Day: 2 May 2013

Chicago IL: The Chicago Chapter of Akshaya Patra Foundation held its annual fundraiser on April 27th, 2013 at Intercontinental O’Hare, 5300 N. River Road, Rosemont, IL and received overwhelming community support for its great cause. Hunger is a problem that over 50 million children are battling silently in India. It keeps these children out of school and forces them to take menial jobs to bring home food for their families. Hunger also impedes their ability to learn. The Akshaya Patra Foundation is one of the world’s largest NGO which runs school meal programs serving over 1.3 million children daily in over 9,000 schools from 19 kitchens in nine states in India. A public-private partnership, Akshaya Patra combines good management, innovative technology and smart engineering to deliver school lunches at a fraction of the cost of similar programs in other parts of the world. The Akshaya Patra Foundation was recently ranked 23rd of the Top 100 NGOs in the World in The Global Journal’s 2013 annual ranking. The Global Journal also ranked Akshaya Patra 1st in the world for NGOs working to improve the lives of children and youth. Akshaya Patra’s mission is to simultaneously address childhood hunger and malnutrition and […]

Chicago IL: EquallyAble Foundation (EAF) launched its “1000 Wheelchairs in 10 Countries” campaign with a fundraising dinner on Saturday, April 27, 2013 at Monty’s Banquet Hall (703 S York Rd., Bensenville, IL 60106). The aim was to alleviate the day-to-day living of the physically challenged across the developing world. Each custom-fitted high terrain wheelchair costs $250 and every dollar spent is to be matched by a local partner in the recipient country to provide training or service. Uganda, Pakistan and Bangladesh are the first few countries to get these wheelchairs. EAF raised sufficient funds for well over 100 wheelchairs at this single event. After Zakaria Zuhaidi’s Quranic prayer, MC Rasheed Ahmed, President of Indian Muslim Council-USA, presented facts and statistics from his research on the disability worldwide before focusing on its peculiarities in South Asia. There are 650M (i.e., 1 out of 10) disabled persons with a higher rate among females: 8 out of 10 of these live in developing countries. The primary cause is violence, with three children disabled for every one killed. Those over 70 years of age are especially vulnerable. Everyone is susceptible through accident, illness, aging, etc., and it incapacitates the entire family, including the breadwinner, […]

Lemont, IL. Shanmukha Priya and Hari Priya, popularly known as the Priya Sisters gave a stellar performance to a packed hall at Sama Rathi auditorium of the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago (HTGC) at Lemont, Ill. on April 19, 2013 on the occasion of Rama Navami. According to the HTGC press release, the concert was also co-sponsored by RR International and Raja Veena Foundation. Usha Pariti, Chair of the HTGC fine arts committee, introduced the event followed by a welcome speech by HTGC President Tilak Marwaha. Supriya Rao then introduced the artists. The concert concluded with a vote of thanks by HTGC Vice-President Bhima Reddy, with all the artistes being honored with silk shawls. The HTGC press release also shared some highlights from the concert. “Saami Ninne Nammi Naa Pai”, a stately Adi Tala varnam in Pantuvarali, sung in two speeds, began the concert. A brisk “Gana Naayakam” in Poornashadjam followed suit with quick solfege improvisation (kalpana-svara) in the pattern of ‘gmnns-npmgrs’, which is characteristic of the raga. After a moving “Marugelara” in raga Jayanthashri, the sisters took up Purvikalyani for a detailed delineation of this raga. Despite some minor audio issues and voice not cooperating at times, the sisters […]

Lemont IL: Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago (HTGC) in Lemont, Ill., culminated its eleven-day observance per tradition with three days of Rama Navami festivities that drew large crowds, according to an HTGC press release. The observance started on the April 11, the day of Ugadi (first day of the waxing phase of the moon in the month of Chaitra that marks the beginning of the Hindu new year) with the recitation of the Sundarakaanda chapter of the Ramayana and concluded on Sunday April 21 with the coronation (pattaabhisheka) of Sri Rama and the worship of the silver image of Hanuman (Rajata Hanuman Seva). Sri Rama Navami day festivities began Friday, April 19 with the special ablution of his image (mūrti) with the five nectarine substances (vishesha panchamrutha mahabhishekam) that was followed by special ornamentation on this day (sugandha-dravya-divasa) when perfumed substances were offered for the first time at the HTGC along with adorning Sri Sita Devi and Sri Lakshmana with new clothes. Another Bhadrachala Rama image received similar ornamentation as preparation for the “wedding festival” (kalyaanotsavam) that coincides with Rama Navami in South India. Throughout this ritual procedure, the “Gaana Sudha” group of devotees chanted the Thousand Names (sahasranaama) of […]