Rajasthani Focus

Rajasthani Focus
N EWSLETTER S UMMER 2005 - T HE R AJASTHAN A SSOCIATION
PATRONS:
★ HH Vasundhara Raje
Chief Minister of Rajasthan
★ HH Maharajah Gaj Singh Ji II
of Marwar, Jodhpur
★ HH Maharajah Bhavani Singh Ji
of Jaipur
★ HH Maharajah Arvind Singh Ji
of Mewar
★ Mr. Kamal Surana
(212) 489 1070
★ Dr. Chitranjan Ranawat
(212) 434 4700
★ Mr. Dharam Chand Hirawat
(212) 391 1482
★ Mr. Anand Nahar
(201) 503 1472
OF
RANA Announces its 6th Annual
Get together and Puja at Siddhachalam
65 Mudpond Road, Blairstown, NJ • (908) 362 9793
SAVE
THE DATE:
SUNDAY, AUGUST 28TH, 2005
8:30 am - 10:30 am
Puja
10:00 am onwards
Registration
10:00 am - 11:00 am
Breakfast
11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Youth Forum
SECRETARY:
★ Vinod Jain
(845) 358 5051
11:00 am - 4:30 pm
Children’s Activities
TREASURER:
★ Sushil Goyal
(516) 621 1725
DIRECTORS:
★ Arvind Bhandari
(201) 585 1892
★ Mrs. Chandra Mehta
(516) 365 3815
★ Dashrath Dugar
(516) 294 1968
★ Dr. Kailash Singhvi, MD
(516) 621 4760
★ Kanak Golia
(516) 365 8410
★ Navneet Kothari
(631) 586 1579
★ Mrs. Nimmi Mehta
(516) 812 9089
★ Prem Bhandari
(516) 364 1920
★ Dr. Pushp Bhansali, MD
(516) 624 3252
★ Dr. Raj K Jain, MD
(718) 261 5298
★ Rajesh Shah
(516) 484 9205
★ Rajiv Kumar Jain
(718) 997 0430
★ Rakesh Bhargava
(516) 625 0512
★ Mrs. Sarita Shah
(631) 756 0122
PAST PRESIDENTS:
★ Anand Nahar
★ KK Mehta, CPA
★ Naveen Shah, CPA
(Rain or Shine)
PROGRAM:
PRESIDENT:
★ Dr. Ajay Lodha, MD, FACP
(516) 869 1681
VICE PRESIDENT:
★ Mr. Rajiv Garg
(212) 508 5261
DIRECTOR OF CULTURAL AFFAIR:
★ Guru Rachna Sarang
(201) 871 8796
N ORTH A MERICA , I NC .
Siddhachalam is a beautiful place that is spread over an
area of 170 acres on a hilltop. Three different Models
of Jain Tirth in India - (1) Shri Sammed Shikharji of
Bihar (2) Shri Panwapuriji of Bihar and (3) Shri
Girnarji of Gujarat states have been established here. A
separate Shikharbandh Digambar Jain Mandir with idol
of chief deity Bhagwan Parshwanath is also located here.
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Lunch
All Day
Sports program details inside:
3:30 pm
Snacks (Kulfi & Corn - Self Serve)
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Afternoon Tea, etc.
5:30 pm
Awards Ceremony
6:00 pm
Dinner (Dal Bati Churma)
Directions:
80 West to Exit 12 Blairstown, 521
North, Right on Silver lake Road,
Route 608, Left on Cooke Road,
Right on Mudpond Road,
Siddhachalam is fourth property on
left.
Special Bus Service will be provided
from Herricks Long Island and
Forest Hills. For tickets and bus,
please call any Board of Directors
listed in the left column of this page.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
• PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
• SPORTS PROGRAM
• HEALTH FAIR 2005
• PICTORIAL JOURNEY
HOLI 2005
CM TRIP
HEALTH FAIR
• COMMUNITY NEWS
• ELECTION ANNOUNCEMENT
• KAVI SAMMELAN 2005
• FUTURE EVENTS
• SPONSOR’S PAGE
• FREE COMMUNITY SERVICES
• EDITOR’S CORNER
7:00 pm
Bus Departure
CONTRIBUTIONS:
Adults & Children above 12
Members: $ 25.00
Non - Members: $ 30.00
Children (5-12): $ 20.00
(Please contact Board of Directors)
Editor:
Mr. Rakesh Bhargava
Co-Editors:
Mr. Sunil Shah
Dr. Tamanna Nahar
President’s Message
It is true that time flies. We are already in the middle of the year 2005. However, I am pleased to inform you that the first half of
the year has been very productive in terms of our activities and in planning ahead for some important events.
