Indo American News

Tag: USA

  • Hindus of Greater Houston :Diwali Food Drive

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    Jai Agarwal from Arya samaj

    By Venugopal Menon

    HOUSTON: Hindus of Greater Houston wishes all a very happy Deepavali, the festival of lights. The ‘Festival of Lights’ signifies the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, and hope over despair.  As an appropriate gesture, and corresponding to their 25 year observance of Janmashtami together, the several Hindu temples and organizations of Houston are celebrating Diwali by helping the Food Bank of Houston and serving the needy.

    Close on the heels of the role of air and water, to sustain life and to carry on the body functions, the most essential requirement is the availability of food.  And there is no better expression of human compassion than offering food to the hungry.  According to WHO, hunger is the gravest threat to the world’s public health and the biggest contributor to child mortality, an estimated three million dying every year without enough food.   Even in a land of plenty like the USA, the distressing reality is that a sizeable number of people are fraught to get adequate food for sustaining their lives.  It is estimated that almost one in seven of our people, a staggering 18 million household of the US population are not getting enough food to eat and about 40 million live under poverty level.

    Towards meeting the needs of such hungry, the world’s first food bank was established in the US in 1967, and since then several thousands of such have come up all over the world. There are several food banks in Houston offering food to the hungry on a regular basis, and there are periodic ‘food drives’ initiated by various organizations.

    ‘Feeding the hungry’ has remained an essential tradition of Hindu faith as it is in most other religions.  Hindu temples have always provided free food to the devotees and the hungry; Hindu homes have made it a tradition to ensure that passers-by would be invited to eat.  Before we closed the doors at night it was a daily practice in our homes to call out for anyone around who has not eaten, and serving them food.

    ‘Athidhi Devo bhava’, the axiom meant that we considered our guests, godly.

    Hindus of Greater Houston have been involved in food bank drive, during Diwali, initiated by HMEC a few years ago and this year we are doing it collectively.  As per the celebrated practice of our faith, all our temples and other organizations will collect food and feed the hungry.

    Individual temples are setting up the drive, collecting the food and passing it on to the common food bank. HGH coordinator  Anshuman  Desai has been coordinating the project this year with Arya Samaj, Chinmaya Mission, Sri Meenakshi Temple, VPSS, JVB Preksha Meditation, Sewa International and Ashtalakshmi Temple initiating the drive, as more organizations would soon join the effort.

    As a community we are joining hands and pitching in our efforts as a united group.  As much as we have several temples and different ways in the practice of our devotional adherence, our philosophy is essentially based on our Eternal Vedic principles, Sanatan Dharma.  And the food bank drive is an opportunity for us to present ourselves as a unified force.  Being the third most practiced faith of humanity, it is important that Hindus stay organized and be recognized as one group, for our presence and the profound principles that we believe in.  It is our hope that each one of us stands up to that ideal and does our part, and does it with conviction and compassion.

    Let the Food Bank Drive promote our unity to provide for the deprived.

  • Club 65 Members Go on a Picnic to Port Lavaca

    Club 65 1 in

    HOUSTON: On Sept. 28, Port Lavaca, Texas was the destination for the picnic of Club 65, a non-profit organization under the umbrella of IMAGH (Indian Muslims of Greater Houston) and able guidance of the President Latafath Hussain. Club 65 is proud to have over 110  members and  growing stronger by the month.

    The picnic morning  started at 8:30 a.m. with 61 enthusiastic members of Club 65 meeting at the Bayland Community Center in Houston. It was commendable to see all the excited seniors arriving early — ready to have a good time. There were new faces—Rashida Abdullabhoy, Akbar Ali Ladhani– who were eager to join  after hearing from friends about Club 65. Due to the tremendous response for this event, Club 65 rented an extra bus to accommodate the members. The volunteers assisted the seniors with their assigned seating and distributed snack bags as the members boarded their respective buses.

    After a slight delay in getting on the road from Houston, it was all fun and games with laughter and music. The volunteers interacted with the members for a short while then played the game of “Antakshari” till the bus made a stop in El Campo for a quick break. The next hour of the bus ride was a ‘social hour’ at the request of the members who wanted to chat and take time to know each other. The drive was pleasant and relaxing. The greenery of the sprawling Texas landscape was cooling to the eye and  the cattle grazing under the big blue canopy/sky brought back old memories of the farms and countryside back home in India.

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    Port Lavaca is a two hour bus drive from Houston located near the center point of the 275 mile Texas Gulf Coast. It is referred to as “the little jewel” nestled in the middle of the Gulf Coast offering visitors a variety of public parks and a tropical seaside environment with its own charm. The area also is a wintering ground for many species of birds including the Whooping Crane.

