By KEERTHI CHANDRASHEKHAR
LONG BEACH, CA - The Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of USA continued its fundraising efforts for rural India with three recitals of “Avartan,” an engaging Kathak dance fusion program by Aditi Bhagwat and her ensemble, around Southern California. Ekal is a registered non-profit service organization dedicated...
LONG BEACH, CA - The Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of USA continued its fundraising efforts for rural India with three recitals of “Avartan,” an engaging Kathak dance fusion program by Aditi Bhagwat and her ensemble, around Southern California. Ekal is a registered non-profit service organization dedicated...
to bringing basic academic and health education and village development. Towards that end, the three events held in Long Beach, Calabasas and San Diego drew enthusiastic support for at least 1,500 schools in India according to Uma Gulani of Ekal USA.
At the Carpenter Performing Arts Center at Cal State Long Beach on Apr.26, media video slides presented glimpses of the opportunities that have opened up to children, especially girls, in the interior villages of India. Ekal’s cause of eradicating illiteracy from the rural and tribal villages in India through their unique “dollar a day” scheme through which $365 provides 40 children free education for a whole year at an Ekal school, was explained to the audience where over 800 tickets were sold. At the Calabasas event on Apr.25, Chapter President Suresh Iyer, illustrating the stellar growth of the NGO, announced that as of March this year, Ekal had over 57,000 schools in operation educating over 1.6 million children, which brought on thunderous applause from the audience. Chief guest for the evening, Dr. Kant Thakkar, a local philanthropist and large donor for a local hospital, gave a passionate speech explaining the need to drive illiteracy away globally and highlighted the work carried out by Ekal in addressing this dire need. On Apr. 27 the small chapter of San Diego nevertheless packed a punch at the event, with over 200 people in attendance to express their support for the cause that was once again detailed to them. They donated generously to raise funds for 200 schools. Aditi Bhagwat infused dancing styles and took the audience on a journey through the years of Bollywood and traditional Indian music. Backed by Vaibhav Mankad, Kailinath Mishra, Sangeet Mishra, and Gautam Sharma almost every performance was a hit, from Bollywood numbers to a song depicting the nine rasas, or emotions, of man. Any bantering by the musicians in the show was light and firmly kept the focus on Ekal’s cause. The event concluded with a grand finale with a rendering of a Sufi dance item depicting Radhe Shyam, tranquility and inner peace as the audience stood to applaud. Bhagwat and her group have been on a national tour with over 30 fundraising performances around U.S. metros, the Long Beach one being the 25th one.
At the Carpenter Performing Arts Center at Cal State Long Beach on Apr.26, media video slides presented glimpses of the opportunities that have opened up to children, especially girls, in the interior villages of India. Ekal’s cause of eradicating illiteracy from the rural and tribal villages in India through their unique “dollar a day” scheme through which $365 provides 40 children free education for a whole year at an Ekal school, was explained to the audience where over 800 tickets were sold. At the Calabasas event on Apr.25, Chapter President Suresh Iyer, illustrating the stellar growth of the NGO, announced that as of March this year, Ekal had over 57,000 schools in operation educating over 1.6 million children, which brought on thunderous applause from the audience. Chief guest for the evening, Dr. Kant Thakkar, a local philanthropist and large donor for a local hospital, gave a passionate speech explaining the need to drive illiteracy away globally and highlighted the work carried out by Ekal in addressing this dire need. On Apr. 27 the small chapter of San Diego nevertheless packed a punch at the event, with over 200 people in attendance to express their support for the cause that was once again detailed to them. They donated generously to raise funds for 200 schools. Aditi Bhagwat infused dancing styles and took the audience on a journey through the years of Bollywood and traditional Indian music. Backed by Vaibhav Mankad, Kailinath Mishra, Sangeet Mishra, and Gautam Sharma almost every performance was a hit, from Bollywood numbers to a song depicting the nine rasas, or emotions, of man. Any bantering by the musicians in the show was light and firmly kept the focus on Ekal’s cause. The event concluded with a grand finale with a rendering of a Sufi dance item depicting Radhe Shyam, tranquility and inner peace as the audience stood to applaud. Bhagwat and her group have been on a national tour with over 30 fundraising performances around U.S. metros, the Long Beach one being the 25th one.
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