India Herald 032719

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Web: www.india-herald.com • Editor@india-herald.com • Tel: 281-980-6746

20 Pages

India Herald

VOL. 25 • NO. 13 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 • P.O. BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487 • PERIODICAL PERMIT USPS 017699 • 25 cents

Puranava India Culture Fest in Pearland The 2019 Puranava India Culture Fest, presented by Global Organization for Divinity at the Pearland Town Center on March 23, drew hundreds of visitors from across Houston and Pearland on a lovely Saturday. The event was held to commemorate the ninth anniversary of Houston Namadwaar, a prayer house temple located in the Pearland area. Story on Page 13.

The chariot parade at Puranava festival, a gesture for universal harmony. CRY, Child Rights & You America [CRY America], a non-profit that works towards ensuring underprivileged children their basic rights, hosted their Annual Houston Gala Dinner on March 3rd at the Marriott Town Square in Sugar Land. Bala Balachandran, left, Radha Patel, Chetan Patel, Rekha Nair, Dilip Bhojwani, Devina Bhojwani, Neeraj Seth, Gauri Seth, Geetha Balachandran, Ritu Nadkarni, Kunal Nadkarni, Dina Patel, Sameer Patel, Juuhi Ahuja, Girish Vasu, Priya Bali, Prakash Ahuja, Dharam Bali, Lipika Sharma, Patrick Bocco, Sukhjeet Gill and Ranjani Vasu. See story on Page 10.

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Come see our large collection of gold, diamond, ruby, pearl and emerald jewelry in latest, aĴractive designs. All of this in our spacious showroom 6655 Harwin Dr Ste A101 • Houston, TX 77036 713-789-GOLD (4653) Acarya Gaurang Nanavaty performs Ksirabhiseka to the Utsava Linga in a look alike Mount Kailash during the celebration of Maha Shivratri on March 4 at Chinmaya Mission’s Saumyakasi Sivalaya in Houston. See story on Page 11.

Indian Music Society concert Indian Music Society of Houston opens its 2019 season with a Hindustani vocal recital by Vidhushi Ashwini Bhide Deshpande with Pandit Ramdas Palsule on Tabla and Siddhesh Bicholkar on Harmonium at Chinmaya Mission Smriti Hall on April 6. This is the first of the 8 concerts scheduled for 2019. For tickets, memberships, visit www.imshouston.net or call 713-922-2501”.

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PAGE 2 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019

COMMUNITY

HARDIK VYAS Youngest Astrologer in North America Vaastu & Gem Stone Consultant; Hindu Priest for all Pujas & Marriages Languages spoken: English, Hindi, Gujarati & Marathi Astrologer Hardik Vyas, a famous young face in Vedic Astrology from India is in Houston. Call for guidance on Health, Wealth, Education, Career, Business, Property, Love & Passion, Marriage & Compatibility, Horoscope-Making, Child Problem, Luck & Fortune, Peace & Prosperity, Karma & Economic success. Vaastu Shastra is an ancient science. Fix an appointment for personal visit to your home, plot, business/office, shop, factory, or hotel. Gain peace of mind and prosperity by doing little changes as per Vaastu Shastra. Simple, Easy, Scientific & Affordable solutions/remedies to overcome problems in your Horoscope and Vaastu.

Astrology & Vaastu Shastra are Science of Nature, and are not related with any religion, caste, or community. It is an Occult Science and gift of nature for the welfare of the people.

Listen to Hardik Vyas live on 1320 AM Shoba Joshi’s Geetanajali Radio

E-mail: askfuture@hotmail.com Ph: 832-298-9950 www.toaskfuture.com

Puranava India Culture Fest showcases traditional best in Pearland

The 2019 Puranava India Culture Fest, presented by Global Organization for Divinity at the Pearland Town Center on March 23, drew hundreds of visitors from across Houston and Pearland on a lovely Saturday. Throughout the day, the event showcased India’s beautiful, inherently divine traditions through a variety of programs and exhibits. The event was held to commemorate the ninth anniversary of Houston Namadwaar, a prayer house temple located in the Pearland area. Several dignitaries attended the event including Congressman Mr. Pete Olson, Mayor of Pearland Tom Reid, Mayor of Manvel Deborah Davison, Executive Director of Pearland Convention and Visitors Bureau Kim Sinistore, City Council member Gary Moore, President of Hindus of Greater Houston Thara Narasimhan and Lead Trainer and Representative of Global Organisation for Divinity India Sri Poornimaji, a senior disciple of HH Maharanyam Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji, who came here from India to participate in Puranava. All of them had praises for the immense contribution of the Indian/ Asian community in general and that of Global Organization for Divinity specifically, to the vibrant, growing diversity of Pearland and Houston areas. Sri Poornimaji, in her keynote address, emphasized the true Indian culture represented in this event with divinity at the core of every activity, and how America and India share the common value of acceptance by integrating diverse cultures into their fabric. As part of G.O.D. and Love to Share Foundation America’s annual giving program on the occasion of Namadwaar’s anniversary, two local service organizations were provided with supplies donations – Alvin ISD’s Youth Empowerment Team represented by AISD YET Director Ms. Ana Pasarela and Manvel Community Outreach represented by founder Ms. Ruth Dietz. The highlight of the event was the unique Chariot Parade – a first for Pearland – where a large chariot carrying the deities of Sri Jagannath, Sri Balabhadra and Sri Subhadra was pulled in a procession around the Town Center Pavilion. The brand-new chariot was built specifically for this purpose by volunteers of Universal Shraddha Foundation who co-hosted this segment, with much of the material coming directly from Odisha, the state in India that is famous for its annual chariot festival in the city of Puri. The chariot parade at Puranava, a gesture for universal harmony, was kicked off by children of G.O.D.’s “Gopa Kuteeram” Youth Program, who sang the Mahamantra Song composed by His Holiness Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji of India. This was a Song of Unity rendered in 16 different world languages. The chariot parade included folk and classical performances by different groups including a dance by Houston Kannada Vrinda, chenda melam folk percussion presentation by Panchari Arts, Tamil folk dance by Cypress Gramiya kalai Kudumbam, a classical Odissi dance performance by Kalaangan School of Odissi, and an incredibly melodious classical Indian flute rendition by Pandit Guru Parshuram Das. The parade concluded with reverberating Mahamantra Kirtan where lots of people from the crowd also joined. Through the afternoon, the culture fest also presented stage performances – Odissi dance by students of Kalaangan School of Odissi, Assamese Bihu folk dance by Texas Assamese Bihu Group who came from Dallas to participate in this event, and a special piece showcasing three different Indian classical dance forms – Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Kathak – by Sreepadam School of Arts. Cultural exhibits representing different regions and states of India were also on display thanks to Houston Kannada Vrinda, Universal Shraddha Foundation, Sri Guruvayurappan Temple and G.O.D. volunteers. Earlier in the day, a number of Youth Competitions were held - in Chess, ‘Samskruti’ Art based on Indian themes, Indian Classical Dance, Madhurageetham devotional music, and a Heritage Vocabulary Bee that encouraged children to learn the meanings of Sanskrit words used commonly in Indian culture and traditions. The competitions saw over 200 registrants from all over the Houston area. The competitions and awards were sponsored by Love to Share Foundation America (LTSFA). The Puranava event was supported by a City of Pearland Cultural Arts Grant from the City of Pearland Convention and Visitors Bureau.

