November 2013

Volume2.13

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India Community Center Newsletter ICC Scheduling: 244 -1760

Visit India Community Center Website: www.iccrochester.org (585)454-7145 (Work0

2013 Board of Trustees Surendar Jeyadev, Chair 585-271-3978 [email protected] Ramnik Vora, Secretary 585-264-9834 [email protected] Sanjay Maggirwar, Director of Operations 585-473-3842 Sanjay_Maggirwar@urmc .rochester.edu Soumyaroop Bhattacharya Treasurer and ICC Web Master 585-563-7816 soumyaroopbhatt@yahoo .com Jose Maliekal, Scheduling, Classical Music and Dance Committee 585-244-1760 [email protected] Ramprasad Sunkara Membership 585-503-5508 [email protected] Jayanti Venkataraman Newsletter Editor and Education Committee 585- 461-1817 [email protected] Programs: Shanti Chandrasekar, 585-381 7577 [email protected]

Mythreyi Srinivasan 585-264-8992 [email protected]

Nilesh Patel (585) 202-4956 [email protected] Srinivas Garapati, 585-244-3166 [email protected] Mohinder Singh, 585.503.5328 [email protected] Asheesh Srivastava, 585-615-9056 [email protected]

2013 Highlights

Editorial Board

BOT Chair’s Report By Surendar Jeyadev

Chief Editor: Jayanti Venkataraman

The first half of 2013 has been a busy and productive time for the ICC. The string of ICC events was kicked off by the Chess Tournament, held in collaboration with the Rochester Chess Centre. The event was well attended and children of various ages participated. In early April, the ICC held its Annual Banquet. The event featured Dr. V. V. Raman as the guest speaker and he delivered a riveting talk on multiculturism in the today's world. The Service Excellence Award was presented to Vasantha and Nagappa Ravindra. In a novel twist, they turned their acceptance speech into a humourous skit, and then, into a surprise, and highly successful, fund raiser. On behalf of the ICC, I would like to congratulate the Ravindras and thanks them for all their contributions to the ICC over the years. As usual, the Sen Gupta Awards were also handed out at the Banquet. In early May, the ICC participated in the Memorial Art Gallery's Asian Pacific American Heritage Family Day. The event leads, Shanti Chandrashekar and Radhika Ramesh, created an eye-catching, traditional five tier kollu. The stepped display impressed the visitors and received many compliments. It provoked a lot of curiosity and questions. Congratulations to Shanti and Radhika for their striking display! The week after was Mother' Day. Given the positive response to last year's format, the Board decided to continue the 'tradition': fresh food, cooked on the premises by the fathers, followed by entertainment. While the response was good, many people who had sent in RSVPs did not attend. As the Board had bought fresh provisions for the expected number, there was more wastage than one would have liked. We are working on procedures to avoid this in the future. On behalf of the BoT, I would like to thank Raka Ghosh and her troupe for entertaining us with their production of 'Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves'. The dance drama was excellently choreographed, with great attention paid to the details of the costumes, music, acting and stage setting. They did this at no charge to the ICC and I would like to thank them for volunteering their time and effort. On May 18, the ICC's Professional Forum presented a seminar on the special dangers that South Asians face when it comes to heart disease. On behalf of the Board and the Professional Forum, I want to thank Dr. J. P. Mishra for volunteering to give the seminar. The event was a huge success: not only did we have a veryhealthy turn out, but the question and answer session ran well over the allocated time. (Continued on page 2)

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2013 Highlights (Contd.) In spite of this, Dr. Mishra was posed with more questions during lunch that followed the presentation. The ICC would like to thank Merrill Lynch and Trans America Mutual Funds for sponsoring the lunch.

The big event of the fall, as always, Deepavali. The entire Board worked very hard and I would like to thank them for the tremendous amount of effort put in to making the event a success.

In June, the ICC held the High School Graduation Celebration, organized and conducted by Jayanti Venkataraman, Chair of the Education Committee. The event featured financial aid advisors who addressed the procedures surrounding the financial aid application process. The evening also featured a panel consisting two former high school students who spoke on career choices and college life. Thanks to Rohit Rao who has been sponsoring this event annually since its conception, five years ago.

As has become standard for them, the Classical Music and Dance Committee delivered another fine year of high quality concerts. Congratulations to the committee and many thanks for all the hard behindthe-scenes effort that goes into bringing these events to the ICC.

