Month: May 2013

Chicago IL: Co-hosted by Saahil Exclusive, L.A. Tan “Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Live in Concert” is a collective effort of Bhavesh Patel, Babubhai Patel, Mayur and Nick Patel. The legendary singer Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan rocked Sears Center Arena, 5333 Prairie Stone Pkwy, Hoffman Estates, IL on 8:30 PM, Friday, May 17, 2013 with yet another unforgettable concert. Chicago saw one of the finest concerts of all times. Khan mesmerizes the enthusiastic crowd of more than 5000 listeners for about 4 hours. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan sang hits from various Bollywood films which rocked the crowd. He was received by the audience with standing ovation and sang hits from various Bollywood films which rocked the crowd and kept the audience spellbound. This was undoubtedly one of the finest performances by Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan of ALL time; and why not? Since this was his 50th Concert Celebration Night. Khan Sahab made it very clear in the beginning of the concert, as soon as he arrived on stage, that tonight it’s not just going to be a concert; it will be a celebration and he wanted all his fans and every member in the audience to be part of […]

Chicago: About 300 Indians from 20 cities in the US gathered today in Chicago for a day long convention organized by US supporters of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Members of the Aam Aadmi Party national executive Arvind Kejriwal, Yogendra Yadav and Kumar Vishwas, who is also a noted poet, were the keynote speakers. The morning began with a vigorous speech by Dr Kumar Vishwas, who combined poetry and prose with good effect to enthrall the audience. His verses emphasized the need for otherwise indifferent but educated citizens and well-wishers of India to contribute to democracy through political participation. He also used the occasion to recite his latest couplet titled “Tiranga” that he has coined reflecting on the current political situation in India. Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP’s national convener addressed the gathering live from the AAP Headquarters in Ghaziabad, near Delhi. He spoke about AAP’s role in India’s growth and the role that NRIs can play in furthering this cause. Arvind remains optimistic about India’s future and believes that the AAP could be the catalyst that can bring change in the country by redefining the rules of politics. He further stressed on the importance of decentralization in governance which would […]

Chicago IL: Pratham Chicago hosted an evening reception on Thursday, April 25, 2013 in honor of Pratham CEO and Co-Founder Dr. Madhav Chavan at the Best Western Plus Hotel, 1725 E. Algonquin Road, Schaumburg, IL 60173. He had stopped over to en route to the Pratham Houston Gala on Saturday. Chavan, who is the 2012 recipient of the WISE Prize, a prestigious award considered to be the “Nobel Prize” in education, gave an impromptu talk on Pratham’s various initiatives, several of which the Indian government has been assiduously studying and even trying to emulate in view of their very tangible and demonstrable results. A recurring theme behind the case studies he recounted was how outmoded our current age-based assembly line system of education, geared to the bygone needs of the industrial revolution, had become. Instead of being pumped with facts, learners need their creativity to be unleashed. Pratham Chicago Chairman Raj Rajaram introduced the Founder-CEO as having “transformed” education. Pratham is a non-profit organization that reaches millions of primary school age children in India. After obtaining his PhD in Chemistry in the USA followed by post-doctoral research, Chavan returned to India in 1986. In 1989, while teaching at the University […]

Chicago IL: The fifth annual three-day Veena festival curated by Sri Annamacharya Project of North America (SAPNA) over the weekend from April 26–28 had “Thillana” for its theme this year, and was dedicated to the memory of Padmabhushan Sangeeta Kalanidhi Sripada Pinakapani and legendary violinist Lalgudi Jayaraman. Between Chitravina Ravikiran’s inauguration concert (Friday evening) and Balamurali Krishna’s grand finale (Sunday evening) both held at the Lemont Hindu temple, the whole weekend resounded with veena concerts at the Sri Venkateshwara Swami (SVS), popularly known as Balaji, temple in Aurora, Ill. Saturday’s highlight was the award of the title ‘Srikala Purna’ to Sangitacharya Malladi Suri Babu, father of the famous vocalists Malladi Brothers, Sriram Prasad and Ravi Kumar, followed by their evening vocal concert. With their stentorian voices, Malladi Brothers took the audience by storm and sang their way into the hearts of connoisseurs. As a fitting tribute to maestro Lalgudi Jayaraman, they began the concert with Suri Babu’s brief but imposing delineation of the ragam Asaveri through Lalgudi’s set composition (varnam) Jalajaksha Neepadame Gati. Setting a stately pace for the entire concert with Parameshwara Jagadeeshwara in ragam Nattai, Malladi Brothers then sang Thyagaraja’s Manasu Nilpa in ragam Abhogi. The sparkling alapana […]