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 • PAGE 3

COMMUNITY Sanjay Ramabhadran sworn in as Texas Lyceum President Sanjay Ramabhadran was sworn in as the Texas Lyceum’s 2019 President on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives at the Texas Capitol in Austin. The keynote remarks were made by Harris County Commissioner, Rodney Ellis, who is an alumnus of the Lyceum and had served 26 years as a Senator at the Texas Capitol. He spoke of the importance of bi-partisan groups such as the Lyceum and how it could play a unique role in moving public policy forward. Judge R. K. Sandill of the 127th District Court of Harris County conducted the swearing in ceremony. The investiture was followed by a reception at the Lt. Governor’s Reception Room. Since 1980, the Texas Lyceum has been the premier nonprofit, non-partisan statewide leadership organization that identifies the next generation of Texas leaders, educates them on issues critical to the future of Texas and inspires them to action and stewardship of Texas values. As the Lyceum enters its 40th year of service to Texas, the Lyceum’s history of Leadership for Texas by Texans rings true to the belief that it’s the people of Texas that make Texas special.

Texas Lyceum Directors and Alumni have served as President of the United States, U.S. Senators and House Members, Ambassadors, Governors, members of the Texas Legislature and Corporate and nonprofit leaders. In his remarks, Sanjay Ramabhadran spoke about how his parents instilled in him the importance of community involvement and why civic engagement is an essential ingredient of his life. He emphasized the need to weave in the rich diversity of talents, thoughts and perspectives into the tapestry of Texas to ultimately result in public policy that is reflective of the values of all Texans. Alluding to the current polarization, he noted how the Lyceum, now more than ever, plays a critical role in convening leaders with diverse thoughts and perspectives representing all of Texas and all walks of life. Irrespective of political preferences and ideologies, the Lyceum is able to connect, educate and inspire these committed citizens to help make Texas an even better place to work, live and play for all Texans. . In 2019, the Lyceum will explore topics including Education & Workforce (Austin), how Commerce moves

Judge R.K. Sandill, right, administers the oath of office to Sanjay Ramabhadran as Vidya Ramabhadran and their son look on. into, across and through Texas (Houston region), what the new USMCA means for Texas (Montreal), whether we are taking our democracy for granted (Bush Presidential Library in College Station) and the natural splendor of Texas (Big Bend Region). Public policies pertaining to these topics will deeply impact Texas for years to come and position Texas to lead at the Bicentennial in 2036.

Both Commissioner Ellis & Judge Sandill highlighted the work Sanjay has done in being prepared to lead the Lyceum and that he is the first immigrant to be sworn in to this prestigious role. Sanjay is a graduate of BITS Pilani and Texas A&M university. A Professional Engineer, he serves on the Board of Directors of Houston METRO and is a founding Principal at VERSA Infrastructure, an en-

gineering consulting firm specializing in program and construction management. His civic engagement includes service as Chairman of Leadership Houston, on the Houston Mayor’s Council on International Trade and Development, as President of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, and on Rice University’s Kinder Institute’s Connecting Communities Initiative.

Indian Music Society of Houston presents season opening concert by

Ashwini Bhide Deshpande of Jaipur Atrauli Gharana (Disciple of Pandit Smt Manik Bhide, Winner of Prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademy Award)

Pandit Ramdas Palsule on Tabla Disciple of Pt. Suresh Talwalkar

Ashwini Bhide Despande

DATE: SATURDAY, April 6 TIME: 5 P.M. VENUE: Chinmaya Mission Smriti Hall 10353 Synott Road

Siddhesh Bicholar on Harmonium Disciple of Late Pt.. Tulsidas Borkar

www.IMSHOUSTON.Net For Information, Call Govind Shetty @ 713-922-2501

PAGE 4 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019

COMMUNITY

IMMIGRATION

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Invited community leaders at the Geetanjali Radio annual gala with hosts Shoba Joshi, eighth from right, and son Hiren Joshi.

Geetanjali radio show celebrates 26th anniversary Shoba Joshi and Hiren Joshi, mother and son duo celebrated the 26th anniversary of their Geetanjali Radio show with an appreciation gala and fundraiser on March 15 at India House. The evening included live singing as well as rae items, food and drinks. Grand Sponsors of the evening were Jugal and Raj Malani Bansi Chabria, Shoba’s brother and Sarada Akunuri entertained the audience with their soulful, romantic and memorable songs. It was a wonderful night of music, food, friends and family in support of Shoba Joshi’s Geetanjali Radio. Shoba Joshi, is a radio personality, music producer, music supervisor, music promoter and owner of Geetanjali Radio which airs on 1320 AM KXYZ in Houston. Geetanjali Radio has an audience of approximately 50,000 families weekly, and has a frequency of over 10,000 Watts. Shoba is recognized by the Indian community as an expert in the ďŹ eld of Indian music— and is known by her tag-line: Kuch Kal Ke Geet, Aaj Ke Geet, Pal Pal Ke Geet, Mal Mal Se Geet. Geetanjali Radio features both old and new Indian songs from the Bollywood industry. Geetanjali Radio has been airing since 1993 with the support of advertisers and local listeners.

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Bansi Chabria, Shoba’s brother and Sarada Akunuri entertain the audience.

