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Oct 2021

Community Ties

Meals-On-Wheels for Desi Senior Citizens – Gouri Banerjee

Starting November 3rd. 2021, Friends of Indian Senior Citizen’s Organization (FISCO), in collaboration with Minuteman Senior Services of Bedford, and Home Kitchen, Inc. of Dedham, will deliver meals to seniors. This new and exciting program offers fresh, hot, vegetarian food delivered to your homes on weekly (tiffin Services) to the seniors, who no longer able to prepare their own meals. If you are over the age of 85, and meet income guidelines you can have your meals subsidized further by Minuteman Senior Services. If you are below the age of 85 you too, can order meals, but the cost will be little higher. 

Meals-On-Wheels is a nutrition program for seniors supported by the federal government. The FISCO program is the first one catering to desi tastes and food preferences and cooked in a desi kitchen.
The program offers total of 10 (16 oz containers) meals per week at a cost of $78, delivered to your home if you are over the age of 65. Here is a sample Menu.

Gujarati Dal (Split Pigeon peas soup)
Kadhi
Cabbage with potatoes
Paneer Masala
Rasawala Chora (black eyed beans with gravy)
Sukhi Bhaji (Masala potato)
Idli & Sambhar
Dill leaves lentils
Spinach & Eggplant
Rice
Includes 5 Chapatis and 4 oz yogurt Raita

For now, meals will be delivered in selected towns only with the help of volunteers. Participants can choose which weeks they want food by filling out an online form.

For more details and to determine if you qualify for the program please contact –

Mr. Raman Gandhi, President of FISCO 309-453-7104, [email protected]
Or Ms. Rita Shah, Founder of FISCO, 339- 234-0738, [email protected]

FISCO encourages all seniors to order meals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion or ethnicity. For the online meal reservation form please click here at www.thefisco.org

Home Kitchen is an Indian fusion takeout restaurant in Needham, MA. They specialize in sourcing local ingredients to make delicious, fresh home-cooked meals. They also provide weekly tiffin/meal plans. They have a robust catering menu and homemade mithais.

Come check us out online (homekitcheninc.com) or in person to see our special Diwali menu of traditional snacks and sweets, feel free to order online or call us.


They are holding a Diwali mithai mela this Sunday from 11am-3pm at 324 Chestnut St, Needham For more information contact them at: [email protected] or (781)-347-2233. Hope to see you there

President’s Note

Hello!

It’s my pleasure to welcome you all as the President along with the new IAGB team. Over the past years, we have embarked on a journey to establish close community relations and bring meaningful initiatives to the community. Your IAGB Team believes that there’s nothing unattainable when a community comes together. The goal of this new team is to empower the local Indian American community in civic matters; engage and reconnect our community through enriching activities; be resourceful for our seniors; and establish community level connections with our youth.

Your current IAGB team is just as eclectic as the community we represent. They are eager to serve and carry forward IAGB initiatives. See below a word bubble of our collective thoughts on what IAGB means to the greater Indian American community.
Keep an eye out for our newsletters to find the upcoming

activities and join in wherever you can. We also encourage and invite you to ask questions, share your knowledge, and continue to be an integral part of this community.

~Vaishali Gade

Art and Music Spotlight

Shriya Srinivas, a dancer and designer based in the Boston area, has had art at the forefront of her life since a young age. At the age of five, she began dancing Bharatnatyam under the tutelage of Guru Sridevi Ajai Thirumalai. Incredibly skilled in both Nritta, the art of pure dance, and Abhinaya, the art of expression, Shriya has truly perfected the over 2000-year-old art form, performing her arangetram at the age of 14. The past 19 years with Guru Sridevi has instilled in Shriya an immense love for the dance form and she continues to learn with immense passion. Over the years, Shriya has performed for many prestigious organizations in USA and India such as Yuva Bharati at CA, ICCR, Indian Institute of World Culture, Shantala Arts Festival, Ananya at Bangalore, Gana Mukundhapriya at Chennai as well as several group productions from her dance school. 

Shriya Srinivas
SHRIYA2
Shriya1

Shriya has also won competitions such as the Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana competition. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design from Northeastern University, Shriya works as a graphic designer in the Boston Area. She freelances design projects for the community and especially loves combining her love for dance with design in different ways. Dreaming of running her own dance school someday,

“I thank my parents every day that they put such an emphasis on the arts in our family. They have always encouraged me to follow my passions.” – Shriya Srinivas

