga Puja.

For our out of town and out of state participants to the annual Cincinnati Durga Puja, who are looking for area hotels, here is a list compiled for your convenience. All hotels are within a 15-20 minute driving distance from the venue.

We have no negotiated rates with any of the hotels, and we do not endorse any particular hotel. So feel free to choose any as per your convenience.

Courtyard Cincinnati North at Union Centre
6250 Muhlhauser Rd
West Chester, OH 45069
(513) 341-4140

Residence Inn Cincinnati North/West Chester
6240 Muhlhauser Rd
West Chester, OH 45069
(513) 341-4140

Courtyard Cincinnati North at Union Centre
6250 Muhlhauser Rd
West Chester, OH 45069
(513) 341-4140

Hampton Inn & Suites Cincinnati-Union Centre
9266 Schulze Dr
West Chester, OH 45069
(513) 341-2040

Hilton Garden Inn West Chester
9306 Schulze Dr
West Chester Township, OH 45069
(513) 860-3170

Staybridge Suites
8955 Lakota Dr W
West Chester, OH 45069
(513) 874-1900

Comfort Inn & Suites
5944 W Chester Rd
West Chester, OH 45069
(513) 645-1700

Holiday Inn Express
8567 Cincinnati Dayton Rd
West Chester Township, OH 45069
(513) 755-3900

Wingate by Wyndham Cincinnati/West Chester
7500 Tylers Pl Blvd
West Chester Township, OH 45069
(888) 595-2350

As we make a bee-line for the annual Cincinnati Durgotsav this weekend, please remember to contribute to the Food Collection Drive... non-perishable food items such as below (no glass please) will be collected at the puja venue in support of Matthew 25: Ministries and their work with the poorest of the poor and disaster victims. Thank you for your support.

• Canned vegetables & fruits
  
• Canned and boxed meals (i.e., soup, chili, stew, macaroni & cheese)
  
• Canned or dried beans and peas (i.e., black, pinto, lentils)
  
• Pasta, rice, low sugar cereals
  
• Peanut butter
  
• Holiday foods like cranberry sauce, dry stuffing mix, cake mixes & frosting, etc.
  
• Instant mixes like potatoes, gravies and sauces .
  
• Canned meats (tuna, chicken, salmon) that do not require refrigeration before opening.
  
• 100% fruit juice (canned, plastic or boxed), bottled water or other beverages.

Its finally here! Our Cincinnati Durga Puja 2014 celebrations start tomorrow evening. Please check out the Puja Schedule as you plan out your mornings, afternoons, evenings (and the dress-change breaks in between) over the next 3 days. 

Today is also the last day for registrations before the rates go up tomorrow. Thanks to all those participants who have registered by now through our easy-to-use online payment features. If you have not done that yet, you can still do it here. 

From tomorrow, the online registration feature will be disabled and registration fees will be collected at the gate through cash, check or credit card. Here are the Gate Registration rates that will be effective from tomorrow, October 3rd, 2014: