Based in the Western/ North Western suburbs of Melbourne, with like-minded people coming together from varied professional backgrounds
Utsav Melbourne Association (UMA) is a vibrant Bengali/Indian Not for Profit Community (and a registered charity), originating from the western/ north western suburbs of Melbourne, with like-minded people coming together from varied professional backgrounds like engineering, medical, banking, IT, academics, etc. to promote and celebrate our Bengali/Indian culture and traditions in Melbourne, with the hope to provide to its diverse patrons and the community, the feeling of being at home, away from home (India). Through the events that UMA organises, we endeavour to share our rich Indian heritage with the rest of Australia, whilst also performing a body of charitable activities to do our bit for the society at large, helping those who are most in need.
Earlier this year (2020), Team UMA campaigned towards reaching out to its patrons and to the wider community for support and donations towards helping fellow Aussies who had lost everything in the catastrophic bushfires. UMA dug deep into its pockets and ran a series of drives to collect essentials/ daily use commodities/groceries/ new clothes for the victims of the bushfire and donated over $4500 worth of items and $2500 in cash towards Food Bank and The Bushfire Appeal.
During Durga Puja 2019 (largest Bengali cultural event), UMA donated 120 Kgs of cooked food to the homeless each night, for 3 consecutive nights. This food went a long way to feed the Melbourne City homeless community who enjoyed a sumptuous and warm meal, every evening.
UMA also played an instrumental role by organising events that relate to - Domestic Violence in conjunction with White Ribbon, Saraswati Puja Food Donation Drive, Rathyatra Donations.
UMA is a free for all, all-inclusive not for profit, charitable organisation that takes a lot of pride in helping people most in need. Team UMA plays the key role in self funding all its endeavours that includes but is not limited to, hosting a series of free-to-all events, helping the less fortunate, standing against domestic violence etc.
To this end, should you wish to contribute/donate funds towards this cause, please refer to our Bank details below. A receipt will be issued against every donation.
Mode of Payment: CASH / EFT / BANK ACCOUNT (FUNDS) TRANSFER
Account Name: Utsav Melbourne Association Incorporated
Bank: ANZ
BSB: 013441
Account Number: 315280369
We intend to use our social podium for everyone to learn about each other's backgrounds and celebrate our cultural diversity, thereby gaining a much deeper understanding/appreciation that goes beyond language and color of skin. We believe that in doing so, we will not just be passing on the legacy of our Indian and South East Asian culture and heritage demonstrated through celebratory events but also play a pivotal role in facilitating opportunities towards employment, training and education, mental/physical wellbeing, education and literacy towards financial independence etc., all amidst a joyous and buzzing ambience where we worship feminism through Hindu goddesses personifying purity of soul and goodness.
UMA primarily consists of migrants who have arrived into Australia over a varied span of time (6 months to 50 years). To this end, each of us have had to go through a series of challenges in settling into Australia, that we have learnt from and are keen to pass on to all new migrants/ Australians, particularly those who include and are not limited to- refugees, single parents, victims of domestic discord, financially less stable or less literate. By organizing Indian festivals, we aspire to build a platform to bring together people from all works of life, particularly those mentioned above.
President
A retired army veteran, Col. Roychowdhury, loving referred to as “Uncle”, is our senior-most patron, a perfect gentleman and a pillar of strength for UMA. Uncle is a well-known and fondly regarded across the city of Melbourne, and has been a key enabler in bringing Australia and India together, through various aspects, notably by co-ordinating Indian Army Veterans at the ANZAC Day Parade each year.
Vice President
A medical professional for over 35 years, specializing in Diagnostic Radiology, Dr Mondal is an amazing enthusiast of Indo-Australian cultural traditions and unity. Having spent a lot of his early years in India, the Bahamas and close to a decade in Australia across multiple states, Dr. Mondal is well known in the Indian community for his organizational skills and well thought through proposals. Be it on the field playing tennis or indoors, playing snooker or reading a book, Dr. Mondal stands out for his passion for excellence.
Secretary
An avid Banker for over 30 years with a passion for bringing people from all backgrounds together, Mr.Sinha is always keen to tap into opportunities that allow that perfect coalesce of Indo-Australian fraternity, sharing and caring! Mr. Sinha brings to the table his thought-leadership, his level headedness and years of experience around managing large festivals and cultural events across several geographies, including Australia, India and the Middle-East.
Treasurer
A Finance professional, well versed across Retail and Wholesale Banking segments, Sanchit is extremely passionate about data and numbers. Sanchit’s focus around dotting all the I’s and crossing all the T’s and his passion for food, music, celebrations and inclusiveness, positions him perfectly as the custodian of our finances for all our charity endeavours.
Public Relations Lead
Pat volunteers as UMA’s public relations lead and handles all of our communication - internal and external including our media presence, regulatory and ministerial relationships and general content and marketing management. Pat is an executive banker for a period that spans over 25 years where his experience and network holds him in good stead to manage UMA’s image and brand.
Cultural Lead
Fun-loving, witty, graceful, and a connoisseur of Bengali and English literature and arts, Soma is UMA’s Cultural Lead. Here in Melbourne for 8 years, she loves to connect with her community, and to include the next-gen into UMA’s range of activities. Be it, on the stage, anchoring a mega event in front of a full house or while having a casual chat with a friend, Soma’s dexterity of linguistic skills, is an asset to UMA and is a treat for her audience.
Technology Lead
Anjan comes from the Information Technology Industry with an impeccable experience of over 17 years. Anjan partakes in managing the technology side of UMA and thrives to bring the best experiences to the wider audience. Respectful, Friendly, Food lover, Family Oriented are couple of sentiments that could define Anjan as a person. Anjan possesses the quality of perfection within himself, thus allowing others to trust and rely on his skills, making him an integral aspect to UMA.