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| NEMM Celebrates Makar Sankranti |
Manjiri Sane
02/11/2014
Harvest being celebrated as the Sun enters 'Capricorn'.
The holy dip in the Ganges, the morning prayer,
Around you are women dressed with flair.
Especially made for the fourteenth of January,
Are the ‘Til-gul’ with sesame and jaggery.
“Sangeet Sandhya†- a magical, musical evening was the highlight of the NEMM (New England Marathi Mandal) Makar Sankranti celebrations for 2014. The event was held on Saturday, January 18 at Marshall Middle School in Billerica. In spite of the weather throwing a curveball and certain areas seeing as much as 5-6 inches of unexpected snow, the event was graced by the presence of more than 150 attendees.
Haldi-Kumkum and Til-gul:
The evening opened at 4pm with the women in black receiving “Haldi-Kunku†and “Vaanâ€. The significance of wearing black by Maharashtrian women is two-fold; since Sankranti falls at the peak of the winter season, black color helps absorb heat. Also, the black sesame is considered auspicious. A pinch of turmeric and vermillion was applied on the forehead of married women, scented water was applied on the hand and they were presented with til-gul and a small gift (Vaan). Til-gul are sweets made of sesame seeds and the Marathi people greet each other with ‘Til-gul ghya, aani god god bola’ which means let us talk sweetly and remain friends while forgetting past differences.
Sangeet Sandhya:
Dr. Pradeep Shuklaji and the group of exceptionally talented artists of LearnQuest Academy of Music in Waltham mesmerized the audience with their classical and semi-classical musical performances. The MC for the program was husband-and-wife duo of Mugdha and Chaitanya Godsay. Radhika Jangi set the evening in motion with her Sant Tukaram abhang Bolava Vittal, Pahava Vitthal, followed by Sahil Shah and Sarita Deshpande. Ravi Torvi, Rajesh Pai, Anish Khanzode and Suhas Kasar added harmony to the melody. Deepali Khanzode and Phil Kaplan were brilliant on sitar and guitar. To the delight of the music bluffs, Shri Pradeep Shuklaji rounded off the evening with ‘Majhe Maher Pandheri’ (Sant. Eknath abhang) and ‘Tirth Vitthal, Kshetra Vitthal’ (Sant. Namdeo Abhang). For two and half hours the school auditorium flowed with musical notes and yet the connoisseurs of classical music kept yearning for more.
Vendors, Food and Bornahan
Various vendors and fund-raising organizations took the opportunity to advertise and sell their products and services at the event. There was Gulachi poli (flat bread made with jaggery, sesame seeds) from the famous ‘Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale’ in Pune and ‘Paav Bhaaji’ from Minerva on the dinner menu. Pizza was also available for purchase. The food was being offered at a subsidized cost to NEMM members.
After the music program, NEMM had organized ‘Bor-nahan’ for the younger kids. This is showering of berries, chocolates, and goodies on the little ones up to 5 years old. The kids were looking very cute in the traditional sugar (halwa) ornaments.
On a final (non-musical) note, everyone enjoyed the evening and seemed pleased with their decision to have trekked to Billerica for the hot tea rather than snuggling in with their blankets.
About New England Marathi Mandal
New England Marathi Mandal is a non-profit organization established in 1973 with the goal of preserving and promoting the culture of Maharashtra. The organization plans programs and activities including music, dramas, dances and picnics to celebrate festivals such as Makar Sankranti, Gudi Padwa, Ganapti and Diwali to name a few. The goal is to bring together Marathi speaking community in the New England area as one big family. To learn more visit their website at http://www.nemm.org
About LearnQuest Academy of Music
LearnQuest is a non-profit institution devoted to providing formal instruction in Indian Classical Music, both Hindustani and Carnatic Styles. Classes are held in Waltham, Acton and Andover, MA on Saturdays and some weekday evenings. The academy includes among its faculty a team of accomplished and experienced teachers of Indian music in the New England area as well as visiting musicians. To learn more visit their website at http://www.learnquest.org/
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