PBWA

The mission of PBWA (Powai Bengali Welfare Association)

PBWA is a registered charitable organisation founded in 2006.

Its main areas of work are in social and cultural integration of the community in Powai and upliftment of underprivileged sections of society.

There are four key pillars of PBWA’s body of work

1) Cultural Integration of the community residing in Powai and adjoining areas through ‘round-the-year’ cultural and social bonding activities, e.g. Durgotsav, Laxmi Puja and Kali Puja, Celebration of Rabindra Jayanti, Monsoon and Winter Picnics, Sports events and Cultural performances by noted artists. PBWA's Annual Sports Meet also has children participants from various NGOs like CanKids and Pranav Kanya. Through its sports initiatives - PBWA lends its support to Indian sports form which are getting extinct like Malkhamb.

2) Women Empowerment: Vocational training of under-privileged women in making hand crafted goods and marketing support through Mission Swayam Siddha (MSS) – PBWA’s NGO

3) Village upliftment: supporting villages through various initiatives like providing pure drinking water to all households, breakfast and lunch for school-going children, distribution of solar lamps, providing educational stationary to students, clothes distribution, vocational training and other women empowerment initiatives.

4) Powai Cine Club: screening of contemporary Bengali movies and showcasing world cinema

Powai Sarvajanin Durgotsav

Powai Sarvajanin Durgotsav in 2015

The Powai Sarvajanin Durgotsav is one of the largest Durga Puja in Mumbai Metropolitan Region(MMR) and is attended by over 10 lac visitors annually, making it one of the largest cultural festivals in the metro.

The first Durga Puja was held in 2006 and is now completing its 11th year. In 2015, the Durga Puja pandal was a replica of the Upasana Griha at Guru Rabindranath Tagore's Visva-Bharati University having intricate Belgian Glass works. In past years, the Durgotsav showcased Indian architectural marvels like the Dakshineswar Kali Temple, Belur Math, Lotus Temple of New Delhi, Konark Sun Temple, Sripuram Golden Temple, etc.

In 2016, PBWA has built Mumbai’s largest Durga Puja pandal spanning over 100 ft replicating the Vivekananda Rock Memorial of Kanyakumari.

The Powai Sarvajanin Durgotsav has seen musical performances by A-lister Bollywood and Tollywood artists like Shreya Ghoshal, Shaan, Benny Dayal, Babul Supriyo, Monali Thakur, Mohit Chauhan, Javed Ali, KK, Kunal Ganjawala, Shantanu Moitra, Usha Uthup, Kumar Sanu, Alka Yagnik, Anupam Roy, Rupam Islam, Arka Mukherjee, Tanusree Shankar and Aloknanda Roy

MSS (Mission Swayam Siddha)

MSS - Students displaying their handmade products in their stall at Powai Sarvajanin Durgotsav

MSS is an NGO founded in 2007 and works for the upliftment of women who come from the economically weaker sections of society. MSS provides vocational and managerial training and product placement support for helping these women gain critical employability skills.

Recently, a designer fashion jewelry brand sourced an entire product range from MSS and these products are on sale in Global fashion capitals like Paris.

Key modules of MSS are: a) Vocational training of women by MSS volunteers in order to create income earning capabilities b) Marketing in-house products made by trainees under the MSS brand name, and c) Imparting on-the-job training to create decision making capabilities and confidence

Currently based in Powai, MSS is looking at scaling up its operations across the city.

CEO Power Walk and Talk

CEO Power Walk and Talk 2015

The CEO Power Walk and Talk is an annual event organized during the Powai Sarvajanin Durgotsav, where Industry leaders come together in support of women empowerment related themes and lend their voice to the cause of underprivileged women.

It has been attended by CEOs of leading corporate houses like Kellogg's, J&J, Club Mahindra Holidays, SBI Life Insurance Company, Ambit, Axis Securities Limited, Emerson, RPG Group, APCO Worldwide, IndiaFirst Life Insurance Company, DHL Express, Mahindra Lifespace, Total S.A., etc.

The discussions in CEO Power Walk and Talk focus on the role that leading corporates are playing in taking up initiatives that are aimed at improving the economic status of women coming from disadvantaged backgrounds and potential innovations that can be scaled up.

Photo Gallery

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  Powai Sarvajanin Durgotsav 2006

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  PBWA's Durga Puja Starts with Khuti Puja

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  The laying of the Foundation Pillar of Mumbai's Largest Durga Puja Pandal

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  Singer Shaan performing at Powai Sarvajanin Durgotsav

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  Benny Dayal performing at the Powai Sarvajanin Durgotsav

Media Mentions and References

External links