~ IAGB Youth Editorial Director, Aarushi Pant

Shriya Srinivas, a dancer and designer based in the Boston area, has had art at the forefront of her life since a young age. At the age of five, she began dancing Bharatnatyam under the tutelage of Guru Sridevi Ajai Thirumalai. Incredibly skilled in both Nritta, the art of pure dance, and Abhinaya, the art of expression, Shriya has truly perfected the over 2000-year-old art form, performing her arangetram at the age of 14. The past 19 years with Guru Sridevi has instilled in Shriya an immense love for the dance form and she continues to learn with immense passion. Over the years, Shriya has performed for many prestigious organizations in USA and India such as Yuva Bharati at CA, ICCR, Indian Institute of World Culture, Shantala Arts Festival, Ananya at Bangalore, Gana Mukundhapriya at Chennai as well as several group productions from her dance school. Shriya has also won competitions such as the Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana competition. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design from Northeastern University, Shriya works as a graphic designer in the Boston Area. She freelances design projects for the community and especially loves combining her love for dance with design in different ways. Dreaming of running her own dance school someday, she says, “I thank my parents every day that they put such an emphasis on the arts in our family. They have always encouraged me to follow my passions.”

~ IAGB Youth Editorial Director, Aarushi Pant

IAGB Youth Corner

IAGB Youth Editor Column

School has been in session for many of us on the IAGB Youth team for about a month. Everyday we get up, eat, go to school, participate in extracurriculars, and then finish hours of homework. We have been going through this cycle for about a month, and it is hard to not feel burnt out. The feelings of uncertainty still are present in our heads since the pandemic has not made anything easier. Things still are not the “normal” we thought we would have achieved by now. In fact, the thoughts of another lockdown start to resurface. We hope not to have another virtual year of school. We hope that people will take precaution and be safe during this new variant. We can only hope our extracurriculars do not get shut down again. Us, students, can only do so much as hope and wish. We can’t make the decisions, that is up to the parents and the school board. The second year into a pandemic has made us experience things we would have never before. Somehow we have to balance school, and homework, and extracurriculars; while also making sense of this new school year and digesting that this is reality. The masks are still here, and school carries on. It feels bittersweet to us, knowing that what we all have gone through will be in textbooks. Hopefully, there will be positive outcomes, such as advances in medicine and technology. We are living history, so let us reflect on that, while we balance our hectic schedules and carry on through the school year. We want to leave you with one question however; as someone living in history, what would you include in the textbook of our lives?

~ IAGB Youth Team

IAGB Youth Opportunities Column

IAGB Youth Spotlight:
Who: 25 and under
When: Submissions are due by November 15th.
Nomination form: https://forms.gle/yNMAZNBDeNB9c14SA
Inviting nominations for October IAGB Youth Spotlights! The IAGB youth initiative spotlights talented local youth who have demonstrated outstanding contributions to art, sports, or the community! Nominees must be 25 years of age or younger, and they must have lived in the New England area.

IAGB Youth Engagement

IAGB Youth; a platform for Youth of Indian heritage to help them develop leadership skills, the skills they need to identify pressing issues in the communities in the New England area, amid racism, poverty, violence, as well as rapidly changing environment, and tap into their own and their communities’ strengths to create positive change.

Lend our youth voices to shape policies that empower youth to achieve equity, opportunity and enrich ourselves and our community. Understand what it means to be Indian American, and stay connected to our rich heritage.

The IAGB Youth Team is recruiting!!
Who: Grades 8-12
When: Meet once per month
Students will coordinate and engage in several community activities. Community service hours are available, as well as leadership opportunities!
If you have any questions or if you are interested in joining, send an email to [email protected]

Guest Article

Dr. Shermin de Silva, a conservation scientist and wildlife biologist, directs the Udawalawe Elephant Research Project to study and protect the wild Asian elephant population. She is also the president and founder of Trunks & Leaves Inc., which focuses on evidence-based conservation and education outreach in Asia.

Here is a message from Dr. de Silva on the importance of Asian elephant conservation:

“Growing up in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, I was an urban kid surrounded by buildings. But I loved nothing more than watching wildlife documentaries on TV, and I was just fascinated by the natural world. Eventually, my family ended up immigrating to the US due to political instability. Fast forward several years, and I entered University, where I became aware of the environmental and conservation issues surrounding Asian elephants and found my passion. It seemed like we needed all hands on deck to rise to the challenges elephants are facing. Life came full circle for me, I got to come ‘home’ to Sri Lanka to study the elephants we’d always seemingly taken for granted, and together with the people who share space with these fascinating animals to find solutions to sustainable human-elephant coexistence.

“The Asian elephant is listed as endangered under the IUCN Red List, and populations have reduced by at least 50% over the last three generations. The number one threat to this species is habitat loss and fragmentation (not the ivory trade). Elephants in Asia may have lost as much as 60% of their range since the 1700s, during the colonial era. The remaining elephant populations live on landscapes heavily dominated by human activity. The result is elephants and humans living in close proximity, leading to conflict and dangerous negative consequences for both species.

