IAGB Events Recap
IAGB 5K Run/Walk
2 / 6 – Winter Coat Drive & Drop Off Q1
IAGB Seniors’ Expo & Cultural Exchange 2024
Seniors Expo & Cultural Expo 2024 Thank you note from the President
Our dearest Community at Large, the Town of Billerica and our wonderful Indian American community of Greater Boston,
I still remember when IAGB ideated and initiated this event amidst the peak of Covid, for Seniors 4 years ago which was led by the then President Sanjay Gowda and yours truly. It grew bigger & better with every passing year.
This past Sunday, I felt that I have come a full circle as IAGB as the proven trailblazer that it has always been, hosted a unique endeavor with the Town of Billerica with a mission as heartening as it could get: “working together to build a strong community”!!!
If I am not wrong, this is IAGB’s “first ever” collaboration with the mainstream to host an event!!!
New England Seniors Expo & Cultural Exchange 2024, in collaboration with the Town of Billerica, was envisioned as an event not only dedicated to the seniors in the community and beyond, but also to foster cultural exchange with the mainstream.
And that’s what we did, this past Sunday, May 19, 11 am – 4 pm.
An Expo that had:
- Entertainment: unique performances by local Indian dancers/dance groups.
- Food truck/vendors: Indian food and more!
- Booths providing a wealth of information designed to help senior citizens & aspiring seniors, their caregivers, and families.
- Health Workshops by experts.
- Booths offering engaging essence of India such as clothing, jewelry, accessories, henna tattoos, spices, easy ways of Indian cooking and so on.
- Booths with prepared foods, farms, artisans & crafters.
My heart is full as we celebrate the Roaring Success of the IAGB New England Seniors Expo & Cultural Exchange 2024, the first of its kind Expo attended by 34 vendors, 4 Health/Wellness Experts, 4 talented Artists, 5 Dance groups & Dance Experts and over 250 people!
It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.
So here’s a HEARTENING SHOUT OUT and a heart-felt DHANYAVAAD (Thank You) to:
We couldn’t have done it without you – we owe our success to you!
**THE TOWN OF BILLERICA
**JEAN BUSHNELL – DIRECTOR – BILLERICA COUNCIL ON AGEING
**ROBERT MAYNARD – ASSISTANT TOWN MANAGER – BILLERICA
**MIKE RILEY – SELECTBOARD MEMBER – BILLERICA
OUR GRAND SPONSOR!
UNITED HEALTH CARE
OUR FOOD PARTNER:
The Treasury: Indian & Greek Kitchen
OUR VENDORS!!!
- Anokh
- Vyasa Bros. Inc
- Interactive Indian Folk Art
- Science Cardinal
- eternalHealth
- Mayin Arts LLC
- Alzheimer’s Association MA/NH Chapter
- MindGym Initiative
- United Healthcare
- IAGB
- Indian Circle for Caring USA Inc. (ICC)
- Raji collections
- Billerica Council on Ageing
- Billerica Board of Health
- Imaginations Art & Craft Center
- Sutanuti Sajghor
- Indian Medical Association of New England
- AgeSpan MA SMP
- Minuteman Senior Services
- Traditional Threads by Nikita Gupta
- SD Real Estate
- New York Life Insurance
- Henna Art
- MealMantra / Bhalla homes
- Zashnncreations
- Rehab Health 360 LLC
- Life Care Center of Merrimack Valley
- Indo-American Grocery
- Off-Kendrik Theatre Group
- Vaisakhi Weaves
- KalpTree Financial Services
- FISCO
- Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line
- Billerica Community Pantry
—Our Rangoli experts Swati Athale & Dipa Agrawal for beautifying the Town Hall garden with festive art.
—Yoga Expert Geeta Vallecha for her Yoga and Pranayam (practice of breath regulation) session with all
—Nicole McGurin – Alzheimer’s Association MA/NH Chapter for the workshop on The Impact of Alzheimer’s in our Community
—Meditation Expert Dr. Bindu Vyas for her workshop on Ways of Meditation.
—Dr. Sarju Ganatra, MD,FACC, Cardiologist for the workshop on Best Practices to prevent Heart Disease.