The month of MARCH is a time of rejoicing and fun back home. In keeping our rich cultural
traditions, we organized a grand ‘Holi Function’ at Hindu Temple auditorium. Unexpectedly, the
function was attended by a large number of people estimated at 600-700. The occasion proved a
real fun-filled celebration because of the chosen two renowned hasya-poets from India. Mr.
Mahendra ‘Ajnabi” and Mr. Neeraj Puri made us roll in laughter with their hilarious poems .
The popular comments were that this was the ‘best Holi event’. Of course, the participants were
also served with the authentic rich Indian food.
The month of MAY was celebrated as a ‘Health Month’; our once a year activity. The unique
part of the fare was that the community members who came for health check-up , were also
served ‘healthy-food’ in addition to lots of gifts to take home. The fare was attended by about
250-300 people. We owe its grand success to the 30-40 physicians and other para-medical staff
who very enthusiastically responded to the health-needs and concerns of the visitors. The RANA
owes its gratitude and appreciation to the physicians and para-medical staff for volunteering their
precious time and resources in the service of our community.
The month of JUNE was the reorganization and membership enrollment month. I am glad to announce the joining of two very
active and conscientious members to RANA’s Executive Committee. We are fortunate to have them as prominent members of the
strong executive committee. Please join me in welcoming and congratulating Mr. Rajiv Garg as our new Vice-President and Mr.
Sushil Goyal as our Treasurer. I availed the opportunity to meet our Hon’ble Chief-Minister HH Vasundhara Raje in California.
The meeting proved very useful in establishing good relationship with her and she was highly impressed by the mission and programs of RANA . The discussions were mainly concerning various projects such as: adopting a monument, museum restoration,
health care expansion, exchange students’ program, and involving other charitable activities. I would declare the meeting to be
very fruitful and encouraging. The RANA executive committee will discuss about the viability of these projects at its future meetings.
The month of JULY is a travelling month. The delegation consisting of RANA executive members are going to Jaipur to meet the
H’ble Chief-Minister HH Vasundhara Raje and will discuss with her the feasibility of the various programs in which RANA
would like to get involved.
AUGUST is a family month, featuring our annual get-together event at Siddhachalam on Sunday, August 28th. I invite you,
your family, friends, and relatives to enjoy the whole day full of fun, food, games (for children as well) etc.
RANA’s strength is our community and their unreserved support, cooperation, and involvement. RANA is of the Rajasthanis, for
the Rajasthanis, and by the Rajasthanis. On behalf of our community, kindly join me in appreciating the dedicated efforts of
RANA’s Board of Directors, who keep RANA going on in its march to make Rajasthanis feel happy, comfortable, and prosperous
at home and away from home.
In closing, I would like to inform everyone that RANA is planning to organize its 2nd Convention in July, 2006. To make it a
grand success, I seek each and everyone’s involvement and commitment. Kindly wait for the announcement.
AJAY K. LODHA, M.D., F.A.C.P.
President
Rajasthan Association of North America
This newsletter has been compiled by the Rajasthan Association of North America. Although all reasonable precautions have been taken to make it as accurate as possible, any errors or omissions,
typographical or otherwise, are sincerely regretted and the association shall not be liable or responsible for any such errors.
RAJASTHAN ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA
7 Oakridge Lane, Roslyn, NY 11576
Bus: (718) 335 4747 • Home: (516) 869 1681 • Mobile: (347) 865 7906 • Home Fax: (516) 869 5515 • Email: info@ranausa.org
Not for profit organization, under section 501(c) (3) of Internal Revenue Code, incorporated in the state of New York
Sports Program & Report on Health Fair
DETAIL
Name of the Game
PROGRAM FOR
SUNDAY, AUGUST 28TH, 2005
Mixed
Men
Women
< 12
Boys
12 to 18
Boys
< 12
Girls
12 to 18
Girls
Volleyball
Cricket
Badminton
Kho – Kho
Basketball
X
X
X
X
X
-
-
-
-
-
-
RACES:
Lemon Spoon
Relay Race
100 Meters Dash
Water Balloon
-
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Antakshari
Musical Chair
X
-
-
-
-
-
-
X
-
-
-
-
-
-
X
X
X
X
X
X
Chess
Magic Program
Young Kid’s Corner
Youth Program
Painting Competition
X
Note: Age 12 or 18 means the child’s 12th or 18th birthday falls before the date of the event.
Under age of 12 or 18 means that the child’s 12th or 18th birthday falls after the date of the event.