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 • PAGE 5

COMMUNITY CRY gala raises $125,000 for Children’s Rights CRY, Child Rights & You America [CRY America], a 501c3 non-profit that works towards ensuring underprivileged children their basic rights, hosted their Annual Houston Gala Dinner on March 3rd at the Marriott Town Square in Sugar Land to bring people together for the cause of children’s rights. Speakers included Emcee Meena Datt, Houston Consul General Anupam Ray, Fort Bend County Judge KP George and Special Guest Tanishaa Mukerji to amplify the voices of underprivileged children. The Gala was attended by 240 guests and raised over $125,000 which will be directed towards grass roots Projects working on critical children’s issues. Apart from raising awareness for the cause, guests enjoyed the evening with dinner, cocktails, silent and live auctions, entertainment, music and dancing. Performances by Arzan and Rhythm India, the Bellaire Jazz Band and DJ Sage added spark and were much appreciated by all the guests. Auction items donated by famous Indian artist included a beautiful painting by Prakash Deshmukh; fashion ensemble Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla; Boxing Glove autographed by World Champions; Star Wars Movie Poster signed by 12 Cast Members; Marvel Universe Picture autographed by Stan Lee; Cricket bats signed by Saurav Ganguly & Sehwag were popular and sold out quickly by auctioneers Dr. Subodh Bhuchar and Abiya Malhotra. Our Dinner Committee Dharam and Priya Bali, Juuhi and Prakash Ahuja, Dina and Sameer Patel, Neeraj & Gauri Seth, Geetha and Bala Balachandran, Dr. Tina and Dr. Harish Pariani, Chetan and Radha Patel, Ritu and Kunal Nadkarni and Devina and Dilip Bhojwani played a key role in enabling a sold out and successful event! We thank our event sponsors, donors and volunteers for their generous contributions. Event sponsors included Object Win, Vantive Inc., Wise Men, Wells Fargo Advisors, Shipcom Wireless, Ailings, ANB Systems, Murali Santhana Photography, Sage Productions, Rhythm India and Verandah. A special shout out to the media for your ongoing support - TV Asia, Star TV, Radio Dabang, Indo American News, Voice of Asia, Meena Datt Radio and India Herald. Millions of children are denied their rights on a daily basis. CRY America works with grass-root Projects, communities and local government bodies to ensure children have quality education, healthcare, and protection from child labor, child marriage and issues which hinder their development.

Shefali Sunderlal says, “CRY America believes that “YOU” can empower children’s dreams and be ambassadors of change for children’s rights. Your support allows us to ensure that thousands of children are able to go to sleep educated, healthy and protected. With the support from over 25,000 donors & 2,000 volunteers, CRY America has transformed the lives of over 716,386 children across 3,755 villages and slums.” She appealed for people to join CRY America as donors, volunteers and supporters and visit http://www.america.cry. org for more information. Ambassadors of Change for Children’s Rights. Chetan Patel, left, Meena Datt, Radha Patel, Neeraj Seth, Gauri Seth, Kunal Nadkarni, Ritu Nadkarni, Prakash Ahuja, Tanishaa Mukerji, Geetha Balachandran, Bala Balachandran, Juuhi Ahuja, Devina Bhojwani and Dilip Bhojwani

Arya Samaj Greater Houston Celebrates 28th Anniversary

Saturday, April 6th & Sunday, April 7th, 2019

Register R egist er O Online nline ffor or B Blood lood ttesting, esting, 55K KW Walk alk and and more! more! Visit: V isit: www.aryasamajhouston.org/healthfair irr

HEALTH FAIR Saturday, April 6th, 7:00am – 1:00pm 6:30 - 8:00 am

Registration g for Health Fair

www.aryasamajhouston.org/healthfair w ww.aryasam ajhouston.org/healthfair 7:00 am

3k, 5K Walk for Peace by the Lake ($10 per person) 8:00 - 9:30 am Yoga for Health & Strength 8:00 -10:30 am Blood Testing & EKG Donation (*Come fasting, breakfast served) ►Blood Testing – CBC, CMP, Lipid Panel, Hemo/A1C ($25 per person) ►EKG Testing with cardiologist consultation ($10 per person) ►Bone Marrow & Organ Donation Online Pre-registration recommended! 9:30 -11:00 am Public Health Awareness Lectures x Science of Meditation – Dr. Randeep Suneja x Diabetes & Nutrition – Dr. Ramesh Patel x Allergy & Sleep Apnea – Dr. Manish Wani 11:00 -12:00 pm Ask the Doctor 1-on-1 Health Consultations, many areas (Limited slots, please prioritize your visit) 12:00 1:00 pm Lunch Questions: healthfair@aryasamajhouston.org

ASGH A SG H S Sthapana thapana Diwas Di was Sunday, April 7th 08:00 am – 12 Noon 08:00- 9:30 am Yoga for obesity 09:45 am OM Flag Hoisting 10:00 am Yajna Begins 10:35 am Yajyaroop 10:40 am Pravachan 11:10 am DAV Schools Cultural Items 11:50 am ASGH Presentation 12:05 pm Announcements, Aarti, Shantipath 12:15 pm Lunch

Registration R egi stra tio n Online On lin e visit vi sit www.aryasamajhouston.org/healthfair w w w . ar y a sa m a j h o u s t o n . o r g/ h ea l t h f aaii r PAYMENT P PAY PA AYM A YYM M EN E N T METHODS MEE THOD M TH H OD ODS Online Onli O On n liline l i nnee Registrations: R eg e g is egis i s tr t r at trat a t io i o ns n s : Cr ns: C Cred Credit r ed e d itit C Card a r d On ar ard O Only n lyy Onsite O On n ssii te t e Registration: R egg iss tr t rat r atio a t ioo n: at n : Cash, C as a s h, h , Check, C he h e ck c k , Credit C red Cr r ed edit d iti t Cards C aarr ds