OUR PERFORMANCE GROUPS WHO ENTERTAINED EVERYONE AT THE EXPO!
- Moumita Banerjee – Tarana School of Kathak for her dance group’s dances ‘Kathak meets Lavni’ and Jhumur (Santal) Folk Dance.
- Shikha Vashishtha’s foot tapping Flash Mob/Dance Along.
- Ekta Jain – Ekta Dance Academy for her group dances showing Festivities & Celebrations.
- Viral Dave – GuruKool Enrichment Center for their Bollywood Dance Medley – Rising RockStars.
- Swasti Bhargava – Swasti School of Dance for her exciting Grand Finale Flash Mob/Dance Along.
The first of its kind in the New England area, this Expo stands as a brilliant example of what can happen when we work together -so let’s continue advocating human values such as respect, acceptance, empathy, and love towards other human beings.
Let’s have an open mind to “give and take, mingle and mingled in ”, with the larger mainstream society we are living in at the current time.
Let this Expo be a testimony of how to stay rooted to our cultures of diverse regions with oneness in mind, embrace our surrounding cultures and work together to build a strong community!
Thank You Letter from the Town of Billerica
Dear Tanu,
On behalf of my colleague Robert Maynard and myself, I wish to congratulate the IAGB team for its novel and successful approach to community cohesion on May 19th. Working closely with the town you, Deepak Garg, Nilesh Agrawal and Manish Bhowmick exceled at your communications, cooperation and innovative thinking. We have no doubt that this is the start of an annual Senior Expo and Cultural Exchange!
Despite the rain, the cool temperature and overcast skies, we mobilized beyond these barriers to share with the Billerica community the willingness of the IAGB diaspora to reach out, connect and learn from each other. Communities are built from mutual respect and a search for ways to effectively engage collectively to strengthen ties and bond with pride and authenticity.
Thanks for reaching out to the town of Billerica to join forces in this endeavor. We thank you for the partnership and hope that you will seek us out as more creative opportunities arise for us to exchange stories, notes and cultural elements as citizens of the town.
Kind regards
Jean A. Bushnell
IAGB DIS – Discover India Series Woburn Library
India Unveiled by Alkesh Shah
Alkesh Shah delivered the inaugural presentation in the series, focusing on India’s rich culture and heritage. He shared unique insights that aren’t readily available online. Additionally, Alkeshji discussed cultural, architectural, and historical experiences accessible to all, along with theme-based travel tips. The audience left impressed, gaining a deeper understanding of India’s diversity and what to anticipate when exploring different regions.
Prachin Kala-Ancient Arts by Swati Athale
Swati Athale’s presentation introduced the ancient art of Warli, which employs geometric shapes to convey expressive symbolism. She then showcased the intricate designs and patterns of Madhubani painting. Following that, attendees participated in a hands-on workshop to create their own Madhubani paintings. The time flew by as attendees immersed in the Prachin Art of Madhubani, and the beautiful greeting cards they took home as souvenir will be cherished memories for a long time!
Nritya Kala - Dances of India by Jasmine Shah
Jasmine Shah’s captivating dance presentations enthralled the audience. Attendees were fascinated by the intricate details of classical dance forms, the diverse array of costumes, and the meanings behind various gestures. Following the classical dance demonstration, lively discussions centered around various folk dances. The energy and vibrant moves of the dancers filled the hall, making it a delightful experience to learn and participate in Garba and Bhangra. Undoubtedly, this became the most popular presentation in the series!
Sur Sangeet - Music of India by Deepali, Anish, Yogesh
The final presentation in our series featured a captivating ensemble performance by the trio of musicians: Deepali Khanzode, Anish Khanzode, and Yogesh Kurhale. The session commenced with an explanation of Hindustani and Carnatic music, covering fundamental aspects such as taal, lay, and tarana, as well as the correlation between ragas and the time of day. Anish then delivered a vocal performance in the raag ‘Yaman.’ Deepali followed by introducing the sitar, a mesmerizing string instrument, and showcased its brilliance. Accompanied by Yogesh Karale on the tabla, the performance reached its peak with an enthralling tabla and sitar jugalbandi, leaving the audience in awe.