Chicago IL: Padma Vibhushan Dr. Mangalampalli Balamurali Krishna (BMK), who began singing at the age of six, was conferred a lifetime achievement award at the ripe age of 82 by the Sri Annamacharya Project of North America (SAPNA) at the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago (HTGC) in Lemont, Ill., on Sunday, April 28, 2013. Having inaugurated SAPNA’s first year, he was here now to celebrate its 25th anniversary. His full-house concert was the culmination of the Fifth annual three-day Veena festival, and was also the occasion for SAPNA to honor several media personalities. Consul General of India Mukta Dutta Tomar joined in personally conferring the awards. Tomar and BMK joined SAPNA founders Sriram Sonty and Saradapurna Sonty in lighting the auspicious lamp before the veena-wielding goddess of music, Saraswathi. Balamurali, who typically signs off his own compositions with the name of the “flute-playing child” (bala-murali) Krishna, received honors worthy of a god. Not only was the stage scattered with petals to soften his tread, he received full-length prostrations while seated regally listening to the Sanskrit panegyric composed in his honor and recited at the podium by Prof. Vedala Srinivasacharyulu. Music is divine, and Balamurali had become one with his music! […]

Chicago IL: The youth group of Hari Om mandir celebrated Mothers Day on Sunday, May 12, 2013 at the temple. Mandir’s priest Shastri Yogesh Pandya and Pt. Dinesh kumar did a havan and puja for the well being of all mothers. Tushar Sharma president of the youth group started the program by saying “A mother is the greatest teacher, a teacher of compassion, love and fearlessness. If we only comprehend a 10th of what our mothers do for us, and how they would literally die for us if needed, we would realize that one day is not sufficient. This relationship is sacred let us honor our mothers. A mother who always cares, a mother who’s always there, a mother who always prays, a mother who always stays, when things get rough, when life gets tough.” Followed with a dhun ‘Jai Ambe Maa Sherawalee’ played on keyboard and vocals by Babu Sarkar and Divya Maheshwari. Ansh and Anoushka Salwan recited a few chaupaies of Hanuman Chalissa. Hari Om Mandir’s Balvikas kids (Manav, Navansh, Vanshika and others) sang the prayer, ‘Daya kar Dan bhakti ka humey parmatma dena.”. Divya Maheshwari recited a poem on mother. Chaitanya Kharat played keyboard and sang the […]

Chicago IL: Jain Society of Metropolitan Chicago organized its annual Health Fair on May 5 and May 12, 2013. On May 5, many people benefited from free services offered by JSMC with help from Doctors, Specialists, Microbiologist, Phlebotomists, Lab Technicians, and Nurses. Blood tests included blood count, blood sugar, cholesterol, vitamin D check, and PSA Summary. In addition to Blood tests, EKG, Carotid, Doppler, Echocardiogram, and Bone Density tests were offered to all the participants at no cost. Total of 270 registration were received through online application form. 216 people received all the above tests/screenings. Lab work was conducted by Medstar Laboratories at much discounted rate. Overall management provided an excellent experience to all the participants. EKG, Echocardiogram, Carotid tests were conducted in closed curtain booth to maintain the privacy of the patient. Delicious breakfast with freshly squeezed orange Juice was setup for all the participants, volunteers, Doctors, and Lab Technicians. Two large screen projectors were showing constant updates, instructions as well as recognizing sponsors, Doctors, and all volunteers. On May 12, the health fair started at 9 am. All the participants from Day one( May 5th), along with few others (walk-ins) took benefit of free consultation services from top […]

Chicago IL: Lasyam School of Kuchipudi Dance celebrated its 13th Anniversary showcase performances at Balaji temple auditorium in Aurora on Saturday, May 11th, 2013. This year’s theme was “Bhajagovindam”- a devotional prayer to Adi Shankara in the melodious tune of MS Subbalakshmi. Senior disciples of Lasyam, Divya Jasthi, Supriya Bhuvanagiri and Srinidhi Angara with guest artist Pranav Perepa as Adi Shankara have mesmerized the audience. Dance director Smt. Hema Yaddanapudi unveiled for the first time in Chicagoland the choreography of in Kuchipudi style. The highlight of the evening was Tarangam by ManoLasya Perepa. She held the audience spellbound with her unparalleled expression, grace and perfection of pure dance. She rendered “Jatis” while dancing on the edges of a brass plate with consummate skill and divine charm. The evening showcased fifteen items introducing an array of 35 extremely talented disciples of Lasyam School. Young artists aged 6-8 performed slokas, mudras, jatis and steps to the chanting of their Guru – a year’s worth of their learnings that brought an aura of pure joy and awe to the audience. The event paid rich tribute through Sri Annamacharya Keerthanas with scintillating performance to the tunes of Adivo Alladivo, Bramha Kadigina Padamu and Narayanathe […]

Chicago IL: Indian Gujarati Samuday of North America Celebrated Gujarat Day with Honorable Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Of Gujarat,Via Satellite at 7:30 PM, on Sunday, May 12, 2013 at The Meadows Club, 2950, W Golf Road, Rolling Meadows, IL. On the morning of 13th May 2013, Shri Narendra Modi addressed NRIs across 20 cities of USA to commemorate 53rdGujarat Day celebrations. The program was organized by Indian/Gujarati Samuday. In a comprehensive speech, Shri Narendra Modi spoke about the development in Gujarat during the last ten years. He said that the credit for the success of Gujarat does not go to an individual but the collective efforts of the 6 crore people of Gujarat. Talking about the state of affairs in the nation, Shri Modi said that the greatest crisis the country is facing today is that of a trust deficit and that it is the need of the hour to rebuild this confidence of the people. “This break of trust is due to the actions of some people occupying high office…trust is a very big thing. The development in Gujarat is possible because people have trust in each other. Let us recall the values of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel […]