14375 Schiller Road, Houston, TX 77082 Tel:281-752-0100, 281-759-3286 email: info@aryasamajhouston.org

PAGE 6 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 • PAGE 7

COMMUNITY Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston holds power dialogue with Congressman Pete Olson Right, U.S. Rep. Pete Olson, third from left, is flanked by IACCGH Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia and President Swapan Dhairyawan. The Indo American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH) continued its Power Dialogue series on March 2nd with the Board of Directors and a diverse select group of business owners, professionals and academicians at Aling’s Hakka with Congressman Pete Olson. In his introductory remarks Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia explained the connection and the mission of the Chamber. He recollected that such a Power Dialogue was kicked off in 2013 with Congressman Olson. President Swapan Dhairyawan welcomed the Congressman and attendees and commended the efforts of Pete Olson in making Sugar Land one of the best cities in the US. In his address, the Congressman stated “It was an honor to join the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston for their recent Power Dialogue lunch series. I feel blessed to represent one of the most culturally diverse districts in Congress because our diversity strengthens and enriches our community. Our economy has experienced explosive growth since the Republican-led Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Over 1.6 million jobs have been created and our 3.7% unemployment rate is at a 17 year low. The tax cuts have helped business both small and large expand and provide their employees with new opportunities. In addition to discussing the benefits of tax reform, local job creators also raised other issues they face as they work to stimulate our economy. A top issue is the pace of renewal visas for folks wanting to come to the US from India to become local job creators. Our team in Sugar Land is always happy to answer immigration or any other federal government related questions and serve as a liaison between our constituents and agencies. Encouraging younger generations to be actively involved in our community is a passion I share with the IACCGH. Young folks are our future and can expand the economic, cultural and societal progress our communities have already made. The outreach and support IACCGH provides to lift up our children encourages community leadership that will strengthen our future. I appreciate being invited to the Power Dialogue lunch series for open dialogue and discussion.” After a working lunch and Q&A from the attendees, the event ended with the presentation of mementos and a “Modi jacket” to the Congressman who was very delighted. He wore it immediately and mingled with the attendees with ease. For more information about the Chamber visit www.iaccgh.com.

Earth day And the Kumbh Mela

Saturday, April 27 6:30-9:30 p.m. India House | Houston Featuring award-winning film maker, Shalini Kantayya

Join us in Celebrating

Earth Day And hear about the

Kumbh Mela At the Hindu American FOundation’s

Annual Houston Gala! Questions? Please contact Vinay Sarda: vsarda@gmail.com or (832) 723-1132 www.HAFsite.org

Purchase your tickets today! tinyurl.com/ 2019HAFHouston

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 • PAGE 8

COMMUNITY Shell executive briefs YLDP members on changing technologies and challenges

YLDP members with guest speaker Bert Natalicchio, Vice President of engineering and smart technologies, Shell. On March 17th, the Youth Leadership Development Program (YLDP) invited Bert Natalicchio, Vice President of engineering and smart technologies, Shell, to speak to the students of the organization. The event was held at India House. Students listened to his work ethic, advice and furthermore recognized the qualities that made him successful in the industry he currently is in. In his presentation, Bert talked about coping with the changes in the technologies overtime and how he and his colleagues have adapted to those changes and made progress. But the most appealing ideal about Bert was the way he talked about his industry. He mentioned that he had known that he wanted to become a chemical engineer since he was 10 years old. A particular word that I drew from the presentation was his passion. The goal of YLDP is to make us better leaders. Although Bert didn’t blatantly state that he had passion, the students and I could easily understand the key reason why he easily attained his goal. He had the driving force to do it. Leadership requires passion but it also has a symbiotic relationship. Without passion, leadership cannot be attained. Hearing the presentation, I realized that this was a key life skill that can be attainable by all the students in India House. At home, sometimes we conformed to the opinions of our parents pushing us into a certain industry. But, if there is no passionate drive in us, then ultimately we will not be as proficient in that particular area. Bert Natalicchio’s presentation proved to all of us that the dreams and goals we want to attain can be achieved. Ultimately, this will make us better leaders and better people in the real world. All we have to do is take the leap of faith. —Nidhi Subramanian

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 • PAGE 9

PAGE 10 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019

NEWS

Chinmaya Mission Houston celebrates Maha Shivaratri

Devotees participating in Rudrabhishekam as guided by the priest. Photos by Rajesh Thatte, Jayesh Mistry By Rajesh Thatte According to the Hindu calendar, Magha Krishna Chaturdashi is known for the celebration of Maha Shivratri. This year, March 4, 2019, Monday, was that auspicious day. Typically, a work day would mean less opportunity for working families to celebrate traditional Hindu festivities. However, this year, Chinmaya Mission Houston presented unique and thoughtful means for devotees all over the greater Houston area to take part in this celebration. The two-day celebration started with Maha Mrutyunjaya Homa at Smriti Hall on Saturday March 2, 2019. The Maha Mrutyunjaya Homa is performed for spiritual and physical wellbeing of all. Shree Ganesha Sathyanarayana, chief priest at the Saumyakasi Sivalaya, CMH, conducted the homa in traditional Vedic style as Yajamans of the homa oered oblations to the holy ďŹ re. All attendees were also able to oer oblations using items provided to them as the serene chanting of Maha Mrutyunjaya Mantra ďŹ lled the hall. Towards the end of the

ceremony, volunteers collected the oerings from attendees and oered them into the homa-ďŹ re during Poornahuti. It is this very aspect of inclusiveness that made this homa unique. On Monday, the actual day of Maha Shivaratri, the temple team of Saumyakasi Sivalaya arranged day-long events. The basement of the Sivalaya was modeled like Kailas, the holy abode of God Shiva. The day started with Mahanyasa Purvaka Ekadasha Rudrabhisekam. Mahanyasa is performed for puriďŹ cation of mind and body. Rudram is an auspicious Vedic hymn elaborating the glory of God Shiva. During Rudrabhisekam, the Shivalinga, the symbolic representation of God Shiva is offered milk, water, honey, holy ash, fragrant water etc. The Rudrabhishekam was followed by prayers and Aarti. This year, Chinmaya Mission oered a seva where devotees could perform Rudrabhishekam either themselves or with their families. On Monday, the Smriti Hall stage held a beautifully crafted replica of Kedarnaath temple that was set up on stage along

with the idol of Lord Shiva and a Shivalinga. Devotees participating in Rudrabhishekam were provided with sphatika shivalinga and all items necessary for performing the abhisheka as guided by the priest. After the abhisheka, devotees carried sphatika shivalingam home so they could worship it daily. In the evening, even as the cold weather had the touch of Mt.Kailas, thousands of devotees ocked the temple premises. The young and old performed Kshirabhishekam (oering of milk) on the Shivalinga of Lord Shiva in the temple basement before visiting the main sanctum where Laghunyasa Purvaka Ekadasha Rudrabhisekam was performed. The entire temple was lit up with thousands of sparkling lights and the chant of Om Namah Shivaya ďŹ lled the surrounding with serenity. After the night’s celebrations, an hour-long meditation session began at 10:30 PM which concluded with the midnight Aarti. One must attend this special meditation session to fully recognize its immense impact on an individual! As always, events of this

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Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya and its activities visit www.chinmayahouston.org, www.saumyakasi.org or call temple 281 568 1690 or Jay Deshmukh 832 541 0059 or Bharati Sutaria 281-933-0233.

