The third annual “Taste of India” organized by Chinmaya Maruthi on November 2, 2003 was a grand event featuring a lavish spread from a variety of Indian restaurants including One World Cuisine, Bombay Club, Maasala and Tandoori Grill in New England. Over 350 people attended the event, held at the DiBurros Function Facility in Haverhill, MA . This was a fundraising event to support the center in Andover, MA. The “Mela” décor by Alankar and Nalini’s creations added a touch of class to the event.

The food stalls featured all different kinds of Indian cuisine. An All-You-Can-Eat buffet featuring a wide assortment of South and North Indian food items including Chat, Masaala Dosa, a variety of main courses and a range of desserts were available. There was even a stall serving up “Banarasi Pan”.

The event featured an entertainment program by local performers. Shalu Umapathy was the master of ceremonies. Nandini Vijaykumar and Pooja Sripad presented a beautiful Bharatanatyam item. This was followed by a Veena-Violin ensemble, by the students of Durga Krishnan and Tara Anand. Amrita Mangalat, Nandini Vijayakumar and Ramya Raghunathan played the Veena and Ashwin Gargeya and Suhas Rao played the Violin. The students were very skilled and presented a fine collection of Carnatic music pieces. They were accompanied by Gauri Shankar on the Mridangam. Dr. Shetty, a medical doctor by profession presented some popular film tunes on the keyboard.

“We hope to raise a few thousand dollars through this event” said Vibhu Nagral, who was part of the team that put the event together, “we are pleased to see such support for this event". “While the event is a fundraiser, we also want to use this is to create awareness of our efforts at Chinmaya Maruthi” said Murali Chari, one of the organizers of the event. “Baal Vihar, the educational wing of Chinmaya Maruthi is our biggest focus area and we would like to support this as best as we can” said Vibhu who was the coordinator for the Baal Vihar in Shrewsbury prior to the opening of the center in Andover.

“We are pleased to announce that many teachers of Indian classical dance and music have agreed to offer Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Veena, Violin and other classes at the center. The activities at the center are increasing and we encourage all of you to take full advantage of the various classes” said Dr. Dwarkanath , the President and the prime force behind Chinmaya Maruthi.

The event was very well organized with lot of attention being paid to details. To learn more about Chinmaya Maruthi please check their web site at www.chinmayamaruti.org.

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