FEB. 3-11: 2006 TAMPA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL: the fourth annual event also features a major retrospective of Indian filmmaker Buddhadeb Dasgupta and a showing of some of his films such as �Memories in the Mist,� �Chased by Dreams,� �A Tale of a Naughty Girl� and �The Wrestlers� at the Museum of Science & Industry and Sunrise Cinemas; tickets are $8 for adults, $7 for students and $5 for seniors per film; for more information, call the film festival at (813) 253-333 or click on www.tampafilmfest.org

FEB. 8: INDOUS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MONTHLY BUSINESS MEETING: Brad Dixon, sommelier at Bern�s Steak House, will speak on �Ordering Tips in Selecting the Right Wine at Business Dinner Meetings;� 6:30 p.m., free admission and complimentary dinner; Best Western Hotel, 1200 N. West Shore Blvd., Tampa; www.indo-us.org

FEB. 11: THYAGARAJA ARADHANA CELEBRATIONS: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Hindu Temple of Florida; 5509 Lynn Road, Tampa; (813) 962-6890 or click on www.hindutempleofflorida.org

FEB. 23-26: FIVE-SESSION RAMAYAN-SHIVA-DEVI YAGNA: organized by Saraswati Devi Mandir of Tampa; 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 9:30 a.m. to noon and 6 to 10 p.m. on Sunday; officiating priest is Pandit Anand Sukul of New York, assisted by Pandit Purnanan Sharma of Tampa; 16220 Livingston Ave., Lutz; call Pandit Sharma at (813) 907-8886 or Nanda Persaud at (813) 265-3378.

MARCH 19: TAMPA VISA CAMP: organized by the Federation of Indian Associations of Tampa Bay; among the services offered by Consulate General of Houston will be visas to U.S. passport holders and overseas citizens; applicants to be received from 9 a.m. to noon; miscellaneous service documents returned between 4 and 5 p.m.; Howard Johnson, 2520 50th St. N., Tampa; call Chandrakant Patel at (813) 340-5505 or Shyam Mohapatra at (813) 312-4248.

MARCH 25-31: �THE TEACHINGS OF BHAGAVAD GITA: CHAPTERS 1 THROUGH SIX,� series of lectures organized by Khaas Baat columnist Swami Suryadevananda at the Hindu Temple of Florida hall; 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily; free admission; all Indira Sastry at (813) 855-7884 or Dr. Nageshwara Rao at (813) 962-6890.

MARCH 29-APRIL 2: MAHA KUMABABHISHEKAM CELEBRATIONS, organized by Hindu Temple of Florida; chief guest is His Holiness Swamy Dayanand Saraswati of Rishikesh; Hindu Temple of Florida, 5509 Lynn Road, Tampa; call Dr. G.M. Ramappa at (727) 863-5474 or Manjul Derasari at (813) 977-6695 or click on www.hindutempleofflorida.org

APRIL 1: 2006 CULTURAL CAROUSEL BALL: organized by Patel Foundation for Global Understanding; the event will transport attendees all over the world while enjoying sumptuous ethnic cuisine from far-flung places as well as offering world music and dance; beneficiaries are more than a dozen Tampa Bay area charities; $300 charity guest, $350 special guest and $500 VIP guest tickets are available till Feb. 10; Tampa Convention Center; call Morgan Rose at (813) 471-4380, Ext. 620 or check out www.global-understanding.org

ORLANDO

FEB. 2-4: DWAJA STHAMBHAM INSTALLATION CELEBRATIONS, organized by Hindu Society of Central Florida; 1994 Lake Drive, Casselberry; call Sreenivas Jarugula at (321) 262-6197 or Dr. Anita Gupta at (407) 333-4510 or click on www.hindutempleorlando.org

FEB. 24-25: SHIVRATRI MAHA YAGNA: organized by Shri Shivdham Hindu Temple; 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Friday; 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. Sunday to 6 a.m. of next day Monday; Shivdham Hindu Temple, 460 O�Berry Hoover Road, Orlando; (407) 380-2661.