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The Smriti Hall stage was setup as a Kedarnaath Temple. The priest, Sri Somayaji Bhattar, led Rudrabhishekam puja.

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COMMUNITY Dakshin Radio adds touch of Southern spice to Houston airwaves

Dakshin Radio has hit the Houston airwaves with a unique and innovative blend of music and chat in the four main languages of southern India. Broadcasting every Sunday from 2 pm to 7.30 pm on Masala Radio’s 1110 AM

(KTEK) frequency, Dakshin Radio harnesses the unique and captivating beats of the five southern states into one harmonious package that appeals to an audience of over 100,000 Indian Americans hailing from southern India,

Better Bangla Radio celebrates eighth anniversary

Better Bangla celebrated its eighth year of existence on Saturday, March 16, 2019. This event was attended by many regular listeners of this radio program who shared their thoughts and views with the primary hosts Gopa Mallick and Snehashis (Rajib) Mukerjee. Additionally, well-wishers from all over the world called and shared their views over the phone during this celebration. As only Bengali-language Radio Program in the Greater Houston area, Better Bangla made its debut on March 5, 2011 with a primary motto to serve the entire Bengali community, not only from greater Houston, but also throughout North America and worldwide through its online exposure. The program is broadcast online every Saturday between 11 am and 12 noon, US Central time and can be heard live in the greater Houston area on KCHN-1050, online at www.betterbanglaus.com, or in a mobile device via the tune-in application. In addition, Better Bangla maintains its past programs archived at their website for the listeners to enjoy them at their own leisure times. Over the past eight years, this radio program has successfully conveyed the rich cultural heritage of Bengal through its music and songs, poem recitations, plays, talk shows, current affairs and world-news highlights. Additionally, Better Bangla also aims to expose local talents and business from the greater Houston area by inviting them to their programs every now and then and this program is appreciated by all Bengali-speaking persons from both India and Bangladesh. Better Bangla thanks all sponsors who have supported this radio program through their generous financial supports and would like to take this opportunity to welcome new sponsors. Lastly, Better Bangla thanks all listeners and well-wishers of the program without whose support, the program would not have existed for all these years. The “About us” page on the Better Bangla website (www.betterbanglaus.com) provides additional details about this radio program.

who make up a significant segment of the Greater Houston region. Dakshin Radio has brought the four main languages of southern India - Kannada,

Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu - together on a common platform for the first time ever in the country. The station’s unique blend of trendy and contemporary tunes, evergreen favorites interspersed with breezy banter from the team of young, enthusiastic RJs , has already elicited rave reviews from the audience that tuned in to the inaugural show on Sunday, March 17. Dakshin Radio is the brainchild of Dr. Freemu Varghese, a noted nephrologist and event organizer in the city and John W. Varghese, a leading realtor/Mortgage Broker and philanthropist based in Houston, who was the promoter of Mallu Talkies - a radio show in Malayalam. Their idea caught fire and today enjoys wide support from the wider community. “Dakshin Radio was formed to provide an effective platform that can reach the vast and diverse population hailing from south India living in the greater Houston rea. There are existing singlelanguage programmes aimed specifically at their own audiences, but we provide a unique multi-lingual vehicle that can reach a potential audience. of over 100,000 people,” said Dr. Freemu Varghese. Speaking at the launch event, John W. Varghese was optimistic about the new program’s prospects. “This is something that has not been tried before, Dakshin Radio not only brings four large language communities together, but builds a unique synergy that will drive it forward. We are looking at bringing the unique southern sound to the Houston airwaves, while also providing a wider stage to encourage youngsters from the region to exhibit their talent.”

PAGE 12 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 • PAGE 13

VIEWS

Something to Ponder ~ Fashion

By Chandni Kamnani How many of you remember having a tear in a piece of clothing and taking it to a “Rafu’ place, where the tailor would fix the hole in the dress with his needle? Or our favorite dress that was accidently burnt by our Dhobi – we sewed it and did not throw that dress away. A pair of our favorite jeans had a nice patch attached to it and looked brand new once again.

A safety pin always came to our rescue, helping put the stitch back in place till we got home and sewed it. If the dress was beyond repair, we would give it to some poor person who did not mind wearing a dress with a small hole in it. We all grew up looking prim and proper making sure our clothes fit right, starched and ironed. Shirts were neatly tucked in the pants to give us a smarter

look instead of dropping down to our waist and making us look shabby. We knew the difference between a school uniform, regular home clothes after school, casual attires worn when going out in public and dressing up with elegance and style at parties and celebrations. I am sure none of us had a huge wardrobe back then but we definitely knew the difference of what to wear and how to carry ourselves. Our appearance made a big difference! In the words of the famous Coco Chanel, “Dress shabbily and they remember the dress, Dress impeccably and they remember the woman.” So what is the latest fashion nowadays? We keep hearing this quite a bit. I started thinking about today’s fashion and many things came to mind. Then I came across these two cartoons which summarized this article. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

So I leave you with these cartoons about today’s fashion for you to ponder on. What you wear is your choice. How you look is your style. How presentable you are in public is entirely your business and life. I have nothing to do about

it. I will let my readers ponder over this and see where they fit. “Don’t change to fit the fashion “Change the fashion to fit you” Namaste and Jai Hind! Please follow my Facebook page at ‘My pen, my thoughts’.

