THE
E-Newsletter
May 10, 2008
This is our monthly e-newsletter to keep everyone up-to-date about the various activities at the Temple. This e-newsletter focuses on the Bal Bharati
events. It is important for all of us to remember that the children are our future and we should be there to support them in any way that we can. In addition to the events Bal Bharati is hosting, I thought it was important
to hear what the members of Bal Bharati Committee had to say about the Temple and about being Hindu. Below are some of the responses I received, I hope to get more input from the youth on how to make the Temple an even better
place. We have some very intelligent and creative youth who can bring great ideas to the table if we just give them a chance. I would also like to hear your thoughts and work with you to implement them. Thank you!
Recent and Upcoming Bal Bharati Events
Desi Fusion: The Balbharati committee hosted its annual spring
dance DESI FUSION at the Temple on March 14th 2008. This event is a great occasion for social interaction and expression of the Indian culture for the youth of our community, and is catered exclusively to teens. This is the second year
that the Temple has hosted Desi Fusion and it was a huge success. Kids danced away till midnight to the tunes of non-stop bhangra, garba, fusion, and hip-hop music, ably played by the popular DJ artist Kuku.
Basant Bahar: The Basant Bahar is an annual, springtime cultural program
for children between the ages of 4 and 19. It is eagerly anticipated and extremely well received, for it gives children the opportunity to be on the stage and express their love of dance and music in a non- competitive environment. The event draws
many professional choreographers and their students. However, it also provides the amateur choreographers, both adult and the young, the opportunity to showcase their talents along with the performers. This year the event will take place on Saturday, May 17, 2008.
The auditions were held on Sunday, May 4, 2008.
Youth Camp: The Youth Camp is another popular event, and this year
it is from Friday, August 1 to Saturday, August 2. Children from ages 6-13 are the campers and members of the Bal Bharti youth committee are the counselors. It is an overnight camp at the Temple and is filled with fun and games as well as
teachings on Indian culture and Hindu religion. The children have a wonderful time; make new friends and go home more knowledgeable. The camp ends with a talent show that is planned and put on by the campers, and it is often the most memorable part.
Parents can come and watch, and they often do. Gharbhangra: The Garbhangra is another event that has all the teenagers raving.
It combines both the traditional Garbha and Banghara music for the youth to dance to. Hence the name Garbhangara. Good food and good company of friends makes this an exciting event and something the youth eagerly look forward to. They invite their friends
of other nationalities and take pride in showing off to them this aspect of the Indian culture. This year, Garbhangra will be held in October. From our Young Adults "I joined Youth Committee because I thought it would be a good way to participate more in my Indian community and to get volunteer hours. I thought I could help the Temple and organize fundraisers.
To me, being a Hindu is very important. I like to stay in touch with my Indian background and I think it is very important to do so. Many Indian kids these days are not aware of what is going on in the Hindu community because they are so out of touch with their
background. Joining Youth Committee helped me a lot to learn more about Hinduism and myself. I also attend Balavihar at the temple every Saturday. Balavihar also helps me learn more about my culture and values. In all, being a Hindu is a key part of my life." By Varsha Aravindabose "Opening my mind and heart to new ideas helps me understand the world in a particular way. Joining the youth committee at the Temple has done just that. It has encouraged me to meet new people, learn about our heritage, and help
the community in a variety of ways. Recently, we have helped the less fortunate by preparing food for them, and by donating canned goods to Gleaner's Food Kitchen. Coming up, you will see many of us participating in the highly anticipated 'Basant Bahar'. Hope to see you all there!" By Sonam Sethi "Living in a multiethnic society, it is understandable that I have been influenced by other cultures and nationalities. However, I know that something is amiss when I am more familiar with Christianity
than my own religion, Hinduism. That is the way it used to be for me. All of my Christian friends would talk about what they had learnt in Church about God and I wouldn't be able to give my input about Brahma or Krishna because, well, I didn't know much more than what
I had read in the Amar Chitra comics.. Thanks to Prasanna Vengadam Aunty and my being a part of the Bal Bharati Youth Committee, I have become more familiar with my religion and have become proud of the heritage that I have spawned from. Learning about my religion has
given me the knowledge and confidence to go up to my Christian or Muslim friends and state with conviction 'I am proud to be Hindu.' " By Anupama Mohanachandran Since the youth are our future, it is very important that we have more youth participation. Please tell your children and their friends to join Bal Bharati if they are not already a part of it.
Bal Bharati is not just a way to help the Temple and learn about Hinduism, it is a great way to meet other young people who are going through the same situations and are dealing with the challenge of embracing both the Indian and American cultures. I look
forward to seeing new young faces at the Temple and listening to what they have to say. As always please feel free to contact me at 248-879-3856 or e-mail rajinderkapur@yahoo.com with any questions or concerns you may have. Thank you
Rajinder Kapur
Ph.D. President The
Phone 248.879.2552 • Fax 248.879.2094 •
www.bharatiya-temple.org A Non-Profit Ecclesiastical
Corporation • Tax ID# 23-7437912