The ICC has embarked on a round of major upgrades and renovations. Ten Murphy beds have been installed in the Lower Level Lounge so that the ICC now has 22 beds and can host winter retreats. Renovations and improvements have also been carried out in the cabins and the surrounding areas. The Board thanks the Hindu Heritage Summer Camp for underwriting much of this work. HHSC also installed a commercial refrigerator, a commercial freezer, a commercial dishwasher, other appliances and stainless steel tables totaling about $ 13,000. At the end of the camp HHSC kindly donated it all to the ICC. On behalf of the entire membership of the ICC, I would like to thank HHSC for the major donation

2013 Service Excellence Awardees

In August, the ICC hosted the Vedanta Retreat. In September, Excellus held a educational seminar on the latest changes in Medicare. The attendance more than met the expectations of the Board and the Excellus team and there was a lively exchange during the question and answer session. Many in the audience said that they would like to have a session on the specific products offered by Excellus. The ICC and Excellus are planning for such an event in the near future. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Divya Khanna of Excellus for taking the initiative to organise this event. September also saw Saathi hold its fundraiser at the ICC. The installation of the LED stage lighting was completed in September. The new LED fixtures have been integrated into the remaining conventional lighting system. On behalf of the ICC, I would like to thank Sharda and Magan Patel for their generous donation of $ 12,000 that enabled the ICC to get the entire proposed system rather than a truncated one.

Now that the bulk of the year is over, I would like to thank the 2013 Board of Trustees for their effort and support that enabled a very eventful 2013 at the ICC.

Vasantha and Nagappa Ravindra     Nagappa and Vasantha Ravindra have lived in Rochester for the past 23 years. Having lived in Syracuse for many years before moving to a more exciting place like Rochester, they certainly consider Rochester their home. They have raised their two daughters Priya and Anisha who grew up going to school here and enjoying the various activities of the India Community Center during their formative years. Nagappa Ravindra graduated from IIT, Madras with a bachelors in Civil Engineering and attended Syracuse University for his Masters program. He is currently the President of Ravi Engineering & L.S., P.C., a consulting engineering firm located in Brighton. Vasantha Ravindra attended Bangalore University for her bachelor of Science degree and graduated from MCC with an AAS degree in Accounting. She is currently pursuing a degree in Nursing. Both are very active in the community mostly attending various fun parties and enjoy playing various sports like Ping Pong, Tennis and Golf. Sometimes they volunteer for various not for profit organizations such as ICC, Kalidas, DIAL (Development of Indo American Leaders), and Habitat for Humanity. Most importantly, they recognize ICC as their home away from home and thoroughly enjoy partaking in all the fun activities of the Center and wish ICC continued growth and success.

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2013 ICC HS Graduation Celebration By Asawari Maggirwar Highlights of the HS graduation celebration event of this year were an enthusiastic response from the proud parents, friends of the graduates and HS Juniors; lively discussions led by the panelists and guest speakers; and great food by Thali of India. The members of Education Committee of ICC spearheaded by Jayanti Venkataraman organized this popular event with a particular agenda of recognizing the 2013 HS graduating seniors for their grand success and also to have an informative panel discussion with our own former HS graduates and guest speakers from the University of Rochester. The ICC celebrated graduation of the following students, their HS and colleges enrolled, and intended Majors: Shivani Damera (Pittsford Sutherland, Case Western, Biochemistry), Swetha Sathasivam ((Pittsford Sutherland, SUNY Geneseo, Biology), Sanjana Kumar (Pittsford Sutherland, UC Berkeley, Chemistry), Kavya Kannan (Brighton, Univ. of Buffalo, International Business), Meghana Vulapalli (Brighton, SUNY Binghamton, Neuroscience),). The friends and parents cheered for their academic success.