Chicago IL: Chitravina maestro Sri N Ravikiran delivered a two-hour concert hosted by the Sri Annamacharya Project of North America (SAPNA) at the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago (HTGC) on Friday, April 26, 2013. He was accompanied by Prof. Trichy Shankaran on the mridangam, Akkarai Shubhalakshmi on the violin, and KV Gopalakrishnan on the kanjira. After rendering Carnatic (South Indian classical) compositions, including of his own creation and in the traditional style, Ravikiran embarked on an innovative excursion into fusion music with local artistes. An apt inauguration to SAPNA’s Fifth three-day Veena festival, for SAPNA’s mission is not only to recover and conserve this ancient musical heritage, here in the new diaspora context, but also demonstrate its global reach and relevance. In his usual inimitable understated yet scholarly style, Ravikiran’s concert displayed consummate artistry, tasteful aesthetics, and rare sparkling sancharas (melodic phrases that serve to establish the identity of the raga) reflecting technical virtuosity and mastery over the ragas. Ravikiran set the pace with his own composition Adi Vinayakam, a varnam in ragam Reetigowla, followed by Annamacharya’s Paramapurusha rendered gracefully in ragam Shanmukhapriya. Nenendu Vedakudura, Thyagaraja’s composition in Karnataka Behag, was portrayed in all its grandeur – the intricate flourishes […]

Chicago IL: Mother’s Day was celebrated on Wednesday afternoon, May 08, 2013, with a cultural program and food at the Hari Om Mandir, 6N020 Medinah Road, Medinah, IL. On a working day more than 150 mothers had gathered to celebrate the event. Mother’s Day in the United States is an annual holiday celebrated on the second Sunday in May. Anna Jarvis celebrated mother’s day first time in 1908, then campaigned to make it an official holiday. Previous attempts at establishing Mother’s Day in the United States sought to promote peace by means of honoring mothers who had lost or were at risk of losing their sons to war. Mother’s Day is celebrated to honor all mothers and express gratitude for the hardships they bear in bringing up children. The resolution for having a dedicated Mother’s Day was signed by US President Woodrow Wilson on May 8, 1914. Since then people across the world have been celebrating Mother’s Day with joy and devotion. Ms. Nirmal Bagga the coordinator of the program started the event by a speech welcoming all the ladies to celebrate this eventful day. “Everyone gathered here today has shown the unity and great dedication of volunteerism either in […]

Chicago IL: Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) held its Tenth Annual Breaking Barriers Awards fundraising reception on Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at downtown Sunda New Asian Restaurant (110 W. Illinois Street). The CFW Asian American Leadership Council (AALC) honored pioneering Asian and Asian American women in the metropolitan Chicago area, who have made an outstanding and lasting impact in their respective fields. Honorees this year were women across a variety of disciplines and professions, who have been “the first” or among the earliest to have achieved a level of leadership and visibility that has paved the way for others. They were Shradha Agarwal, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, ContextMedia, Inc.; Libby Chiu, retired Chief of Staff, Illinois Arts Council; Madhuvanti Ghose, Alsdorf Assoc. Curator of Indian, Southeast Asian, Himalayan and Islamic Art, Art Institute of Chicago; Ngoan Le, Vice President of Program, Chicago Community Trust; Tuyet Le, Executive Director, Asian American Advancing Justice-Chicago; Josina Morita, Director, United Congress of Community and Religious Organizations; Prem Sharma, Founder, Apna Ghar; Joanna Su, Manager of Community Systems and Capacity Building, Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development; Liz Thomson, Asst. Director of the Gender and Sexuality Center, University of Illinois at Chicago; and Lisa […]

Chicago IL: The Vietnamese Host Committee held an Appreciation Dinner on Saturday, May 4, 2013 at Furama Restaurant, located in Chicago’s famed “Asia on Argyle” neighborhood. Over 160 community leaders and volunteers of the Asian American Coalition of Chicago (AACC) participated to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. 2013 AACC Chair Doug Nguyen opened the program with reflections on the tremendous accomplishments AAPIs have achieved, “beginning 170 years ago, when Japanese immigrants first set foot on American shores and opened a path for millions more. And in 1869, Chinese workers finished work on the transcontinental railroad after years of backbreaking labor.” 2013 AACC Board President Dr. Nguyen-Trung Hieu expressed his gratitude to the community leaders and volunteers for their collaboration in AACC’s various initiatives that will mutually benefit all Asian American communities. Chair Nguyen followed by thanking Dr. Hieu for his outstanding leadership of the AACC board in laying down the necessary structure and vision for the organization which will last into the next generation. The attendees viewed a presentation of the AACC’s 30th Annual Lunar New Year Conference and Celebration which took place on February 23, 2013. The Vietnamese American Community was served as the AACC […]