“However, we can all do our part to support Asian elephants! Whether that is raising awareness for elephant conservation in our social circles or online, donating to organizations contributing to research and conservation, or building sustainability in our daily lives. It will take all of us collectively to protect Asian elephants and keep this iconic species present for future generations to come.”




Find out more here: https://www.trunksnleaves.org/

Dharohar

Darjeeling is fondly called “Queen of the Hills”

An integral part of India’s legacy and heritage (dharohar) are its cities, towns, and villages. History awaits at every corner of India, whether its a lost legend, a well preserved palace, or a village bazaar. Through our ‘Dharohar’ section we will bring to you some of India’s treasured places.

This month we showcase Darjeeling, a city in the state of West Bengal, famous for its highly aromatic black tea with fruity and floral flavor. For all tea connoisseurs out there, your tea experience is incomplete until you’ve tasted the “Champagne of Teas” – Darjeeling Tea. It is said that these teas are the highest elevation produced teas and it is the altitude that creates an ideal environment for the tea plant. The result is that the teas grown here are imparted with a unique muscatel flavour and special aroma.

Nestled in the Himalayan foothills, Darjeeling is home to the view of the mighty Mt. Kanchenjunga. The Himalayan range is best viewed from Tiger Hill and captures the perfect sunrise. To traverse the extreme landscapes, local workers laid small-gauge tracks between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling and built small but powerful engines, and built the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. The railway is also known as Toy Train due to its engines and compartments that look like a scaled down toy version of other trains operated in India.

The city is also famous for its Cable Car Ropeway which was the first ropeway built in India. From the cable cars can be seen a bird’s eye view of Darjeeling’s lush vegetation, tea gardens. Darjeeling is also home to the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, that houses high altitude Himalayan animals including endangered animals like Red Panda and the Snow Leopard. Sprawled over about 40 acre of land is Lloyd Botanical Garden, another unique attraction in the city. It is a delight for anyone who wishes to enjoy a vibrant display of nature’s colors with a collection of flora including alpine plants. Finally a visit to the Chowrasta and walk around the Mall Road is a must to get a full view of Darjeeling and the adjoining areas. The nearest airport to Darjeeling is Bagdogra Airport about 95 km from the city, and the nearest railway station is New Jalpaiguri. Darjeeling is fondly called ‘Queen of the Hills’ and provides a perfect getaway for those seeking to be in harmony with nature.

Sources:
https://darjeeling.gov.in/
https://www.incredibleindia.org/
https://www.darjeeling-tourism.com
https://www.travelawaits.com/2483111/darjeeling-fascinating-facts/
https://teatrunk.in/blogs/all/everything-you-need-to-know-about-darjeeling-tea-in-a-nutshell

Community Conversations

DiyaChandra

Diya Poorna Chandra, Shrewsbury (Preschooler)

 

“We light candles and pray to God, and we put rangoli too. We do the fireworks around it. And then we say Happy Diwali!”

 

Dr Kalyani Murthy

Dr. Kalyani Murthy,

Lexington

“Deepavali embodies the true meaning of ‘Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya’ which essentially means ‘Lead me from darkness to light’. The Festival of Lights, as it is known all over the world, ushers in light, enlightens our life and fosters a sense of brotherhood. It reminds us to embrace the journey of life as a quest for knowledge and truth while dispelling ignorance.”   

DiyaChandra

Diya Poorna Chandra, Shrewsbury (Preschooler)

“We light candles and pray to God, and we put rangoli too. We do the fireworks around it. And then we say Happy Diwali!”

 

Dr Kalyani Murthy

Dr. Kalyani Murthy, Lexington

“Deepavali embodies the true meaning of ‘Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya’ which essentially means ‘Lead me from darkness to light’. The Festival of Lights, as it is known all over the world, ushers in light, enlightens our life and fosters a sense of brotherhood. It reminds us to embrace the journey of life as a quest for knowledge and truth while dispelling ignorance.”   

 

Radhika Dwara

Radhika Dwara,

Brighton

(Northeastern University Graduate)

 

“Diwali for me is an amalgamation of small joys .. be it the happiness of enjoying Diwali faral (sweets & snacks), the shopping for new dresses, lighting the fire crackers and diyas or attending the ‘Diwali-pahat-event’ (music mehfils at the dawn) in Pune. Diwali always reminds me of the best times spent with my family and friends.”

 

Dr Rahul Datar

Dr. Rahul Datar,

Wayland

“Diwali is the festival to celebrate happiness and remember God. We try to forget our daily trials and tribulations during this festive time to create joy in our lives. We celebrate it with our friends and family to double this joy!”