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PAGE 14 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019

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rid TX of–your staffi ng problems and spend more April 6, 2017Get – AUSTIN, The Hindu Students Association (HSA) would like to regretfully announce that itNumbers will be Good = Good Decisions cancelling its annual Gateway Retreat for the 2017 year. HSA prides itself in building a strong network of young Hindu Americans, and it looks forward to organizing other events in the future that will link students from its various branches. HSA has been reorienting itself in recent months to doing more grassroots work. “We have been focusing more on accomplishing work on the local and branch level,” said Mrinalini Vijalapuram, National President of the Hindu Students Association. “We have been doing this through many different activities including interfaith events with other religious organizations, building community partnerships, and expanding into other campuses that don’t already have HSA branches.” While the cancellation of Gateway may come as a disappointment for many prospective attendees, HSA hopes to get feedback from students on other projects and events that interest its branch members. Currently, several projects, including developing HSA’s podcast series and releasing monthly articles that highlight the accomplishments of members from the various campuses have been the focus of the organization’s efforts. HSA welcomes student and community members to get involved in these activities to help further the goals of the organization. “It is important that we meet the needs of the campuses and communities we serve,” reiterated Ms. Vijalapuram. “We want to make sure that we are putting our attention on projects that will truly benefit them.” U.S. 90 A -***-

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PAGE 16 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019

NEWS Virtual SIMs used in Pulwama terror attack; India to approach U.S. for help It was a fairly new modus operandi where terrorists across the border were using a virtual SIM. A request would be sent to the U.S. to seek details from a service provider of “virtual SIMs”, which were used by the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) suicide bomber behind the Pulwama attack and his Pakistan and Kashmir-based handlers, officials said. Piecing together probe from the site of the terror strike, searches carried out by the Jammu and Kashmir police and Central security agencies at an encounter site in Tral as well as other locations, it was found that the bomber, Adil Dar, was in constant touch with the JeM across the border, they said. The main mastermind of the audacious attack, Mudassir Khan, was killed in the encounter in Tral. Forty CRPF personnel were killed on February 14 when Dar rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into a paramilitary force bus at Pulwama in South Kashmir. India retaliated after the strike by bombing the Jaish terror group’s hideout in Balakot in Pakistan.

It was a fairly new modus operandi where terrorists across the border were using a “virtual SIM”, generated by a service provider in the United States. In this technology, the computer generates a telephone number and the user downloads an application of the service provider on their smartphone. The number is linked to social networking sites like WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram or Twitter. The verification code generated by these networking sites is received on the smartphone and the user is ready. In case of Pulwama, Dar was in constant touch with the Jaish handler as well as Mudassir Khan using the same technology, the officials said. They said the numbers used were pre-fixed with “+1”, the Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN) number used for the United States. The request to the U.S. will include details of phone numbers that got in touch with the “virtual SIM” and who had activated it, they said, adding that Internet Protocol addresses would also be sought.

U.S. puts Pakistan on notice over terror attack The United States has asked Pakistan to take sustained, verifiable and irreversible action against the perpetrators of terrorism and warned the country that another terror attack on India will prove to be “extremely problematic.” “We need to see Pakistan taking concrete and sustained action to rein in the terrorist groups, mainly the Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Lashkar-e-Taiba, in order to ensure that we don’t have reescalation [of tensions] in the region,” a senior administration official told reporters at the White House on Wednesday. “And, if there’s any additional terrorist attack without Pakistan having made a sustained, sincere effort against these groups, it would be extremely problematic for Pakistan and it would cause re-escalation of tensions, which is dangerous for both countries,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Asked about the steps being taken by Pakistan after the Balakot airstrike, the official said the U.S. and the international community needed to see “irreversible and sustained” action against the terror groups. “It’s early to make a full assessment,” the official said. In the recent days, the official said, Pakistan had taken some “initial” actions. It had frozen the assets of some terror groups and made some arrests. It had taken administrative control of some of the JeM facilities. “But we clearly need to see more. We need to see irreversible action because in the past, what we’ve seen is they made some arrests and then a few months later, they released these individuals. The terrorist leaders are sometimes still allowed to travel around the country, hold rallies,” the official said.

EC orders indelible ink worth Rs 33 cr Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission (EC) has ordered 26 lakh indelible ink bottles worth Rs 33 crore. The seven-phase election will begin on April 11 and conclude on May 19. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the poll panel had bought 21.5 lakh phials, 4.5 lakh less than this year. The semi-permanent ink is applied to the forefinger of electors to prevent them from voting more than once under rules mandated by the EC . The indelible ink was formulated as a deterrent against voting twice. The stain lasts several days before starting to fade. Mysore Paints and Varnish Ltd, a Government of Karnataka undertaking, is the only authorised manufacturer of indelible ink for the EC. Managing Director, Mysore Paints, Chandrashekhar Doddamani said that the company has received an order for 26 lakh phials of 10cc each from the EC. “The expected turnover is approximately Rs 33 crore,” he said.

While the security agencies would attempt to find who had paid for the virtual SIM, they were also aware that the terror groups used forged identities, as was done during the Mumbai 26/11 terror strikes. During investigation of the 26/11 attacks it was found that an amount of $229 was wired to Callphonex, via Western Union Money Transfer receipt number 8364307716-0, for activating the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) used during the strikes. The money was received from ‘Madina Trading’ located in Brescia in Italy and sender was claimed to be Javed Iqbal, a resident of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). However, after Italian police arrested two Pakistani nationals in 2009, it was alleged that the firm had made nearly 300 transfers in the name of Iqbal, who probably had never set his foot in Italy. The Italian police, while concluding the probe, had said the Brescia-based company made several transfers using the identity of innocent, unsuspecting persons, whose identity cards or passports might have been stolen.

Overseas of Friends of BJP (OFBJP)-USA condemns Sam Pitroda Overseas of Friends of BJP (OFBJP)-USA severely condemns the sinister statement of Mr. Sam Pitroda, Chairman of the Overseas Indian National Congress and a close confidant of Rahul Gandhi that questioned India’s air attacks on terrorist training camps located in Pakistan and the death toll in Balakot airstrike post Pulwama attack by Pakistan sponsored terrorist attack by Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide bomber. In his wide-ranging interview to ANI, he also makes a malevolent statement that even Mumbai’s 26/11 gruesome terrorist attacks in 2008 should not be blamed on Pakistan and say’s terrorist attacks keep happen, but India should not react to those attacks. Several leaders of the opposition Congress party led by Rahul Gandhi, and regional parties like Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress have been throwing aspersions on the claims of India’s security forces in their sinister designs of belittling India and Indian security forces. These opposition leaders in their shameless quest for garnering votes and belittling reigning BJP led NDA government are damaging the reputation of India and its armed forces. Their myopic vision of attaining power by all means, including telling lies repeatedly is causing greater harm to the nation and they seem to be indifferent to the Nation’s reputation and integrity. OFBJP-USA President Mr. Krishna Reddy said, “we are baffled by such irresponsible and nasty remarks made by someone like Mr. Sam Pitroda who holds a responsible position in a National political party”. “It shows the mindset of Congress party leaders who believes in belittling India and its armed forces would fetch them votes”, he added. OFBJP-USA Vice President Dr. Adapa Prasad said that the behavior of these leaders is very dangerous to the country’s integrity and people of India could see through the Machiavellian mindset of these communal power brokers who stoop to the bottomless pit of treachery and perfidy against the nation. OFBJP-USA general secretary, Dr. Vasudev Patel said that the Indian Diaspora and people of India are repugnant to these diabolical statements of Mr. Pitroda and his ilk on India and its armed force .