Following this was the panel discussion with moderator, Sanjana Chandrasekar, a junior from Sutherland Pittsford HS. The Panelists were our own former graduates, Priti Rao (an Executive Director of Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus, MWPC), and Balaji Jagdish (Junior, BS Cell and Developmental Biology, Univ. of Rochester), accompanied by guest speakers from the University of Rochester, Elizabeth Powell (Assistant Director of Financial Aid) and Vanessa DeShane (Financial Aid Counselor). Priti, 2004 Brighton HS graduate and

daughter of Drs. Lakshmi Rao and Hemant Rao. summarizied how she reached her current leadership role at MWPC. She recollected that she responded to her inner voice by taking a degree in politics and eventually a unique career, considered unconventional for kids of Indian origin. The audience really enjoyed listening to Priti’s success stories and how she assisted women get elected to higher public office in Massachusetts. The second panelist, Balaji Jagdish, a 2011 graduate of Pittsford Sutherland HS, and the son of Mr. Malur and Dr. Kamini Jagdish, described his goals of developing a career to become a “Doctor without Borders”. He shared how to prepare for medical school while at HS. His mantra was to take as many advance classes (AP) as possible ‘with strong interest and involvement’, and show the same motivation in other activities like sports, music, and voluntary services. He described his work at the VGKK, a non-profit organization that helps improve the lives of Soliga Tribe people in India. The guest speakers, Elizabeth Powell and Vanessa DeShane, gave insights into the college application process and what it takes to secure financial aid. Students and parents interacted with our speakers very enthusiastically and benefited from great tips and suggestions they offered. Interestingly, the discussion resumed even after Sanjana concluded the session, which may indicate success of this event. Since its inception in 2008, this event has been sponsored annually by Rohit Rao, Brighton HS, class of 2000 and son of Drs. Laxmi and Hemant Rao, who currently works at Google on the Google Chrome project in Washington DC. This highly anticipated event can be summarized in words of one proud grandparent, “it is such a thrilling moment to see my granddaughter celebrating her graduation with her role model standing next to her and the juniors following the same pursuit”.

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Preparing for Medical School By Balaji Jagdish The mere thought of medical school can often be intimidating and overwhelming. However, with the correct preparation, the journey not only becomes easier, but fun! In high school, it is important to stay motivated and to challenge yourself. Colleges like to see that you have undertaken a rigorous academic curriculum and have made a genuine effort to stretch your mind. One way to really accomplish this is to take AP classes, all the Science ones if you are considering a medical career. These courses will help you excel in your pre-med requisite courses in college. Another way to challenge yourself is with internships. This is a great way to see what a career in medicine is actually like and whether it may be something worth pursing in the future. With that being said, don’t get discouraged if you find yourself disliking a certain field of medicine that you once thought you loved, it is completely normal and happens to everyone, it did to me! Rather than being disheartened, take it as a learning experience and try exploring other specialties. It is also important that you also maintain a social life, with clubs, sports and/or volunteering activities. Not only will such activities serve as great stress relievers, but they will also keep you a wellrounded person because nobody, and I mean nobody, likes book worms, especially not colleges! Once in college, you will find that your coursework consists of three major components: premed requisite classes, classes your college requires such as a freshman writing seminar and classes for your major. It is with the classes for your major that you will be having the most fun academically as you are taking these classes because of your interest in them. Also, remember that medical schools don’t care what you major in, so you don’t have to be a science major if you don’t want to, pick something that you are passionate about and want to pursue. I have friends that are history majors and are still applying to medical school! Finally, like in high school, make sure you keep yourself occupied with academic/social activities like research (doesn’t have to be in a traditional lab setting), clinical internships/shadowing, volunteering and social clubs (there are so many!). However, most importantly, remember that college is the time to explore and have fun, it is the time to try and

experience new things, so don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone! Being fed-up with the U.S. health care system and wanting to experience the other side of the world, I did exactly this as I seized the opportunity to live with the Soliga Tribe for a summer. Never having lived with a tribal community before, I was definitely forced to leave my comfort zone, but I am glad I did because it forever changed my life. Not only was I able to experience a new side of medicine, but I also had the opportunity to see how many people around the world struggle to survive without many of life’s basic necessities such as clean drinking water. When I returned home, my friends and I raised funds to help buy water filters for the Soliga people. I also began to take classes in international health care. I became so fascinated with the material that I now plan to pursue my MPH and hope to become a “Doctors without Borders” in the near future.

Remember, there are so many opportunities waiting to be seized and with college being the time to define one’s direction in life, it is important to take advantage of all of them because you never know which might be life changing. With that, I wish you good luck and success on your journey to medical school and congratulations Class of 2013!