    Arriving at the picnic spot -700 Lighthouse Beach Road- there was a huge pavilion with picnic tables (enough to seat 200 people) where the members enjoyed a cool drink of  “Chaas” (buttermilk) with” Kachoris” and relaxed to savor the view of the calm water of the gulf.  The weather was pleasant all day with an exception of a mid-day heavy downpour for a short while. The rain came down hard on the metal roof of the pavilion making music of its own and again reminding the folks of the monsoons in India.

    The pouring rain kept the members huddled under the pavilion. It also provided the perfect time to play games! Game one was –Bean Bag Toss where the person has 4 chances to throw the bean bag into a hole on a board- 3 points scored for each bag in the hole and 1 point scored for each bag on the board. Everyone got a chance to play and had a good time. Game two was—Tossing the Ball into the Cup. This game is played with many cups lined on a table and the person has to toss the ball  directly into the cup without bouncing it on the table. Amazingly, it requires some skill and the members had a lot of fun trying their best.

    The location was beautiful and very peaceful! There was a boardwalk along the water in front of the pavilion making it convenient  for the seniors to stroll in small groups on the boardwalk along the water. There was an Observatory (Gazebo) located at one section of the boardwalk where people could observe the different species of birds. Many of the members congregated in the Observatory and felt relaxed looking out into the horizon where the blue sky meets the majestic body of water! At the request of some members  Kaka (Tyeb Shipchandler) our evergreen senior member  sang a couple of beautiful songs that were like music to the ears with the awesome acoustics of the gazebo.

    Soon after, it was time to head back to the pavilion for a sumptuous lunch after a fun filled active morning.   The food arrived a little later than expected –due to circumstances beyond our control—but it was hot and served right away.  The picnic menu was a big spread consisting of—BBQ chicken, Kofta curry, Veg. Biryani, Bhindi masala, Naan, Raita, Salad with Gulab Jamun for dessert.  Soft drinks were also served. Mr. Mujahid Kitabi of BBQ Village catered the food/drinks with Hot Tea and snacks in the afternoon. He is a big supporter of Club 65 and always takes personal interest in making sure that the seniors are taken care of. He, very kindly, took the time to drive the distance to Port Lavaca, as he had done for a prior picnic to San Antonio a year ago. Club 65 appreciates all his effort and support.

    After lunch, the seniors were ready for some more activity. Games and music were played in the pavilion while the tea was being prepared.  Game number Three of the day was -Passing the Parcel. The game was simple but the rule was- a “Penalty” if one was left holding the parcel when the music stopped. The “penalty” was to tell a joke, special anecdote, sing a song etc. This game turned out to be a lot of fun and informative since the members were relating stories and episodes from their past experiences.  The game ended with a winner getting a prize.

    By now the flavorful aroma of tea was floating around the pavilion indicating that it was ready— to be served along with some delicious Bhel.  While members slowly sipped their tea the rhythm of the music playing had a few sporting members wanting to dance—which was a big enough hint for the volunteers and they jumped into action. They had the enthusiastic ones, the bashful ones and those who needed help–all on their feet dancing merrily. It was  wonderful to see everyone having a good time.

    The sun was slowly setting. The evening sun was shining its cool rays on the water making it glisten like glass. The day was ending and just as the saying goes—All Good Things Must Come to an End—it was time to leave. The volunteers cleaned the pavilion then helped the members settle into the buses for a quiet ride home.

  • “Krishna, Love Re-invented” Where Dance Crosses all Barriers of Race, Religion and Geography

     

    Samskriti-In

    HOUSTON: After Sangamam, Dashavatar, Go to your room, Mother, Bollywood Blast, and The Life of Gautama Buddha Samskriti brings to Houston an unusual production from Malaysia – Krishna, Love Re-invented – by Ramli Ibrahim and the Sutra Dance Theatre. This presentation is a perfect example of ‘dance without borders’, where art transcends religion and dance becomes the language of the soul rather than the body.

    Ramli Ibrahim is an international icon in the field of Odissi today, but his path was not so smooth in the beginning. A trained Ballet, Jazz and Modern Dance exponent who had performed professionally with the Sydney Ballet, Ramli fell in love with the symmetry and beauty of Indian classical dance, travelled to India, studied first Bharatanatyam and then Odissi, and soon became an expert at these dance forms too. Back in Malaysia he met with opposition because of his pursuit of “Hindu” dancing, but with unwavering dedication he continued his training, and upon his return, established his dance company, Sutra Dance Theatre in 1983, to promote the cultural diversity and vibrancy of Malaysian dance to national and international audiences. His message to his detractors was clear – that the timeless stories of Indian mythology, as told through India’s ancient classical dance forms, are the highest form of art, and therefore meant to be shared and enjoyed by the world. This broad-minded and visionary Muslim choreographer has Hindu, Christian and Buddhist dancers in his ensemble, and they are Malay, Chinese and Indian. At a time when the world is being torn apart by religious strife, Ramli has proved that art can bring people together. Ramli Ibrahim exemplifies the perfect artist – one who pursues art for art’s sake, and is fearless and relentless in his pursuit of it. Ramli and his Sutra Dance Theatre have transcended all barriers of religion, geography and language.