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 • PAGE 17

NEWS Delay release of Modi biopic: Opposition to EC

Is death by mosquito bite insurable? Supreme Court answers the question in a judgment resented by advocate Madhavi Divan, said death due to malaria was a common occurrence in Mozambique. Ms Divan adverted to the World Health Organization’s World Malaria Report 2018, which showed that an estimated ten million cases of malaria in Mozambique and an estimated 14.7 thousand deaths in the year 2017. A Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud disagreed with the conclusions of both the Consumer Disputes Commissions. In fact, the State Commission had held that it would be “rather silly” to call a sudden death due to mosquito bite in a foreign land a natural death and not an accident. The National Commission too had agreed that if the insurance company could cover events like snake bite, frost bite and dog bite then why not mosquito bites. In his 16-page judgment,

Is death by mosquito bite insurable as a ‘personal accident’? Well, not if the mosquito bit the insured person in the Republic of Mozambique, the Supreme Court held on Tuesday in a judgment. The case concerns the death of a man, Debhashis Bhattacharjee, who died of multiple organ failure after being diagnosed with encephalitis malaria contracted from a mosquito bite he sustained while working in Mozambique in 2012. His insurance policy covered personal accidents. Both the State and the National Consumer Dipsutes Redressal Commissions dismissed the plea made by the insurance company, National Insurance Limited, that the man died as a result of an infection. The company had argued that a mosquito bite cannot be classified as a ‘personal accident’ covered under the policy. The insurance company, repA poster of the film starring Vivek Oberoi as Narendra Modi | Opposition parties including the Congress, the CPI(M) and the CPI, have approached the Election Commission (EC) seeking the postponement of the release of a biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi until the last phase of voting on May 19 is over. The film, PM Narendra Modi, is scheduled to be released across the country in early April, close to the first phase voting beginning April 11. The film features actor Vivek Oberoi as Mr. Modi and chronicles the life of the Prime Minister. Opposition parties have termed the release of the film a violation of the model code of conduct, and said it will influence voters. “It is a very serious matter of directly and shamelessly circumventing the law by doing direct advertising in contravention of the Representation of the People’s Act, Cable TV Networks Act and EC circulars,” Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told The Hindu. A separate delegation of Left leaders including CPI leader D. Raja and CPI (M) leader Nilotpal Basu made a representation to the Election Commission.

The Election Commission told the Supreme Court on Monday that it can allot a common symbol of “pressure cooker” to an individual but not to an unregistered group led by former AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran and VK Sasikala in Tamil Nadu. Dhinakaran told the apex court that the EC stand would force the candidates of AMMK party led by him to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on different symbols. A Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta asked senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Dhinakaran, as to when is the last date of filing nominations for Lok Sabha polls. Sibal replied that the last date of filing of nomination is Tuesday itself and if the party is not allotted the symbol its candidates will have to contest on different symbols. He said candidates of rival parties will win by default if a common symbol of ‘pressure cooker’ is not given to them. The Bench then asked the EC official to apprise it as to why a common symbol was not given to the AMMK party. The official said that as per the rules a common symbol cannot be given to the AMMK party which was not a registered political party.

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Justice Chandrachud acknowledged that being “bitten by a mosquito is an unforeseen eventuality”. However, the mosquito bi Mr. Bhatacharjee in Mozambique, which according to World Health Organization has a population of 29.6 million people and accounts for five per cent of the cases of malaria globally. Malaria is too common in Mozambique. “It is on record that one out of three people in Mozambique is afflicted with malaria. In light of these statistics, the illness of encephalitis malaria through a mosquito bite cannot be considered as an accident. It was neither unexpected nor unforeseen. It was not a peri insured against in the policy of accident insurance,” Justice Chandrachud set aside the decisions of the Consumer Disputes Commission.

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR Art Museum Kannappan Art Museum will be open for public Tuesday 5.30 PM to 7.30 PM, Saturday 10AM to 2 PM, Sunday 12 noon to 4 PM. Address: 2341 N. Galveston Ave, Pearland, TX 77581. Ashirwad Classes for Kids in Katy Enrollments are open for Indian Heritage classes for Kids and Teens from 4 to 16 yrs. Class curriculum includes Yoga, Meditation, Sloka, Ramayan, Mahabharat, Bhagwad Githa, Sports Day, VEDIC Fair Presentations, Dance, Drama, Hindi & more. Contact : 281-995-0930 or AshirwadABlessing@gmail.com. Durga Bari Temple Durga Bari temple is open from 9 to 11 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. Mon. thru Sat. Sandhya aarti at 6:30 p.m. Temple closes at 7 p.m. Sunday special from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Temple is located at 13944 Schiller Rd (o Hwy 6 bet. Bellaire & Westpark). Call Ganesh Mandal at 713-797-9057 / 832-423-8541. Arya Samaj Satsang Weekly Havan Satsang every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. DAV Sanskriti School Sundays 10 a.m. to 12 noon. - Havan, Hindi and Naitik Shiksha classes. DAV Montessori School for ages 2 to 7 years. Call Arti Khanna 281-759-3286. Free Yoga classes on Sat. Sanskrit & Upanishad classes Tue. 6-8 p.m. At 14375 Schiller Rd. (bet Westpark & Bellaire o Hwy 6). 281-752-0100. Brahma Kumaris The Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga Meditation Center is open 7 days a week. The center oers free Raja Yoga Meditation classes: MonFri @ 6:00-6:45am and 7-8 pm, BUY

