SIMI VALLEY,CA-The India Community Center and Simi Valley Mandir celebrated Navratri Mahotsav on Oct. 16, through 18 with approximately 800 people in attendance. Devotees packed into the Sheperd of the Valley Lutheran Church here on Oct 16 and 17 and participated in the traditional festivities. The festival was moved to the grounds of the India Community Center on Oct 18. Since the opening three years ago,
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this was the first Navratri Mahotsav that the Center and Mandir have hosted. The Garba and Dandia Raas,lasted into the late evening and filled both venues. Music was provided by Mrunalini Parikh and Party. These were several booths selling foods, jewelry among other products. “I’m here and enjoying Navratri,” said Dr.Shubha Jain, founder of the Center. “It’s my first time doing Garba.” Dr.Shubha Jain along with her husband Dr.Sanjiv Jain, both practicing pain management physicians, founded the cultural center in 2013 following the purchase of a 2.5 acre lot in Simi Valley. The purchase came with a building that was quickly converted into a Hindu Temple and a number of classrooms, which now host a variety of Indian and American cultural classes.
“When our children were growing up, there was nothing like this,” said Dr.Shubha Jain. “We would take our kids to the Jewish Center to play chess. We knew we wanted to create something similar for our kids and for future generations. We knew we wanted to create something for all Indians. We wanted it to be all-inclusive and involve the entire Indian community.A place where all Indians can interact under one roof.” Now the center offers a multitude of classes including several Indian language classes, dance classes, chess, ‘Mommy and Me’ program in Hindi, Tae Kwon Do, Yoga, and a kids science experiment club.
“The community embraced our efforts and truly supported us,” said Dr.Shubha Jain. “Everything took off faster than we had ever imagined. We didn’t even get to make any plans.” The temple has become a big part of the Indian Community Center and Pandit Narinder Shastri oversees a wide variety of religious festivals, classes and programs throughout the year. “Our vision is that we will be the nucleus for the entire community,” said Dr.Sanjiv Jain. “Where our kids can study and our teenagers can grow up together.”
“When our children were growing up, there was nothing like this,” said Dr.Shubha Jain. “We would take our kids to the Jewish Center to play chess. We knew we wanted to create something similar for our kids and for future generations. We knew we wanted to create something for all Indians. We wanted it to be all-inclusive and involve the entire Indian community.A place where all Indians can interact under one roof.” Now the center offers a multitude of classes including several Indian language classes, dance classes, chess, ‘Mommy and Me’ program in Hindi, Tae Kwon Do, Yoga, and a kids science experiment club.
“The community embraced our efforts and truly supported us,” said Dr.Shubha Jain. “Everything took off faster than we had ever imagined. We didn’t even get to make any plans.” The temple has become a big part of the Indian Community Center and Pandit Narinder Shastri oversees a wide variety of religious festivals, classes and programs throughout the year. “Our vision is that we will be the nucleus for the entire community,” said Dr.Sanjiv Jain. “Where our kids can study and our teenagers can grow up together.”
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