REPORT ON HEALTH FAIR - MAY 2005
The Health Fair was organized with esteemed efforts of Dr. Ajay Lodha and Dr. Smita Lodha on May 22nd at Gujrati Samaj Hall
cosponsored by North Shore Forest Hills hospital and Queens Long Island Medical group. It is one of the most noble activity which
RANA has always been organizing meet the needs of community.The Health Fair was free and includes-complete Blood test,
E.K.G., Bone Densitometry, Kids activity, and lots of gifts to take home. RANA wishes extend its gratitude to all the participants:
Dr. Sanjay Lodha – Triage
Dr. Anupama Lodha – Triage
Dr. Neena Shah – Triage
Dr. Mary Kolla Kuzhyie –Triage
Dr. Moise Hamdani – Triage
Dr. Minal Shah – Triage
Dr. N.C. Shah – Internal Medicine
Dr. Sanjay Goyal – Diabetes and Endocrinologist
Dr. Raj Jain – Lungs and Asthma
Dr. Yusuf Naqvi – Neurologist
Dr. Raj Modi - Ophthalmologist
Dr. Anil Sharma – Gastroenterologist
Dr. Pushp Bhansali (B.O.D.) – Orthopedics
Dr. Rajeev Jauhar – Cardiologist
Dr. Tamanna Nahar – Cardiologist
Dr. Sumit Mittal – Cardiologist
Dr. Sohail Cheema – Psychiatrist
Dr. Daksh Barot – Gynecologist
Dr. Sandhyah Jhaveri – Pediatrics
Dr. Amanda Romito – Podiatrist (Foot)
Ms. Jyoti Dave – Dietitian and Nutritionist
Mrs. Sunita Shah
Mr. Saiyed Najmusa
Yoga Session
Mr. Mitesh Kapadia
Phlebotomist-Blood Test
Ms. Anjum Afshan
Ms. Pravina Thakkar
Special Thanks to:
Dr. Suman Reejsinghani – CEO- Queens Long Island Medical Group
Mr. Theodore Lehmann – Director Community Relations- Forest Hills Hospital
Mrs. Chandra Metha – Food Arrangements Mr. Kamlesh Metha – Food Arrangements Mr. Amit Lodha – Organizing Kids activity
Mr. Sushil Goyal (B.O.D.) – Sponsor
Mr. Rajesh Shah (B.O.D.) – Sponsor
Last but not the least thanks to all the B.O.D. for their contributions to make this Health Fair a great success.
Holi 2005
Reflections of Health fair 2005
Upcoming Events & Community News
COMMUNITY NEWS:
Our cultural director Guru Rachna Sarang founded an organization called Sarang Academy of Performing Arts (SAPA). SAPA
recently organized a cultural program where the renowned singer
Hariharan sang and SAPA students performed with live music. It
was an unusual experience where ghazal and kathak assimilated
on stage in a beautiful way.
Indian Association of Long Island honored our past president KK
Mehta, past honoree Prof. Dr. Manjul Bhargava, and member
Ruchi Bhargava at their annual function during June 2005.
Dr. Ajay Lodha elected as Secretary and Treasurer of Forest Hills
Hospital, Executive Committee
Dr. & Mrs. Raj & Kiran Jain are blessed with a beautiful grand
daughter.
Our past honoree Mr. and Mrs. Kailash & Lalita Jhalani are
blessed with a grandson.
Ajay Singhvi, son of our directors Mr. and Mrs. Kailash & Sunita
Singhvi, will be attending Northwestern University.
Arjit Mehta, son of our directors Mr. and Mrs. Kamlesh & Nimmi
Mehta will be attending Babson College.
Ruchi Bhargava, daughter of our directors Mr. and Mrs. Rakesh &
Meenu Bhargava will be attending Barnard College of Columbia
University.
Nivea Kothari, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Navneet & Beena
Kothari, a senior year student of Tobin School of Business was
honored with the “Excellence Award for Leadership” by the St.
John’s University at a gala function held on May 2, 2005.
Obituary
in December 2006. Please send in these nominations to our president
Dr. Ajay Lodha at 7 Oakridge Lane, Roslyn, NY 11576 no later than
September 30th, 2005.
Report on Kavi Sammelan - March 2005
Laughter has now received a validated status as therapy for good
health as is evident by rapidly multiplying laughter clubs all over
the world. RANA does its own part in delivering laughter medicine to the Rajasthani community in the tri state to keep them
healthy and cheerful. This is the sixth year in a row that we have
delivered an entertaining and colorful holi function that remains
memorable for months to come. The program is a unique blend of
a cultural program promoting and exposing our creative young
artists from the community as well as bringing two talented poets
from our mother land Bharatvarsh.
The Holi event started with a cultural program. Guru Rachnaji
Sarang of SAPA and her students Dipti Surana, Vanita Kothari
and Ekta Sancheti choreographed the cultural program.
Participants were Sheetal Tolia, Deval Tolia, Yesha Maniar,
Charvi Soni, Hiral Patel, Sonali Marfatia and Robin Mehta Rutali
Gandhi, Namrata Mehta, Shaini Shah, Mansi Kothari, Naomi
Shah, Ashna Shah.
Dipti Surana, Swati Jain and Chandani Jain were the Masters of
Ceremonies.
