Over 600 people attended the Hindu Heritage celebrations held at Marlboro Middle School in Marlboro, MA. Quality was certainly the hallmark of this program. Featuring some of the outstanding artists from the New England area, the program was a veritable feast for connoisseurs of music and dance.

The opening of the program with Shankha Nada - or blowing of the conch and Veda Ghosh - the recitation of mantras from the four Vedas – Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharvaveda set an uplifting tone for the event. Deep Prajjwalan or the lighting of the lamp followed. Children from Bal Vihaars sang the Ekta Mantra and a song about the river Ganga. An eight-year old student of Smt. Tara Anand awed the audience with an impressive rendition of the Varnam “Sami Nine” in the Carnatic music tradition. The Bhajan - Hamko Man ki Shakti Dena, followed. Students of Eastern Rhythms presented Tarangam - a Kuchipudi number in which the dancers execute complex rhythms standing on the edges of brass plate. Beautifully costumed young women presented a colorful Ghoomar dance, which is a traditional Rajasthani folk dance.

In the second half of the program senior classical artists presented dance and music that was truly outstanding. Sudarshan Belsare, a Bharatanatyam dancer presented an interesting variation of the famous Gopalkrishna Bharathi composition “Natanam Adinar.” Titled “Dissolution” he used the piece to portray the Ananda Tandava of Lord Shiva. Interesting Jathi’s, well-thought out choreography, beautiful poses and sincerity towards the performance are all hallmarks of Belsare's dance.

Smt. Arti Kaul presented Lal-Vakh, a rendition of verses written by the great Yogini from Kashmir, Lal-Ded. The original verse was sung and the translation presented. The translation helped the audience understand the verses that are an aggregate of Yoga philosophy and Saivism.

Anurag Harsh, a newcomer to the New England artistic landscape delighted the audience with an enthralling performance of Hindustani classical music. A student of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Anurag was able to bring so much to his audience in the short span of 15 min. He presented compositions in nine ragas and different taals. Raga transitions are perhaps the most challenging aspect of classical music and to be able to render so many ragas in such a seamless manner was very impressive. He ended with a Bhajan dedicated to “Vittal”. Jerry Leake accompanied him on the tabla. Anurag Harsh will certainly embellish the New England Indian music scene with his presence.

The grand finale for the evening was a dance-drama on Bhakta Prahalad by the Vrindavan Preservation Society. A play written and directed by Yakshanagana artist Shri Raghuram Shetty, it told the story of the wonderful boy wonder “Prahalad” who was able to bring God out of an inanimate pillar. Venkat Dayanandan’s music considerably enhanced this presentation.

“Dating back several thousand years, Hindu heritage’s traditions and values provide invaluable lesions to many of life’s problems, and often serves as a source of inspiration, reflection and contemplation for the millions of individuals who look to Hinduism for spiritual guidance,” said Governor Mitt Romney in his proclamation that declared May 10th, 2003 as Hindu Heritage Day in Massachusetts.

Smt. (Dr.) Savitri and Shri Pribu Hingorani were given the Samskriti Saurabh Samman for their exemplary vision, dedication and service to the community. The Hingoranis have built the beautiful Sadhu Vaswani center in Dracut out of their personal funds. They lend it out free for any spiritual event. Everyday Sunday, Dr. Savitri Hingorani personally cooks and feeds all the people who come for Satsang. Ramesh Motwani, owner of Eastern Contractors was recognized for his significant contribution to the Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation, a foundation that brings education to rural India. Priests of the Veda Agama Sudha and the Sarvedeva Mandir in Oxford, MA were recognized for their work.

The “Mcees” for the program were Mridula Raman, a freshman from Harvard and Payal Agrawal a high school student from Dracut. Both did a wonderful job ensuring the smooth flow of the program.

“Renewal” was the theme of the program and watching all the wonderful classical cultural events assures as that “Hindu Samskriti” is alive and well in the New England soil.

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