A Hounslow man is helping launch a new free festival this weekend celebrating the best of Indian culture.

Tilak Biswas is one of a group of Bengalis living in London who have formed London Sharad Utsav (London Autumn Festival) whose aim is to promote Indian culture and use it to foster multicultural harmony.

The four-day festival in Ealing Town Hall starts today (Friday) and is timed to coincide with Durga Puja, a hugely important religious ceremony for Hindus, which marks the triumph of the goddess Durga over the demon king Mahishasur.

The centrepiece of the religious celebration will be a unique carving of Durga created in Kolkata by a famous craftsman.

But the festival embraces a huge range of cultural events, from popular Bengali rock band Fossils – fronted by the charismatic Rupam Islam who is flying in specially for their first UK performance – to world-class sitar music, puppetry and dance plus food and fashion festivals.

The event aims to raise money and awareness for the charity Calcutta Rescue, which helps the poorest people living in the slums of Kolkata.

For more details about London Sharad Utsav go to Londonsu.org and for information about Calcutta Rescue go to calcuttarescue.org.uk