FEB. 25: ALL-DAY WORKSHOP ON FOLK ARTS OF INDIA by Geeta Kapadia; organized by the Asian Cultural Association of Central Florida; artist Kapadia will be focusing on the rangoli art form in the workshop; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with lunch break at noon; Casselberry Art House, 127 Quail Pond Circle, Casselberry; $100 members, $125 non-members; call (407) 333-3667.

MARCH 5: SENIOR GROUP GALA DINNER AND SHOW: organized by the Hindu Society of Central Florida; musical and variety shows are in the works; 5 to 9:30 p.m.; Temple Community Hall, 1994 E. Lake Drive, Casselberry; call Dev Sharma at (407) 862-9920, Madan Arora at (407) 971-9259 or Mala Karkhanis at (407) 365-0985.

MARCH 11: DURGA MAA�S JAAGRAN: Nora and Anshu Jain are inviting Devi Maa worshippers to the Jaagran, which starts at 9 p.m.; dinner will precede at 6:30 p.m.; Days Inn, 5827 Caravan Court, Orlando; call Millie McDonald at (407) 581-5043 t confirm for dinner purposes.

MARCH 11: �PASSIONATE PURSUITS � A CELEBRATION OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN�S DAY�: organized by 1008 Wells Foundation to present the Global Women�s Humanitarian Award; turn in your nomination for the woman you believe is transforming the lives of others beyond her own background before Feb. 14 to [email protected]; 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.; tickets are $35; Orlando Marriott Downtown; international dinner buffet, global bazaar and marketplace, artisan gallery and silent auction; for more information, call 407-460-7276 or visit www.1008wells.org.

MARCH 19: HOLI CELEBRATION: organized by the Association of Asian Cultural Festivals; free; music, dance; 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; parade starts from 11 a.m. from Lakshmi Narayan Mandir; Turkey Lake Park-Orlando; call Lalman Persaud at (407) 293-6691 or Buddy Shivdat at (407) 578-8175 or e-mail [email protected]

APRIL 8: INDIA SHOWCASE FAIR: enjoy food, clothing, jewelry and more during the daylong festival; Central Florida Fairgrounds; call (407) 260-0567 or e-mail [email protected]

GAINESVILLE

FEB. 25: INDIA FEST & HEALTH FAIR: organized by India Cultural & Education Center; Indian cultural show, food, music, jewelry, clothing, arts and crafts, yoga; India Fest from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Health Fair from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.; Santa Fe Community College Gymnasium (Building V); 3000 N.W. 83rd St., Gainesville; for more information, call Shaheda Qaiyumi at (352) 378-7112 or Uma Sethuram at (352) 271-4214 or click on www.icec-florida.org

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.

SHIV MANDIR: 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday; officiating priests are Pandit Balraj Maharaj and Ram Maharaj; 2001 N. Howard Ave., Tampa, FL 33607; (813) 907-6311.

DADA BHAGWAN�S GROUP OF TAMPA BAY: Satsang every Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m.; everyone is invited; call Ramesh Patel at (813) 926-1143 or Mukesh Patel at (813) 969-1740.

JAIN SOCIETY OF TAMPA BAY: Monthly bhavna from 3 to 5 p.m. every fourth Sunday; also, non-Jains can take Dev Darshan of statues made of marbles by sculpture-artist from Rajasthan; 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 5 to 7 p.m.; both events at Days Inn hotel at Fletcher Avenue and Interstate 75; call Kini Shah at (813) 503-0715 or Pradeep Bavishi at (727) 525-5400.

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 Ave., 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.

GURDWARA: 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; 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; 1994 Lake Drive, Casselberry, FL 32707; (407) 699-5277.

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.

SARASWATI DEVI MANDIR/INDO CARIBBEAN CENTER: Sunday service is from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; all special days observed with worship; 1453 N. Pine Hills Road, Orlando, FL 32808; for information, call (407) 522-1988 or click on www.saraswatidevimandir.com

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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