Saikat, as an organization, has matured into adulthood — it is now 38 years old in 2026. There is a tale that in early 1984, a few Bengali residents of San Diego (there were only a handful at that time, such as Dipak and Munia Gupta, Joy and Supriya Maitra, Dev Purkayastha, and Kamalendu and Pratima Ganguly) decided to organize a Saraswati Puja but could not find an idol. They resolved to worship the small idol attached to Joy Maitra’s keychain. Kamalendu Ganguly performed the puja at Dev’s house. It was decided that the idol would be immersed (“Bisharjan”) in a teacup or the kitchen sink so that Joy could retrieve his keychain later. This humble beginning marked the first spark of what was to come. Later, Dev Purkayastha began hosting community Durga Puja celebrations at his home — a tradition that continued until 2005 — where a large crowd of Bengalis gathered each year.

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   In 1986, more enthusiastic Bengalis arrived in San Diego. Among them were Nemai and Anusuya Pyne, Sukumar Banerjee, and Shankar Chatterjee. Gujarat-born Shabda Roy also lived in San Diego, though at that time he felt more Gujarati than Bengali. Eventually, Shabdada was persuaded to join the Bengali community. That year, a small group of Bengalis gathered to conceive the idea of forming an organization. Among them were Partha Sarathi Majumdar, Dipak Gupta, Niladri Sarkar, Tamal Dasgupta, Joy Maitra, Kamalendu Ganguly, Shankar Chatterjee, and Shabda Roy. Later meetings also included Nemai Pyne and Dev Purkayastha. By the time the name “Saikat” (proposed by Shankar) and the logo (initially designed by Sanjukta Dasgupta and Shankar, later modified by Sushil Mahata) were finalized and some legal paperwork was completed, it was 1987.

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   Two tireless and devoted leaders, Shabda Roy and Nemai Pyne, nurtured Saikat like their own child. Both have since passed away, but their spirit continues to inspire the community. Saikat’s first Saraswati Puja was held in 1988 with a formal idol brought from Kolkata. In the same year, Nemai Pyne submitted the IRS application for tax-exempt status, and Saikat officially received its 501(c)(3) approval in February 1989. A provisional constitution was adopted in 1990, followed by an amended version in 2002 (made effective retroactively from 2000). The constitution was further amended in 2010 and 2017.

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The presidents of Saikat have been:
(1) Shabda Roy,
(2) Sukumar Banerjee,
(3) Shabda Roy (second term),
(4) Anusuya Pyne,
(5) Sushil Mahata (2003–04),
(6) Pijush Dewanjee (2005–06),
(7) Easeeta Ray Chowdhury (2007–08),
(8) Gautam Bandyopadhyay (2009–10),
(9) Saswata Talukdar and Rajib Sengupta (2011),
(10) Rudranil DebRoy (2011–13),
(11) Shantanu Sinha (2014–15),
(12) Anuradha De (2016–17),
(13) Debopriyo Chowdhury (2018–19),
(14) Abhikesh Nag (2020),
(15) Dhrubamitra Chatterjee (2020–23),
(16) Avijit Pradhan (2024-25), and
(17) Surya Kanta De, the current president.

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   In 2023, two landmark changes redefined Saikat’s identity and values. The first was the rewording of the organization’s charter. The preamble of the existing constitution stated: “This Association is established as a non-profit, charitable, educational, and religious organization within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.” The phrase “religious organization” has now been legally changed to “cultural organization (A23),” better reflecting Saikat’s true spirit. This definition will be incorporated into the next constitutional amendment.

 

   The second change established a formal practice of recognizing volunteers. Many individuals across generations have served Saikat selflessly, and its events could not be held without their dedication. In acknowledgment of their long-term contributions, three individuals — late Shabda Roy, late Nemai Pyne, and Dev Purkayastha — were honored with the “Saikat Sanman” plaque during the Krishti event in 2023. This marks the beginning of a tradition expected to continue annually, honoring three volunteers each year for their outstanding commitment to Saikat.

 

   Over the last 36 years, Saikat’s community has grown steadily in both numbers and spirit. The organization now stands on a strong financial foundation. Most importantly, despite its growth, Saikat remains a unified family devoted to providing a homely, welcoming atmosphere to all its members. We hope and pray to continue this tradition and help Saikat flourish in the years to come.

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(The above content was kindly contributed by our dear Shri Gautam Bandyopadhyay in December 2023.)