AUG. 20: INDIA INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATIONS, 6 to 7 p.m. USF SunDome, Tampa; event organized by FIA of Tampa Bay and Florida; for more information, call Satya Shaw at (813) 842-0345 or Chandrakant Patel at (813) 340-5505.

AUG. 26: KRISHNA JANMAASTAMI, 6 p.m. till midnight, Hindu Temple of Florida; call (813) 962-6890 for information.

AUG. 28: BRIDES AROUND THE WORLD SHOWCASE, family event featuring high tea, gourmet delights, shopping at the international bazaar and a unique fashion show of traditional bridal wear from around the world; 2 to 5 p.m. Hyatt Regency-downtown, Tampa, $35 per person; benefits St. Joseph�s Women�s Hospital; call (813) 872-0979 for information or check out www.fsjh.org

SEPT. 3: MAHAVIR JAYANTI CELEBRATION, organized by the Jain Society of Tampa Bay; Hindu Temple of Florida, 5509 Lynn Road, Tampa; call Kini Shah at (813) 503-0715 or (813) 968-4088 for information.

SEPT. 8-11: FOUR-SESSION RAMAYAN YAGNA, all pandits, sadhus, Brahmins and kirtan groups are invited to participate; 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to noon Sunday; officiating priest will be Pandit Narine Shivdat and assisting priest will be Pandit Purnanan Sharma; organized by the Saraswati Devi Mandir, 16220 Livingston Ave., Lutz; call Pandit Sharma at (813) 264-1539 or Pandit Shivdat at (631) 586-2413.

SEPT. 10: SIXTH ANNUAL PUNJABI CELEBRATION, featuring University of Florida bhangra team, including dinner and dancing; organized by Punjabi Association of America; 6:30 p.m.; India Cultural Center, 5511 Lynn Road, Tampa; tickets are $35 per person and available at Indian grocery stores; call Rakesh Sharma at (727) 532-6166 or Pawan Rattan at (813) 254-0707 for information.

COCOA

AUG. 13: INDIA DAY, celebrating India�s Independence Day and featuring beauty pageants, dances, music; organized by the Indian Association of Space Coast; 2 to 8 p.m., Cocoa Expo Sports Center, 500 Friday Road, Cocoa, FL 32926; call Dinesh Gandhi at (321) 729-6439 or Manhar Shah at (321) 727-3932.

Schedule of FIA of Florida activities

(Dates and place subject to change without notice)

August 20, 2005: India Day, India Fair, Independence Day, Miss India USA Pageant (USF Sun Dome in Tampa) Contact Satya Shaw, Event Chairman, at (813) 842-0345, Chandrakant Patel, Chairman, at (813) 340-5505, or Ram Jakhotia, Himmat Parikh, Harish Patel and Dinesh Gandhi.

VIDYALAYA AT HINDU TEMPLE OF FLORIDA: Every Sunday except on public holiday for first-graders to 12th grade; 12:15 to 2:45 p.m.; subjects include Mathematics and English; $25 registration fee per academic year, $125 per fall or winter term; Hindu Temple is at 5509 Lynn Road in Tampa; for more information on Vidyalaya, call Manish Kharod at (813) 963-0616 or Ravi Narayanan at (813) 961-6120.

PANDIT JASRAJ SCHOOL OF MUSIC FOUNDATION: Vocal and harmonium classes by Pandit Rattan Mohan Sharma and Radha Raman Kirtane; table classes (group and special) by Aditya Narayan Banerjee (www.adityabanerjee.com); classes held at different locations depending on the day; for more information, call (813) 960-0176 or e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.pjsmf.com

CHHANDAYAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC: Sitar, vocal and table classes by Hidayat Khan (son of sitar maestro Vilayat Khan), Mithali Bhaumik Banerjee (vocal) and Pandit Sameer Chatterjee (tabla); classes are held in Clearwater; for more information, call Satya Challa at (727) 712-1233 or Viji Reddy at (727) 934-7721 or e-mail [email protected]

BALVIHAR BY CHINMAYA MISSION OF TAMPA BAY: Sundays from 3 to 4:30 pm. at Hindu Temple of Florida; Saturday from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in St. Petersburg; ages 5 through teen; children learn about Hindu religion, culture and festivals through stories from the Ramayana and Bhagwad Gita; fees are $75 per year; additional $50 per year for each sibling; for more information on BalVihar, call Laxmi Sastry at (813) 948-3590 or e-mail [email protected]

SANKARA CULTURAL ALLIANCE OF FLORIDA: classes in Carnatic percussion instruments mridangam, ghatam, kanjira and morsingh by Ghatam Vidwan Sri T.H. Subash Chandran (brother of T.H. "Vikku" Vinayakram) and N. Ganesh Kumar (www.ganeshkanjira.com); classes held in Tampa and at the Hindu Temple of Florida; for more information, call Kala Gangadharan at (813) 979-4598 or Jyothi Venkatachalam at (813) 977-9039 or (813) 404-7899 or e-mail [email protected] or [email protected]

TAMPA SHAKHA/BALAGOKULAM: free activities for all ages, including yoga, games, field trips, and shlokas for children and adults; 10:30 a.m. Saturdays, Hindu Temple of Florida, Lynn Road; for more information, call Vijay Singh at (813) 920-7494.

