From scrumptious food to elegant wedding wear, from exquisitely designed mandaps to a boistrous cultural program, Jashn 2003 had something for everyone.

Jashn Planners hosted a grand South-Asian Expo, first ever of its kind in New England, at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium, MA on May 11th, 2003. About 45 vendors participated in the event, offering their ware to over 2000 attendees.

My first thought as I entered the venue and spotted the spectacularly decorated wedding mandap and the teeming crowds was ‘where are the blushing bride and proud groom?’
Jubilation and merriment was in the air as folks greeted one another, exchanging pleasantries, catching up on news and gossip, much as they would during a normal Indian wedding. Families shopped together, making frequent stops at the food stalls offering delicious snacks and chaat.
The organizers, Geeta Singhania and Arpita Pathak bustled around making sure everything was going on schedule.
The event that occurred in the upscale Lowell Memorial Hall followed a trade show format. Lavishly decorated with exhibits, flowers and fashion sets and staging, it featured a captivating cultural program and a mela like atmosphere.

The vendors offered the visitors products ranging from Mandap Decorations, Photography, Handicrafts, Designer Clothes, Jewelery, Mehendi, Limousines, Beauty Consultants, Financial Institutions, Banks to Masala chai.
Ms. Meenal Pandya, author of the popular book ‘Vivah’ sold autographed copies of her book and exquisite wedding card samples were on display at various booths.
The expo that focused on South Asian Bridal needs also celebrated Mother’s Day by offering many free prizes and gifts to mums. Entry fees were waived letting the first 500 mums into the venue free of cost.
Five non-profit organizations had representatives impart information about their services to the attendees.
The event also included a cultural program that had about 150 participants dance, sing act in skits and also put together some elegant fashion shows.
Local fashion boutiques, Neha’s Boutique and Amina’s boutique enticed the visitors with colorful, ethnic and exquisite fashion trends. The restaurant group One World Cuisine tempted palates with a variety of food items.
The cultural program included skits and filmi and classical dances. The Fashion show with several participants wearing clothes provided by Neha’s boutique was a big draw with the audience and collective gasps of appreciation were heard during the Bridal Fashion show.

Geetha and Arpita sound ecstatic about the feedback they have received so far about the event. “ It has been as amazingly positive response and we can’t wait to host Jashn 2004! People appreciated the effort put in by us, they loved the free give- aways and the gathering of so many businesses and services under one roof. Gifts, free photo shoots, raffle draws, all went down well with the attendees. This coupled with a professional and well put together cultural show really charmed them. We want to let the community know that we are available to help them plan, organize and execute events all through the year, however large or small the event may be. Bridal expos are common in the NYork, New Jersey areas but no one, to our knowledge has put together a cultural show replete with a Fashion show. We gave our vendors a tremendous opportunity to exhibit their products and direct exposure to thousands of customers. A portion of the proceed was donated to Asha for Education.” “ We do want to thank all the vendors who supported our maiden effort and also the participants who put in so much hard work and time to make this such a resounding success.”

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