Chicago IL: After celebrating Mother’s Day & Father’s Day, now was the turn to celebrate & showcase the talent of our young, budding artists, with dedicated Youth of Hari Om Mandir, who put up a grand show of cultural performances.
A Gala Evening of Music, Dance, Fun and Entertainment was organized by the Hari Om Mandir on Saturday, July 16, 2016 at Lake Park high school east campus, 600 Medinah Rd, Roselle, IL. The entire program was put together by the children ranging from 7 to 17 years of age. MC’s Tushar Sharma and Divya Maheshwari led the program from start to finish in a very professional way. They handled the whole show with great finesse…making sure the items were lined up in a manner that presented a true Variety Show….a colorful Rainbow of performances.
The Program started with the traditional lighting of the Diya and offering prayers to Ganesh Ji by the temple Priest, Pt Dinesh Kumar. Once, the ball was set rolling, there was no looking back….from Classical Bharatanatyam to Bollywood Dances, from Punjabi Folk to Modern Hip Hop, from Vocal Singing to Instrumental Music……the kids had sooooo much to offer!!!!
Each and every performance was of a high class standard and clearly showed the amount of practice & the long hours these kids had spent in preparation. Kudos to the Parents who had worked equally hard to encourage the kids, bring them for rehearsals, arrange for the costumes etc. etc. The Children & their Parents left no stone unturned to exhibit their Energy and Love for the rich Cultural Heritage of India.
As the rocking, young MC’s of the evening, walked up the stage, the whole atmosphere was charged with energy and was abuzz with excitement. They kept the audiences glued to their seats with their crisp comments and witty jokes. The chemistry between Tushar & Divya was very pleasing, as they had a sweet interaction on “Girls being the Best” and “Boys being the Best”, alongside the Indian & the American comparisons on foods, traditions, practices etc.
As the evening progressed, extra-ordinary talent was exhibited amongst huge applause and appreciation. Srikar Gangadharni, played and sang the old classic “Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram” on the piano. The special highlight of this rendering was that this 8yr old kid had learnt this Bhajan from his Grandfather in India thru Skype!!! Thanks to Technology! Another memorable performance was the recitation of the Nursery Rhyme, “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” by Shriya Lakshminarasimhan who presented this in various Indian Languages….from North to South… and portrayed the theme of Unity in Diversity. The whole auditorium echoed with laughter and clapping, as people rose to give her a standing ovation!!!!
After the Dinner Intermission, the program advanced to a grand finale with a Fashion Show put up by all the participants and their proud parents. Young kids and teenagers, very elegantly walked the stage and posed for pictures. Mr. Satpal Salwan, Chairman Board of Trustees thanked everyone for their hard work and congratulated the Youth for putting up a great show.
The President of the Executive Board, Vipan Wadhera also expressed great hope in the Youth, who are the bright future of our Nation. On this occasion, he presented a Plaque to the Youth Co-coordinator, Tushar Sharma, honoring him for his services and attachment to the Hari Om Mandir, since he was a 3yr old kid! He has truly carried forward the baton of our rich cultural heritage, and as he advances into the next phase of his life for college studies, HOM wishes him good luck and a bright future. The program concluded with the National Anthem and the awards ceremony.