ORLANDO

JAIN VISHWA BHARATI U.S.A.: Every Saturday classes are held on Pranayam, Yogic Exercise and Relaxation, 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.; donations accepted; JVB Center, 7819 Lillwill Ave., Orlando; for information, call (407) 852-8694 or e-mail [email protected]

Hindu Temple of Florida: 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday; 5509 Lynn Road, Tampa, FL 33624; (813) 962-6890.

Vishnu Mandir: 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday only, discourse by Pandit Vishnu Sharma; 5303 Lynn Road, Tampa, FL 33624; (813) 654-2551

Sanatan Mandir: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday; 311 East Palm Avenue, Tampa, FL 33602; (813) 221-4482

Shri Saraswati Devi Mandir: 9:30 a.m. to noon Sunday only; officiating priest is Pandit Purnanan Sharma; 16220 Livingston Avenue, Lutz, FL 33559; (813) 264-1539

Baps Shri Swaminarayan Mandir: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily; Darshan is closed between noon and 4 p.m. but reopens at 4 p.m.; 9226 E. Fowler Ave. (between Interstate 75 and U.S. 301); (813) 986-5473.

MANAV DHARMA ASHRAM: sumiran is from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. first Thursday of every month; satsang is 5 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, followed by dinner; yoga classes begin at 7:30 a.m. Saturday; bhajans are 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. every third Sunday; 7520 Caron Road, Tampa, FL 33615; call the ashram at (813) 889-7155, Himatlal Parekh at (813) 969-1661 or Ashok Modh at (813) 935-3439.

SHREE YAMUNA PREETI SEVA SAMAJ: Pushtimargiya Satsang Mandal invites Vaishnavs of Tampa Bay area to weekend Satsang sabhas and kirtans; 1340 Robin Road S., St. Petersburg, FL 33707; call Smitabein Patel at (813) 961-3816 or Himatlal Parekh at (813) 969-1661.

Islamic Society of Tampa Bay Area Mosque: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily; 7326 E. Sligh Ave., Tampa, FL 33601; Tel: (813) 628-0007

Gurudwara: 8 a.m. till 8 p.m. daily; 15302 Morris Bridge Road, Thonotosassa, FL 33592; (813) 986-6205.

ORLANDO AREA

HINDU SOCIETY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA, 8:30 a.m. to noon and 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; 1994 Lake Drive, Casselberry, FL 32707; (407) 699-5277.

Shri Shivdham Hindu Temple and Brahmrishi Yogashram: 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily; 460 O�Berry Hoover Road, Orlando, FL 32825; (407) 380-2661 or e-mail [email protected]

GURDWARA, SIKH SOCIETY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA: 11:30 A.M. to 1 p.m. Sunday; 2527 W. Aloma Ave. (west State Road 426), Oviedo; (407) 805-0404.

MASJID AL-RAHIM, ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA, WEST ORLANDO: five times daily prayers and pray on Friday; 4962 Old Winter Garden Road, Orlando, FL 32811; (407) 523-7882.

SHRI SHIVDHAM HINDU TEMPLE AND BRAHMRISHI YOGASHRAM: 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily; 460 O�Berry Hoover Road, Orlando, FL 32825; (407) 380-2661 or e-mail [email protected]

SANTOSHI MA TEMPLE: bhajan and aarti first Friday of every month; 10900 Park Ridge Gotha Road, Windermere, FL 34786; (407) 996-2830.

SHRI LAXMINARAYAN MANDIR: 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sunday; 269 N. Klondike Ave., Pine Hills, FL 32811; (407) 877-7916.

SHRI SWAMINARAYAN MANDIR (BAPS): 1325 W. Oak Ridge Road, Orlando, FL 32809; (407) 857-0091.

ALACHUA (ALACHUA COUNTY)

ISKCON OF ALACHUA (International Society for Krishna Consciousness): founder is A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, P.O. Box 819, Alachua, FL 32616; (386) 462-2017.

INVERNESS (CITRUS COUNTY)

Shirdi Sai Center: 4707 Pleasant Grove Road, Inverness, FL 34452; for timings of the center and any other information, call (352) 860-2181 or e-mail [email protected]

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