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India Community Newsletter Community and Civic Engagement By Priti Rao

Growing up in a family of scientists and academics, I entered college unsurprisingly slated to become a doctor. Yet, after my first year at Mount Holyoke, I realized my true passions lie in history rather than in sciences and subsequently earned a degree in politics. And it’s a good thing that I did: Asian Americans are the fastest growing minority in the United States but are shockingly unlikely to vote. Additionally, Asian Americans on average earn about $10,000 more a year than their American counterpart, hence yielding them a powerful voice that somehow remains silent. Alongside my chosen path of politics existed the desire to play an active role in shaping the world and making a difference. In college, I focused on networking with everyone, a skill that aided me in landing multiple internships, including one at the Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus. The MWPC is a non-partisan organization founded in 1971 to maximize the participation of women of all ages in the political process and to increase the number of women appointed and elected to public office and public policy positions. During my time as an intern, I also worked on numerous campaigns, making connections and using my work ethic to make lasting impressions with those who would soon become my colleagues. When I learned that the executive director of the MWPC resigned, I knew that my experience and networking skills made me the perfect fit for the position, thus giving me the courage to step up for the job. As Executive Director of the MWPC, I have worked to increase diversity within Massachusetts politics and aided in electing Niki Tsongas, the first woman elected to Congress in the Commonwealth in 25 years, Ayanna Pressley, the first woman of color ever elected to Boston city Council, Auditor Suzanne Bump, the first female auditor in Massachusetts History, and Senator Elizabeth Warren, the first woman senator in Massachusetts. Still, the need to actively participate in one’s community applies not only to those working specifically in the field of politics. Asian Americans, as do all Americans, have the responsibility of voicing their valuable opinions regardless of their professional

preferences. Voting, at the very least, is the simplest form of communicating priorities, needs, and concerns to the government. While the belief that one single vote cannot make a difference bears some truth, the collective votes of the Asian American population, the fastest growing of a minority in the U.S., will certainly have an impact on legislation. Similarly, as the Asian American population continues to expand, the number of Asian Americans affected by federal and statewide government policies as well as community involvement also increases. Hence, the participation of Asian Americans in their communities and in politics even at the voting level remains imperative, as their wellbeing hinges upon it. Though my personal journey took me specifically to the realm of politics, the lessons of networking, working hard, and having courage apply to all careers and, while employing them will surely bring one success in the workplace, every individual has the ability, the responsibility, to shape the world in order to make possible a prosperous future for every culture ___________________________

Saathi By Uma Gupta Sometimes life takes an unexpected undeserved wrong turn. A spouse who is supposed to love and protect "until death do us apart," turns into a weapon, the destroyer of joy, peace, happiness and human companionship. Chaos, shame, sorrow, humiliation, guilt and helplessness sets in. At such times on years for a trustworthy, understanding and loving Saathi (companion) Saathi of Rochester is a registered, non-profit organization that is run solely by caring and passionate volunteers. Saathi provides free confidential counseling and full assistance to those who need a kind, objective, and sensible friend to listen and assess. Whether one is in the early stages of an abusive (emotion or physical) relationship or is in the throes of it, Saathi offers love, care, attention, and help. Saathi does not judge people or their circumstances. Instead like a true friend, it asks, "How can I bring joy and peace into your life and help you live your dreams?" If you need help, please call 585-234-1050; and the email address is: [email protected]. If you would like to become a Saathi, please send an email to [email protected]

