Dipavali /Goverdhan Celebration by Vrindavan Preservation Society

By Rajiv Ramaratnam

The Vrindavana Preservation Society (VPS) concluded its cultural agenda for the year with a magnificent Dipavali extravaganza. The event was held at the Quincy High School on the 1st of November and featured a deluge of programs.

The celebration was presided by Mrs. Anju Singh. The opening act featured melodious Bhajans by veteran singer Smt. Kiran Nath. She was accompanied by Subhankar Chowdary on Tabla, Kodi on the flute, and Celia Markey with the keyboard. Jeff Forti played drums and guitar.

A festival of this magnitude is never possible without the support of generous sponsors. All sponsors of the event were honored in the next segment of the evening. Following this was an impressive Bhartnatyam recital from the Triveni School of dance.

Next, Rohit Kumar gave a slide presentation, describing the role of VPS and its achievements both, in the United States and in India. Kalindi Mehta, an active member of VPS then conducted a colorful costume contest. Children dressed as Sita, Krishna and other personalities crowded the stage to the cheers of an enthusiastic audience.

The following item featured Dennis Kelley, who assumed the role of an animated Hanuman. Kelley narrated the tale of Ramayana to the audienceAt the end of the story, Kelley with Keshav Shukla, the president of VPS and several others conducted a glorious Bhajan.

The finale of the event was ‘Goverdhan Hill’ a play performed by members of the Vaisnava Academy, a subsidiary of VPS. Mrs. Rupa Shukla, the program director of the Vaisnava Academy, directed the play.

The play featured an event from Lord Krishna’s life when he curbs the haughtiness of the Indra, the lord of thunder. Eight-year-old Kanika Rajiv who held the audience mesmerized with her acting and singing brilliantly enacted the role of Krishna. (A biased opinion from a proud parent.) Other noteworthy performers included Akshad Shekar as Indra and Radha Madhav Shukla as Brihaspati. Yakshagana artiste Raghuram Shetty, with his son Teja, made a special appearance and performed a notable dance sequence in the play.

As in all other VPS events, the celebration ended with a delightful dinner from Sachi Matha’s kitchen. In less than a year VPS has achieved numerous milestones. These include the presentation of several cultural events throughout the year, the organization of a highly successful Cricket tournament and the establishment of the Vaisnava Academy, a school in Quincy dedicated to promote Indian culture.

The Academy plans to add more courses and activities to its curriculum in the coming year. The forthcoming year will also feature more cultural and sporting events from VPS. Included among them are festivals for Holi, Janmastami and Dipavali and the second annual VPS Cricket tournament. For more information, please contact Keshav Shukla at keshav_vps@yahoo.com

Connecticut Marathi Mandal celebrates Diwali

By Hemachandra Shertukde

There are about 250 Marathi speaking individuals in the State of CT. Our informal name is Connecticut Marathi Mandal (CTMM).
We generally celebrate four festivals in a year.
The last function we had was Diwali Celebrations on Nov 8, 2003 in the CVHTS Satyanarayan Temple in Middletown, CT, that was hosted by our family and the Khire Family in New Haven. About 120 people attended the gala function.
The function started with Laxmi Pujan and then a host of cultural activities took place. There was an "Akash Kandil' making competition. There was a 'Cricket Tableau' presented by the kids with help from elders.
Small kids had a drawing competition where the kandils and pantis were required to be painted.
A great time was had by all present.

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