Atlanta, GA — Sep 9, 2006 — More than 1000 Hindus and non-Hindus celebrated the grand Hindu Sangam on Sep 9, 2006 at the Meadowcreek high school, Norcross GA. The highlights of the cultural festival – organized by the Atlanta chapter of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh – included a saamuhik (collective) Ganesh Puja by 300 children, a spectacular rendition of the Ramayan by 160 children, an exhibition on Hindu culture and the inauguration speech by Mr Charles Bannister. The event was organized to commemorate the birth centenary of Shri Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar fondly known as Shri Guruji.
The event started at 2:30 pm with Ganesh Puja for children between the ages of 3 to 17 years, with participants gradually trickling in with their families. More than 300 children collectively performed the Puja with their individual Ganesh murtis and puja material that were provided at the venue. Priests from the Sanatan Mandir (Smyrna, GA) and the Hindu Temple of Atlanta (Riverdale, GA) guided the children with the sanskrit shlokas and a step by step instruction on the performance of the Puja.
The chief guest of the event, Mr Charles Bannister who is the chairman of the Gwinnett county commission delivered the inaugral speech after a welcome by the president of HSS-Atlanta, Chandulal Patel. Mr Bannister, after greeting the audience with a ‘Namaste’, appreciated the hundreds of Hindus living in Gwinnett county for “being responsible citizens contributing immensely to the wealth of this country”. He compared Hindu values with American values and pointed out the commonality of the principles of freedom embedded within both of them. Mr Bannister concluded his speech urging the Hindu-American community to continue to add to the diversity of Gwinnett by organizing events such as the Hindu Sangam.
The keynote speech delivered by Shri Ravi Kumar, the Joint International coordinator of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, showcased to the audience the achievements of Hindus and the Hindu resurgence that is occuring throughout the Hindu world. Hindus and in particular the youth, said Raviji, were asserting themselves unlike their previous generation. He stated that the entire program of Hindu Sangam was organized by the youth and all activities had taken place as planned and on time.
The grand Ramayan play, for which the audience had been patiently waiting, followed afterward. More than 160 children in the ages of 3 to 17 years took part in a beautiful rendition of the Ramayan play for more than 100 minutes. The auditorium was jam-packed with people jostling for space and reverberated with joy and applause when Ravana was killed by Ram celebrating the victory of good over evil.
A traveling exhibit titled ‘Hindu Culture and Dharmic traditions of India’ showcasing various aspects of Hinduism such as Yoga, Ayurveda, Basic Concepts, Arts, Dances, Contributions of Hindus to the world, etc also visited the festival. The exhibition provided a bird’s eye view to the vast cultural and dharmic heritage of India.
Press Release pictures visit :
http://www.hssus.org/gallery/v/SEAST/GaneshPoojaAndRamLeela_001/PressRelease/
Other pictures visit :
http://www.hssus.org/gallery/v/SEAST/GaneshPoojaAndRamLeela_001/
