Now there is a big festival taking place in Southampton. If you go along you will hear music like this... Ja chandi... Madhu kaitabhare.. Ja Chandi... (Excerpt from Mahalaya). Beautiful music... Its of course from a Hindu festival something called Durga Puja. Its being held in Hampshire for the very very first time this weekend. I am delighted to welcome Sujit Sahu who is the chairman of Southampton Puja. Thank you so much for coming in.

Thank you, Sally.

First of all, what is this hindu festival? Is it very religious?

Its religious as well as cultural festival, just like Christmas. It inspires creative activities like nativity play during Christmas. Here we have cultural programmes like singing, recitation, drama etc. The cultural part of it is quite big as well and thats where we want everyone to join in.

Yeah! Everyone can come along. We will come to that in a second. Why is it such a big thing? Why is it first time in Southampton? Why not here before?

I think, nobody took the initiative.

(Laughs): Nobody prepared the hard work you have obviously put in. Is it important for Southamton?

I think it is quite important. People drive to London and distant venues. But now they can enjoy it here which is going to be environmentally friendly.

Give me an idea, you talked about drama, but do families do something special for this to celebrate or is it a coming together of communities?

Families do special things, like you have to put on new clothes if you are going there.

Oh, really, so you dress in your finest, beautiful...

You put on new shoes as well--so sometimes you limp through your most important festival.

Laughs. So the drama that goes on... what sort of drama and music goes on? We heard a little bit of a snippet there, but what sort of drama?

Drama...its like a short-play, like a radio-drama or a theatre type of thing...

Its open to all members of public irrespective of your ethnic origin or religion. It will be quite an eye opener for people like me. I know nothing about this. Where will I see this?

We are doing this in the Vedic Society Hindu Temple on Radcliffe Raod in Southampton. Also people can get more information from our website.

Ok, thats lovely. Its starting tonight at 6'O clock.

Its already started last night at 6'O clock. Its a five day festival squeezed in two and half days to keep it within a weekend.

Right, you started already... When you put it into the context of the festivals that are celebrated how significant is Durga Puja?

Its as big as Christmas for people living in West Bengal, Tripura and Bangladesh. Just to give you some perspective--the shop keepers make so much profit during this that they can sleep through the whole year..

So its significant for the business community.

Yes, its significant for the business community, for the family reunions ...

Sujit, I wish you all the best. I think its going to be a great festival. Thank you very much for coming in. You can get more information from www.southamptonpuja.org.uk.