Radhika Dwara

Radhika Dwara, Brighton, (Northeastern University Graduate)

“Diwali for me is an amalgamation of small joys .. be it the happiness of enjoying Diwali faral (sweets & snacks), the shopping for new dresses, lighting the fire crackers and diyas or attending the ‘Diwali-pahat-event’ (music mehfils at the dawn) in Pune. Diwali always reminds me of the best times spent with my family and friends.”

 

Dr Rahul Datar

Dr. Rahul Datar, Wayland

“Diwali is the festival to celebrate happiness and remember God. We try to forget our daily trials and tribulations during this festive time to create joy in our lives. We celebrate it with our friends and family to double this joy!”

 

yt2

Aarushi Pant,

IAGB Youth Director

 

“Diwali is a celebration of the victory of good over evil where we ward off darkness by lighting up our homes. More than simply a religious holiday, it is also a time of community, where friends and families come together to celebrate.”

 

yc1

Anshika Shekhar,

IAGB Youth Member

“My favorite memories of Diwali celebrations center around a few people, my family. For me, Diwali signals the end of the year. For me, Diwali is the equivalent of the new year for others. Diwali is the time of year when I reflect on my wins and losses from the previous year. This is the time of year when I establish new resolutions and make plans for the coming year. This is when I get to see my family and I (plus my dog) enjoy the holidays while escaping the hectic world of school and work.”

 

yt2

Aarushi Pant, IAGB Youth Director

“Diwali is a celebration of the victory of good over evil where we ward off darkness by lighting up our homes. More than simply a religious holiday, it is also a time of community, where friends and families come together to celebrate.”

 

yc1

Anshika Shekhar, IAGB Youth Member

“My favorite memories of Diwali celebrations center around a few people, my family. For me, Diwali signals the end of the year. For me, Diwali is the equivalent of the new year for others. Diwali is the time of year when I reflect on my wins and losses from the previous year. This is the time of year when I establish new resolutions and make plans for the coming year. This is when I get to see my family and I (plus my dog) enjoy the holidays while escaping the hectic world of school and work.”

 

IAGB Spotlight

Ram Satyaprasad

We all have heard the phrase – Life is a marathon, not a sprint – at some point in life. Ram Satyaprasad of Burlington is the living embodiment of that phrase. He took up running as a part of his exercise regime and hasn’t stopped even at the age of 83. Though he started to run for health, it has given him a lot of fun, immense joy, and most importantly a purpose.

He has participated in more than 400 runs both locally and across the nation, including 32 marathons. In fact, he is the US Track & Field Federation’s national club record holder for 80+ year-olds. Along with these athletic accomplishments Ram enjoys the extraordinary camaraderie within his extended runners’ community. And believes that running in bigger groups has offered him better discipline and an opportunity to learn something new during every run.

Perhaps it is not a surprise that Ram has been a pioneer for many local community organizations, including IAGB. He was the president of IAGB during 1975-77. And fondly remembers the strong sense of connection and dedication experienced by the then small community of Indian Americans. He still wishes the same cohesion to the community and believes that IAGB can become the voice of the larger community by offering a greater platform to build better connections. “We have so many talented people in the community. But sitting back and not getting out doesn’t help. There have to be opportunities to make people participate more and live life to the fullest. In fact, in that regard I highly recommend the book ‘Younger Next Year’ to everyone, especially the seniors,” says Ram.

We sincerely thank Ram Satyaprasad ji for his wisdom, encouragement and blessings!

Ram Satyaprasad

Satya prasad

We all have heard the phrase – Life is a marathon, not a sprint – at some point in life. Ram Satyaprasad of Burlington is the living embodiment of that phrase. He took up running as a part of his exercise regime and hasn’t stopped even at the age of 83. Though he started to run for health, it has given him a lot of fun, immense joy, and most importantly a purpose.

He has participated in more than 400 runs both locally and across the nation, including 32 marathons. In fact, he is the US Track & Field Federation’s national club record holder for 80+ year-olds. Along with these athletic accomplishments Ram enjoys the extraordinary camaraderie within his extended runners’ community. And believes that running in bigger groups has offered him better discipline and an opportunity to learn something new during every run.

Perhaps it is not a surprise that Ram has been a pioneer for many local community organizations, including IAGB. He was the president of IAGB during 1975-77. And fondly remembers the strong sense of connection and dedication experienced by the then small community of Indian Americans. 

He still wishes the same cohesion to the community and believes that IAGB can become the voice of the larger community by offering a greater platform to build better connections. “We have so many talented people in the community. But sitting back and not getting out doesn’t help. There have to be opportunities to make people participate more and live life to the fullest. In fact, in that regard I highly recommend the book ‘Younger Next Year’ to everyone, especially the seniors,” says Ram.

We sincerely thank Ram Satyaprasad ji for his wisdom, encouragement and blessings!