The event, as has been tradition, started with an early dinner so
that the main kavi sammelan program, once started, would not
get interrupted and appetite for fun and laughter is not satiated
with food. This year the food committee experimented with food
from Shri BAPS temple located a block away. Besides being fresh
and divinely pure the volunteers from the temple served food with
genuine dedication and affection that enhanced the joy of eating.
Mr. Pannalal Jain’s mother.
The poets delighted the audience with their multi faced poetry
and made people cry with laughter. Each had also published books
and during the intermission, people snapped up all the books for
sale.
Mr Ashok Rathod’s father.
FUTURE
Our director Kanak Golia’s mother Mrs. Kanku Kunwar Golia
Dr. Vinod Sancheti’s mother Mrs. Mehtab Sancheti
Announcement
Our first president Mr. Anand Nahar has accepted patron membership of RANA and we look forward to his continued guidance.
Election announcement:
RANA a 6 year old vibrant organization, can attribute its success to
its board of dedicated directors. Directors are very active in managing
and growing this organization. Recently two of our directors resigned,
one is planning to spend considerable amount of time in India managing business and the other has accepted presidential position with
another well established community in Long Island. While we regret
losing two very hard working and dedicated directors we must move
forward and we are now looking to elect two new directors from our
member body at large.
We invite nominations from a suitable candidate either for themselves or any one thought to be an appropriate candidate. The term
of these directors elected will expire along with rest of the directors
EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT
Deepavali 2005
Please mark your calendar for yet another delightful event Deepavali 2005! We plan to meet on Sunday, October 23rd, 2005
at Huntington Hilton in Huntinton, Long Island NY.
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Editor’s Note & Community Services
Dear readers
I am delighted that the 2nd edition of Rajasthani Focus is in your hands just as extensive
preparations for our annual Summer Get together and Puja celebrations at Siddhachalam
are underway. Much has been talked about Rana and its activities elsewhere in this
newsletter so I wish to take this opportunity to narrate a story that touched my heart.
As much as Rajasthan is associated with magnificent temples, exotic forts and palaces, bravery and chivalry of her kings and queens, it is also associated with water, yes water. Not
abundance of it but lack of it. Some parts of Rajasthan get as much water in a year as some
other parts in India gets in a day. No other state in India is as blessed by Lord Sun as
Rajasthan. Mercury climbs to 120+ degrees Fahrenheit not for days but weeks at a stretch.
What we have learned in history that civilizations always grew around water so I wonder how
our ancestors have coped with such shortage and managed to live gracefully for centuries.
I got my answer and a lesson in human determination and endeavor while reading book,
“Aaj bhi khare hai Talab”. This book narrates a story of a Charwaha (animal herder)
named Megha who lived about 500 years ago. Megha would drive his herd of cattle for grazing and bring with him Kupdi, an earthen pot for carrying drinking water for himself. He
would return home in the evening. One day he found a little water left in his Kupdi so on
an impulse he dug a small hole in the dry and parched earth and poured water in it and
covered it with “Aak” leaves he found nearby. As animals do not graze in the same area
Megha could not visit this small hole for two days but found him near it on the third day.
Curiously he removed leaves and felt a gentle breeze of cold air on his face. Megha thought
that if in such hot weather this small hole can retain moisture so a pond can be built here.
Megha alone started working on digging a pond. He would bring digging tools with him along
with his Kupdi and all day he would dig and pile dirt along the edge of his imagined pond while
his cattle grazed nearby. Megha was not very strong but was blessed with strong determination.
For next two years he alone dug this pond. In flat land of Rajasthan this pile of dirt was visible
from a distance and nearby villagers also got the wind of this effort. Now others also joined this
effort and all started working on digging this pond, this continued for twelve years but Megha’s
time was up. Instead of dying on Megha’s funeral pyre as was the custom those days his wife
continued working on digging pond and in another six months the pond was ready. Villagers
made a small canopy for Megha ji and small temple for his wife. This village known as Bap
along with this pond is still visible and located between Bikaner and Jaiselmer as glowing tribute to one man’s determination. I am amazed that our pious land known for bhakti of Meera
bai and ultimate sacrifice of Panna dhai also remember sacrifice of Megha ji and the pond he
created. There are literally thousands of such ponds built by people of all ranks from Kings to
commoners and they have provided for sustenance of our people for centuries before there was
modern science of water management, harvesting and construction. These ponds provided for
water for centuries for population that grew many times such was foresightedness of our ancestors.
In closing, I wish to thank my co-editors Sunil Shah and Tamanna Nahar for their
support and Icon Imaging for designing this newsletter. I look forward to your feedback, please email me your comments at ranausa@gmail.com or please call me at
516 484 0018. Thank you for your continued encouragement and support.
Sincerely yours
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Rakesh Bhargava, Editor
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