Newsletter

On behalf of IAGB, we wish all readers a very Happy New Year. For all expatriates January brings in memories of flying kites, sharing Til and Gud (sesame seeds and jaggery), and singing and dancing around a bonfire celebrating Lohri, depending upon which region in India one spent their formative years. These are just few of the many traditional celebrations that happen all across India in celebration of Sankranti – a festival that is celebrated as per the Solar Calendar (unlike most other festivals that go by the lunar calendar). Additionally, every 12 years the largest human congregation (100 million plus) of anywhere on earth happens in the month of January during the Kumbh Mela. Another childhood memory for most of us would be the annual parade in front of India Gate in New Delhi. Now for our kids growing up in Massachusetts, January will lock in the memories of IAGB Republic Day celebrations and the wide variety of competitions and performances during the day long event.

IAGB is gearing up for its annual Republic Day celebrations. This year we will celebrate on the same day as the rest of India – on January 26th, 2019. Like last year, the day will start with friendly competitions covering a range of skills from Chess and carom board games, to Skit, Trivia and many more. For a complete list of games and activities please visit us on our Facebook page. All the games and activities are free for IAGB members but pre-registration is required. This will be followed by our evening activities which this year will be a mix of cultural programs such as dance performances and the finals of Antakshari competition. The theme for cultural program is Kashmir to Kanyakumari. IAGB is requesting for volunteers. Interested individuals can contact us via email or via facebook page.

IAGB recently organized a General Body Meeting. IAGB President, Aditi Taylor, presented annual report to the attendees. She highlighted all the activities accomplished through the year, financial status and indicated the focus areas for the upcoming year. Lively discussion followed the presentations and suggestions for changes and improvements were discussed with attendees.

IAGB 2017-2019 Executive Committee’s tenure is now exactly at its mid point. The team feels proud of the milestones reached over the last year but also realizes that there are more issues to be addressed and more opportunities to explore. The team is not only looking at expanding its footprint on more facets of Indian American lives in New England, but is also finding ways to make these imprints deeper on their psyche. The Executive Committee strongly encourages IAGB members to attend the General Body Meeting scheduled for October 13th, 2018 at Burlington Public Library. This meeting is a good opportunity for the members to communicate their feedback and advice on what improvements can be made. We are hoping to see most of you at the GBM. Please RSVP.

IAGB celebrated India Day Festival at the Boston City Hall Plaza on Sunday, August 19th with great pomp and pageantry. The new venue turned out to be perfect in more ways than one. About 8,000 people attended the event. Starting with yoga and meditation at 11 AM followed by games for kids and adults, the first half set up the expectations for the rest of day to follow. The main cultural event started with a bang (Dhol taashe and lezim) and ended with a bang (Boston Bhangra and DJ hour) with literally no respite in the middle. Program after program was alive with energy and vigor. The crowds were wowed by a surprise flash mob in the middle with almost 50 participants dancing to choreography and music spanning the length and breath of India.

IAGB has more than doubled its efforts in its preparation of India Day celebrations set for August 19th. As this is the first time IAGB will be hosting this event at Boston’s City Hall Plaza, the entire team is stretching its imagination to anticipate the unexpected and at the same time is venturing out with some untried and untested but innovative ideas, so as to engage and make the experience of all the program attendees fun and memorable. See you all on August 19th and please do come and meet the Executive Board members and let us know how we are serving the IAGB community and what more we can do. We welcome all suggestions.

It takes a village…to build a village. This August 19th, 2018 IAGB community will showcase the splendor of Indian spirit at the Boston City Hall Plaza for the first time. The Plaza – Boston’s Living Room – will be transformed into a podium, a dance floor, a playground, a kitchen, a mega theater, a jazzy club…. all part of our mega annual celebration of India Day. You are encouraged to volunteer and become part of the celebrations. Please contact us and let us know how you wish to contribute. Activities will happen on stage and on the ‘field’. Activities are being planned for all age groups. This is our opportunity to not only enjoy our India spirit, but showcase the strength of the Indian-American diaspora in New England. So come join in on the celebrations!!