FEBRUARY 2015
Khaas Baat : A Publication for Indian Americans in Florida

OCALA, ORLANDO, LAKELAND, JACKSONVILLE, TAMPA, TALLAHASSEE TO HOST EKAL FUNDRAISERS

EKAL 2015Ocala, Orlando, Lakeland, Jacksonville, Tampa and Tallahassee will hold their annual Ekal Vidyalaya fundraisers in February and March. Performing at the concerts is the Raja Chatterjee Group with singers Raja Chatterjee and Sangeeta Melekar, Piyush Bhatt on keyboard, Jay Natu on octopad and Daxesh Patel on tabla.

The Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation (www.ekal.org) strives to bring education and village development to rural India. As a tax-exempt, non-profit organization, Ekal initiates, supports and runs non-formal one-teacher schools in India. The movement strives to create a network of non-formal schools and health education that will educate and empower children in rural and tribal India. Ekal schools operate on a minimal $1-a-day budget.

EKALOCALA: The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20, at India Association Cultural & Educational Center, 2030 N.E. 36th Ave. Admission is free. For details, call Dipak Patel at (352) 266-2011, Dr. Nand Kishore Karve at (352) 237-3084 or e-mail karven@hotmail.com

ORLANDO/WINTER HAVEN: Dinner will be from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. followed by the concert on Saturday, Feb. 21, at West Orange High School, 1625 Beulah Road, Winter Garden. Entry and dinner are free. For information, call Suresh Gupta at (407) 352-2889 or Madhu Bansal at (214) 675-7994.

LAKELAND: The event will start at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, at Shree Swaminarayan Temple hall, 2793 New Tampa Highway. Entry and dinner are free with donation. For details, call Nilesh K. Patel at (863) 853-9315 or Hansmukh M. Patel at (863) 965-1453.

JACKSONVILLE: Dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m. with the concert from 7 on Friday, Feb. 27, at Bolles High School Auditorium, 7400 San Jose Blvd. For information, call Dilip Kothekar at (904) 537-6472 or Ravi Sanka at (904) 607-9175. For tickets, visit www.ekal.org

TAMPA: The West Coast city will hold the fundraiser on Saturday, Feb. 28, at India Cultural Center, 5511 Lynn Road. Dinner will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. followed by the musical program.

For information, call Dr. Umesh Choudhry at (727) 507-0584. For tickets, visit www.ekal.org

TALLAHASSEE: The fundraiser will be from 4:30 p.m. Sunday, March 1, at Lee Hall Auditorium, 1601 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. For information, email president.iatlh@gmail.com or vicepresident.iatlh@gmail.com

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PREPARE FOR MAYHEM AT MIAMI MAYHEM ON FEB. 28!

Miamin Mayhem
Photo courtesy of 
Andrew Milne Photography

Gear up for the annual Miami Mayhem VIII, an intercollegiate garba/raas competition showcasing eight raas teams from colleges across the nation as they battle for more than $3,000 in cash. Raas is associated with the festival of Navratri. Today, it has evolved into a form of creative expression with the growth of raas competitions nationwide.

On Saturday, Feb. 28, the University of Miami Indian Students Association will host the event, which offers an opportunity for teams to compete for a national championship title. Participating teams are Boston University, Rutgers University, Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Texas, University of Florida, George Washington University, University of Maryland and University of Maryland Baltimore County. And this year, UGA Asura, UJhoom, UMiami Raas, UMiami Tufaan and USF Bull Bhangra will give exhibition performances. 

All proceeds benefit Sunil’s Home Charity, an organization that addresses the increasing needs of orphans in India. The staff and volunteers of Sunil’s Home commit their time, talent and resources to help orphans transform their lives.

Miami Mayhem VII will begin at 6 p.m. at Julius Littman Performing Arts Theater, 17011 N.E. 19th Ave., North Miami Beach. Tickets are $10 for students at University of Miami students with a valid student ID and $15 for others and $20 for VIP tickets. Tickets will be available for purchase at www.miami-mayhem.com For more information, e-mail miami.mayhem@gmail.com


INDIAFEST TO BE HELD FEB. 21 IN WEST PALM BEACH

IndiaFEST Palm BeachThe 12th annual IndiaFEST put together by Palm Beach India Association will be on Saturday, Feb. 21, at Meyer Amphitheater in downtown West Palm Beach.

According to organizers, IndiaFEST is a way to celebrate the rich ethnic and cultural diversity of India with the South Florida community. Over the past decade, IndiaFEST has become one of the premier events in South Florida, with more than 14,000 people in attendance.

The daylong outdoor event begins at 11 a.m., which is free and open to the public, will feature musical, dance and cultural performances; food, clothing, and craft vendors; and art exhibits. This year’s attraction is a performance by the original “Disco King” of Bollywood, Bappi Lahri.

Meyer Amphitheater is at 105 Evernia St., West Palm Beach. For details, visit www.sfindiafest.com or e-mail info@sfindiafest.com


SHOWCASE INDIA SET FEB. 15 IN PUNTA GORDA

SHOWCASE INDIAMore than 1,500 people are expected to attend the annual Showcase India 2015 on Sunday, Feb.15, in Punta Gorda. Organized by the Indian American Cultural Center, the daylong festival from 10 a.m. onward will be held at Charlotte Harbor Event Center, 75 Taylor St. Tickets are $10 per person; $5 for children ages 6-12.

This year’s featured performer is the WAHH! World Fusion Band formed by tabla maestro, vocalist, multi-percussionist and composer Shankh Lahiri of Tampa. WAHH!, which also features Peter Mongaya on guitar, Michael Washington on drums and percussion, Ray Villadonga on bass, and Rajib Karmakar on ‘E- Sitar’ will take the stage from 1 to 3 p.m. Also performing are classical dancers Swapna Komarraju and Sayali Goswami.

SHOWCASE INDIAFor information, call (941) 613-2222, email iaccpc2004@gmail.com or visit www.indian-american-cultural-center.org

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