    Kabir sang the praises of Ram, Ramli (indeed his name has ‘Ram’ in it) sings a paean to the Pastoral God Krishna in his Krishna, Love Re-Invented, which embodies the human spirit that has always celebrated love in its many forms. In Hinduism, Bhakti or devotion remains a central tenet of its teachings. Hindu saints and poets have explored love’s profound effects on the soul through the stories of the gods. The Krishna-Gopis idyll has become the all time symbol of romantic love at its sublimated best. The moods, feelings and emotions of this love affair, an embodiment of Rasa (highest emotional state) become a sublime allegory expressing and affirming the highest love the individual soul has for God, in this case, Krishna. Love is able to transcend man-made restrictive morality and finds itself ‘re-conceived’ and ‘re-invented’ to accommodate our real, imagined and fantasized desires with complete abandon.

    As Sutra’s Artistic Director, Ramli has choreographed stunning works and nurtured some of the brightest dance talents from Malaysia. Ramli has been instrumental in transforming the dance scenario in Malaysia by boldly charting new paths and has gained fame for single-handedly establishing Odissi as a widely appreciated dance form in Malaysia. He is acknowledged as a ‘Living Heritage’ by the Government of Malaysia and is the recipient of the highest and most prestigious title of Datuk from the Prime Minister of Malaysia. He is presently Chairman of Sutra Foundation. Ramli Ibrahim besides an acknowledged dancer in Bharatanatyam and Odissi in India itself, Ramli was formerly with the Sydney Dance Company and plays important role in the interface of Asian & Western dance in redefining modernity from an Asian perspective.

    Samskriti is very proud and happy to present artist extraordinaire Ramli Ibrahim and his Sutra Dance Theatre in their first major performance in Houston. Krishna, Love Re-invented will be presented at the Cullen Theater, Wortham Center (in the Downtown Theater District) at 5 PM on Sunday, October 26, 2014. Tickets are available at  www.explorehouston.org/ticketing,  www.sulekha.com and 832 275 9658.

    This program is funded in part by grants from the Texas Commission on the Arts and the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, and generous donations from Schlumberger and Hindus of Greater Houston. Samskriti is very grateful to the Classical Arts Society of Houston, Asia Society Texas Center, Dance Source Houston, and Kalaangan School of Odissi Dance for their unstinted support for this event.

    INVENTED” – where dance crosses all barriers of race, religion and geography

  • Meet Indo-American’s New Gen-X Partner : Vanshika Vipin

    Vanshika Vipin
    Vanshika Vipin

    Click here for Anniversary Special Supplement

     

    By Pramod Kulkarni

    HOUSTON: Ever since Dr. K.L. Sindwani founded Indo-American News 32 years ago, he often wondered how the newspaper will sustain itself and grow over the coming years and decades. Dr. Sindwani himself was the guiding force for the first 29 years of the newspaper. Since his retirement in 2010, partners Jawahar Malhotra, Krishna Giri and Pramod Kulkarni continued managing the newspaper.

    Current partners, Jawahar and Pramod, have themselves had long careers of 25-plus years at Indo-American, but now it is time to prepare for the next generation to take on more of the responsibilities of running the newspaper. The ideal candidate to join Indo-American News as partner is Vanshika Vipin, 28, who has prepared for her new role by working in various departments at Indo-American since 2005.

    Vanshika was born in New Delhi, but grew up in Bangalore and graduated from St. Francis Xaviers Girls High School and did her pre-university course at Bishop Cotton Women’s Christian College. In 2003, Vanshika and her mother joined her father in Houston. Vanshika finished her BS degree from University of Houston Clear Lake in 2011 with a double major in Business & Healthcare Administration. “I was one of the top five students in the entire business school with the highest GPA in my batch and was recognized as an honor student,” she recalled.

    Vanshika is currently pursuing her MS degree on a part-time basis even with all the responsibilities at Indo-American.

    Besides work and education, Vanshika finds time to participate in the performing arts of dancing and acting. “I’ve been performing since the age of four,” explained Vanshika, who recently acted in the Ram Leela extravaganza and performed at the show organized by Naach Houston.

    Vanshika puts passion and perseverance in all of her activities. The best example of these qualities is her weight loss program. In less than a year, she has lost more than 80 pounds and now sports a svelte figure.

    The same devotion to the tasks at hand will help Vanshika achieve significant growth milestones for Indo-American News as a partner. “IAN is my passion now. I live, breathe, and sleep IAN 24/7.”

    Vanshika is appreciative of all her achievements. “I would like to thank my family for supporting me through all the hurdles,” explained Vanshika. “I also thank Pramod and Jawahar for their guidance and acceptance.”