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2013 ICC Deepavali By Shanti Chandrasekar Deepavali at the India Community Center was celebrated once again with the traditional mix of awesome entertainment, delicious food, tasteful decorations and sparkling company. Guests were welcomed with hot appetizers including spinach pakodas, bajjis, spring rolls and chat. Conversation flowed freely during the social hour as men, women and children in gorgeous Indian outfits greeted each other with hugs and smiles, posing and capturing the moment with their cameras. Soon everyone settled back in their seats to enjoy the carefully planned entertainment program, which was a heady mixture of Bollywood and Bharatanatyam dances interspersed with soulful music and enchanting skits. The first performance of the evening was a classical dance by the young upcoming students of Bharata school of dance, and this set the tone for an evening of classy entertainment. This was followed by the little kids of BDM rocking the stage with Badtameez Dil, and a charming Mother-daughter dance by Anila and Vanika Chaudhary. Then came a sparking Bollywood trio dance by Shlok Trivedi, Aashna Shah and Sia Patel, rising competition for Kareena, Shah Ruk or Aishwarya! It was time for a MC break and Sandhya Ganesan, Raaga Kannan and Sapna Ramesh kept the audience laughing with their collection of jokes, quips, and quizzes. When the curtains opened, Carnatic music students of Vidya Bala occupied the stage, with Sanjeev Raja on mridangam and Raja Bala on Keyboard to complete the ensemble. The soulful notes of Gange Mampahi and Siva Sakthi Koothu soon filled the air, two pieces aptly chosen to represent the spirit of the Navarathri and Deepavali season, melodiously sung by Sanjana, Sandhya, Aruna, Raaga, Sapna, Anisha, Aditya and Archisa. This was followed by another harmonious carnatic ensemble, this time by students of Bharata school, Achuta and Anirudh, Atal and Vittal, Aditya and Sharanya. The inspirational Hanuman Chalisa dance, skillfully choreographed by Parvatha Chidambaram, was one of the highlights of the evening’s program, performed by senior students of the Bharata school. This was followed by three more dances from BDM, sparkling Sparklers, the high energy teen medley featuring senior students of Anu Shah in their usual stunning costumes, and Do Mastane. The charming skit “main nahin makhan kayo” by students of the Temple’s Hindi class depicting the ever green antics of Lord Krishna, delighted everyone. Two dance numbers followed, one by BDM students, and the other by Meeta Dahake and Meera Pandya,

enthusiastically received by the audience. The grand finale was BDM’s lively Bhangra Blast, a kalediscope of colors on stage, with rousing dhol beats and clapping of “saps”. Talking of colors, special mention has to be made of the new LED light system at the ICC, thanks to generous donors, enhancing the onstage ambience and making life comfortable for both the performers and the audience. The culturally satiated audience now headed off to the buffet to further satiate themselves on the aromatic and plentiful dinner items – Kofta, palak paneer, Vegetable biriyani, Naans, and ras malai, to name a few. Soon everyone had a smile on their face and a box of “Mithai” in their hands. With renewed energy, people jumped onto the dance floor to dance away until the wee hours. What a grand way of celebrating the Festival of Lights once again with family and friends at the ICC!

The credit for the success of this signature ICC event goes to the Trustees who work tirelessly behind the scenes sacrificing personal work and family time to make it enjoyable for the Community.

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2013 ICC Deepavali

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KRHTPA Fundraiser 2013 By Abhas Kumar The Fifth Annual Dinner Banquet and Cultural Performance organized and hosted by KRHTPA (KIDS REACHING HEARTS THROUGH PERFORMING ARTS) was held at the ICC on October 19. KRHTPA is the brainchild of two high school students, Ambika Sharma and Rohan Virdee in 2008 who aimed to raise money for St. Gilda’s Club of Rochester. Every year high school students join together to arrange a fun event for a great cause. This year’s group comprised of Aaditya Patel, Adya Kumar, Aru Vyas, Ashima Sharma, Chandrika Sanapala, Rohan Gupta, Saagar Menon, Sejal Patel, Shreya Patel and Rishan Sharma mentored by Ambika. This group set a goal to make the event special for their 5th anniversary. They decided to raise funds for two children-oriented charities and succeeded in raising over $ 26,000 at this year’s event. The evening program started with a wide variety of scrumptious appetizers donated by Amaya Bar and Grill and a gourmet dinner donated by Tandoor of India and scintillating performances. The vibrant opening dance by students of the Garth Fagan Dance School set the tone for the evening. This was followed by a medley of Bollywood songs by Chandrika Sanapala and Arundhati Vyas, both students of Rujuta Dholakia and a breathtaking lyrical dance solo by Talia Little which captivated the audience. Next was a rare treat for the audience – Rohan Virdee, one of the co-founders of KRHTPA sang a sonorous Ghazal accompanied by Dr Anil Sharma on the Tabla. The melodious mood set by the `Ghazalkari’ was followed by the vigorous and high energy performance by Aadi, Aashima, Ambika, Rishaan, Sejal, and Vignesh, members of the ROC City Bhangra group, in a dance choreographed by Rishaan Sharma. There was a break in the program for Dr Sharma to wield his magic with a Live Auction. The items generously donated by patrons, ranged from a signed Buffalo Bills football; two connoisseur wine collections; a painting by Dr. Ravi Sharma; a Photograph by Dr. Mark Belfer; dinner coupons by Golden Corral; and dinner at home by the Ravindras and Dr. Gingriss. Thanks to the donors support and an active bidding round, the live auction raised a large amount of money for the charities. The second half of the program started off with a band of high schoolers who call themselves `The Larger Half’. They were very good and the audience was left asking for more. The band was followed a scintillating and upbeat Bollywood dance performance by Ambika Sharma with a cameo appearance by Ani Patel. Next was an intricate contemporary dance duet by Sayjal

Sharma and Raunak Sharma. This was followed by the very unique performance of an opera solo sung by Ava Eichel. The Grand Finale as always was a Fashion Show by the KRHTPA members and performers. The community should be proud of KRHTPA. The group enrolled sponsors, built a coalition of supporters, sold the tickets to ensure event viability/funding - all on their own. They arranged a two - hour multi-cultural and diverse entertainment program with over 40 performers, managed the logistics of raffles, silent auctions, live auctions and the other details including the food menu and last but not the least - managed 200 + guests for an evening where everyone had a great time. KRHTPA went way beyond their goals. In 2011, KRHTPA donated over $ 10,000 to Crisis Nursery, in 2012 they donated $ 12,500 to Daystar and this year they had a goal of donating to two charities. Thanks go out to the Platinum sponsors who provided the initial support; all other supporters who attended and donated by way of contributions, by way of auction items and the adults who contributed by their time and efforts, KRHTPA achieved their goals and look forward to donating over $ 10,000 each to both `The Crisis Nursery of Greater Rochester’ and `Bivona Child Advocacy Center.’

Lifetime Achievement Award for I.C. Shah I.C. Shah (better known as ‘IC’) was felicitated by the Boys & Girls Club of Rochester with its first ever Lifetime Achievement Award on the occasion of his 75th birthday on September 13th, 2013. IC has been a driving force at this club as a visible leader of the American-Indian community in Rochester. It was moment of pride for all of us as IC was recognized for his charitable and social contributions by the Who’s Who of the local cognoscenti, ranging from worthies like county and city executives, area business leaders, the Buffalo Bills; and other prominent Rochestarians and also by kids from the club who feel a personal connection for the time that IC devotes to their development. This little blurb is not intended to list all of IC’s accomplishments. This is to recognize IC who is a role model in his commitment to raise the contributions of American Indians in Rochester, who celebrated his 75th birthday in his inimitable style and helped raise over $ 100,000 for the Boys & Girls Club in one night.

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KRHTPA Fundraiser 2013

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Durga Puja and Ramayan By Soumyaroop Bhattacharya On October 12 and 13, 2013 the Bengali Association of Greater Rochester (BAGR) organized the 4th Annual Durga Puja celebrations at ICC. Durga Puja celebrates the victory of good (Goddess Durga) over evil (Demon Mahishasura). On Saturday October 12, the festivities started in the morning with prayer offerings to Goddess Durga, and followed by Pushpanjali (floral offerings) and Bhog Prasad (lunch). About 200 people who attended were treated to a vegetarian lunch and sweets. On Sunday October 13, the schedule of events in the morning was similar to that of the day before with the addition of a symbolic Devi Visarjan (immersion).

The cast of the dance drama was drawn from local Rochester based talent who ranged from four to over forty years in age. The participants were not limited only to the local Bengali community, but came from the cross-section of the Indian diaspora in Rochester. The show was a musical featuring a combination of dances on classical instrumental tunes, intertwined with narration in English. It was a culmination of the hard work of the team of about forty dedicated individuals who had started working on the show since the summer months. The event brought more than 350 people to the ICC, which not only included people of Indian origin, but also Americans, breaking the language barrier. The event was attended by people from Rochester, Buffalo, Albany, Syracuse, and other towns in upstate New York.

Durga Puja in India, especially in Bengal, is not just prayer ceremonies, but the festivities include various entertainment programs and cultural events as Jatra (Play), Nritya-Natya (Dance Drama). Keeping in mind the spirit of celebrations, there were cultural functions celebrating the occasion as well as the culture of India. Many of the visitors, who were at the ICC for the first The cultural function for Saturday October 12 began time, were pretty impressed by the facilities offered. This was also a showcase for the newly installed LED with Sandhya Arati (Evening Prayers). lighting system of ICC, which was made possible by the The highlight of the evening was a Dance Drama titled generous contributions of ICC members during Ramayan (choreographed and directed by Raka previous fundraising efforts. The show was followed by Ghosh) that regaled the audiences. It was based on the dinner and evening ended with some lively dancing. All epic Ramayan that told the story of Lord Shri Ram. It the events during the Durga Puja celebrations did not was very timely, considering that it coincided with have any entry fee and were supported by donations Dussehra, which also symbolizes the victory of good from the community member and visitors. (Ram) over evil (Ravan).

A view of full house at ICC during Ramayan, and the idols on the wall across.

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Ramayan

A dance Drama Choreographed by Raka Ghosh

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2013 Classical Music and Dance By Jose Maleikal, Committee Chair Thanks to the continued support of sponsors and patrons, the Classical Music and Dance (CMD) Society was able to present four programs during Spring 2013 Concert Season and two of the three planned programs during Fall 2013 Concert Season. As many of you know, we had to cancel the dance program planned for the Fall 2013 Season because the two dancers scheduled to perform were denied entry to the United States from Canada at the border. The Spring Concert Series started with SANKARA, a multi-instrumental ensemble, which was sponsored by Latha Ramachandran and Rajeev Ramachandran. It was followed by Carnatic Veena concert by Geetha Ramanathan Bennett. Shobha and Ashish Boghani sponsored this program in memory of Shobha’s father, Dr. Raghavarao Ravipati. The third program of the Spring Concert Series was a Sitar (Hindustani) concert by Anupama Bhagwat, sponsored by Lakshmi and Hemant Rao. Nrithiya Tharanga, a Bharathanatyam Trio by junior artists (Hannah Varghese, Janani Ramesh, and Maya Josiam) was the concluding program of the Spring Concert Series. For the Fall Concert Series, CMD Committee had made arrangements for three concerts, a Hindustani vocal, a Carnatic instrumental, and an Odissi dance. Unfortunately, we had to cancel the dance program, which was sponsored by the Hindu Heritage Camp. The Hindustani vocal concert was presented by the up and coming artist, Sanjukta Biswas. None other than Chitravina N Ravikiran was the featured artist for the Carnatic instrumental program sponsored by Amrith and Padmanabh Kamath.

In addition to the aforementioned sponsors, whose contributions ranged from $2000 to $3000, several individuals and couples also made generous contributions to make the spring and fall concerts possible. They include Robert Morris ($1000), Surendar and Mala Jeyadev ($1000), Hema and Varahan Ganesan ($500), Mohammed and Anwara Salahuddin ($500), Damodar and Malathi Pai ($500), Usha and Ramnath H. K. ($500), Chetna and Abhas Kumar ($500), Vidya and Raja Bala ($500), Mary and Jose Maliekal ($300), Sita and Raghunathan Y. ($200), Katherine Alling ($200), Suku and Viji Menon ($100), Nagin and Shaku Shah ($100), and Yashvant and Bhanumati Jariwala ($100).

Going forward, the CMD Committee is thinking about organizing two dance programs, two Carnatic concerts and one Hindustani concert in spring 2014. Because the India Community Center (ICC) has numerous other events during each fall, the thinking of the CMD Committee is to limit the number of programs during the Fall Concert Season to just three. In conclusion, promoting the arts and culture of India is one of the missions of ICC. Thanks to generous contributions by sponsors and patrons, CMD Committee has introduced and sustained the Spring and Fall Concerts. On behalf of the community, I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to our sponsors, patrons, and volunteer.

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ICC New Year’s Eve Party on 12-31-13 PROGRAM 7-9pm – Appetizers and Wine/Scotch tasting 9-10pm – Dinner 10-11pm – Casino tables for Adults, Movies for Kids Photo Booth and more 11-1am - Dancing for all Admission: ICC members - $ 25 adults/$ 15 children (Under 18) Non-members - $ 50 adults/$ 25 children (Under 18) RSVP by December 20, 2013 For information and RSVP contact: Surendar Jeyadev 585-271-3978 [email protected] Soumyaroop Bhattarcharya 585-563-7816 [email protected]