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Sat-Sun @ 7:00-8:30am, 10 am-2 pm. Visiting hours are Sat-Sun @ 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Contact us at (832) 379-8888, houston@bktexas. com, or bktexas.com to sign-up for classes. All Raja Yoga Meditation teachers at the Houston center are samarpit and have 15+ years of teaching experience. Chinmaya Mission Sunday satsangs for adults, youth, and children. A unique Bala Vihar program for each grade, from PreK to Grade 12. Satsangs in two sessions between 8:35 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. and 11:20 a.m. - 1p.m. Bala Vihar students can take shloka, bhajan and orchestra classes or language classes for Hindi, Telugu, Marathi, and Gujarati. Chinmaya Mission is located at Chinmaya Prabha, 10353 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX 77498. New members may visit the welcome desk between 8 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. or 10:15 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Please visit www. chinmayahouston.org or contact Bharati Sutaria 281.933.0233 for more information. Jeeyar Educational Trust Translate knowledge into action classes every Sunday at 10:15 a.m to 12 p.m. at Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple, 10098 Synott Road, Sugar Land, Tx 77498. Call 785 550 3621 or 832-334-9163. Visit www. ashtalakshmi.org for registration. Vedanta Society Vedanta Society of Greater Houston, VSGH (oďŹƒcial Branch Center of Ramakrishna Math, Belur), 14809 Lindita Dr. (77083), has lectures & talks on every Sunday 11 am - 12 pm, followed by Arati & Prasad; Bhagwad Gita Class on Tuesdays, 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm; OLD

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ȹŗŚŞŖȹ ȹȹČŠČą ŠÂ?ž›Â?Š¢ÂœČąĹšČąÂ?Â˜ČąĹœČąÂ™ÇŻÂ–ÇŻ Listen to Open Forum on 106.1 FM Informative programs with doctors, in Houston. lawyers, politicians and other Every Saturday 4.00 PM to 6.00 PM. newsmakers. Studio line 800-444-1061

Call 713-784-1480

Hosts: Dinkar Chheda, Jagat Kamdar & Subodh Bhuchar

Chandra & David Courtney Tabla and Vocal

Classes now ongoing Visit www.chandrakantha.com

or call for info.

(713) 665-4665

Classes in Houston, Mission Bend, & Sugar Land

and Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna on Thursdays, 11 am - 12 pm. Rev. Sw. Atmarupanandaji, the Resident Monk, gives all classes, lectures & talks. Ramnaam Sankirtan is on 1st Saturdays 6 pm - 7 pm. Please visit www.houstonvedanta. org or call 281- 988-7211. Jain Society Jain Society of Houston, JSH, is located at 3905 Arc Street Houston Texas 77063. Key tenets of Jainism are: Non-violence - Ahimsa, Philanthropy with multicity in views – Anekantvad, No possessiveness - Aparigrah, Right Knowledge -- Samyak Gyan, Right Path – Samyak Darshan, and Right Conduct – Samyak Charitrya. JSH has Jain Pathshala Classed for students of all ages each Sunday starting at 10:15 AM. The center is open M-F from 7:30 AM to 12 Noon and 4 to 7 PM, and Sat, and Sun from 8 AM to 6 PM. Call Jain Center at 713 789 2338 or visit www.jainsocietyhouston.org for calendar of events and other detailed information. Shiv Shakti Mandir Sanatan Shiv Shakti Mandir, 6640 Harwin. Open daily 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. All major festivals, as well as birthdays, naam karan, engagement and other ceremonies. Call Pandit Virat Mehta 713-278-9099 or Hardik Raval 361-243-6539 for puja or other ceremonies. Heartfulness Meditation Heartfulness Meditation is a practical technique of tuning inwards to experience our higher selves. Meditation with someone who has the capacity of yogic transmission can help you explore the Heartfulness practice more deeply. There are no charges for this, and we invite you to experience the unique beneďŹ ts of this transmission. Workshops on Heartfulness relaxation and meditation are held weekly throughout Houston. Web: www.heartfulness.org; Email: houston.heartfulness@gmail.com. Cell: 713-929-0040. Hare Krishna Dham Houston’s original Vedic temple, ISKCON of Houston. At 1320 W 34th St. (77018). Daily Darshan & Arati Times: 4.30 a.m, 7 a.m, 8.30 a.m, 12 noon, 4.30 p.m, 7 p.m, 9 p.m. Sunday Festival: 5.30 pm to 7.30 p.m. Weekly Gita classes for adults; call 281-433-1635 or harekrishnadham @gmail.com Houston Namadwaar A prayer house where the Hare Rama Hare Krishna Maha-mantra is continuously chanted. Weekends: 8-11 AM & 4-7 PM, Weekdays: 7-8 AM & 6-7 PM. Weekly “Gopa Kuteeramâ€? children’s heritage classes and Srimad Bhagavatam classes. Call 281-402-6585; visit www.godivinity.org (Global Organization for Divinity). Saumyakasi Sivalaya Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya is located at Chinmaya Prabha, 10353 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX 77478. Temple timings: Monday to Friday: 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon and 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM. Saturday and Sunday: 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM. For more information Contact 281-568-1690 or Jay Deshmukh at 832-541-0059 or visit www.saumyakasi.org Gauri Siddhivinayak Temple Darshan from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. All major festivals as well as birthdays, naam karan, engage-

ment and other ceremonies. Call Pandit Pradip Pandya 832-4669868 for puja and other ceremonies. At 5645 Hillcroft Ste 701, Houston, TX 77036. Veerashaiva Samaja VSNA Houston is a group of families who believe in Veerashaiva dharma (Basava dharma). Monthly Mahamane program for prayer and discussion on Vachana Sahitya followed by Prasada. Contact: vsnahous ton@gmail.com or Jagadeesh Halyal 832-744-4166. Mar Thoma Church Trinity Mar Thoma Church every Sunday at 5810 Almeda Genoa Rd. Sunday School at 9:15 a.m. Malayalam service at 9:30 a.m. on 1st & 3rd Sunday. Adult Bible class at 9:30 a.m. English service at 10:30 a.m. on 2nd & 4th Sunday. Call 713-991-1557 or 281261-4603. Telugu Christian Fellowship Telugu Christian Fellowship meets every third Saturday of the month at Triumph Church, 10555 W. Airport Blvd., Staord TX 77477 at 6:30 p.m. Join us for a time of praise, worship and fellowship. Worship is in English. For information call Chris Gantela 281-344-0707, or Rev. Vijay Gurrala 281-997-0757. Sri Guruvayurappan Temple Hours: Mon to Fri 6 a.m. -8 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Weekends & Holidays: 6 a.m. to noon and 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Bhajans Saturdays 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Sundays 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Special poojas (weekends and holidays) Choroon (Annaprasam) for kids, Thulabharam, Vahana Pooja, Nirapara. Temple is located at 11620 Ormandy St. (77035) Tel: 713-7298994 email: temple@ guruvayur.us Preksha Meditation JVB Preksha Meditation Center conducts weekly Meditation, Yoga and Swadhyay sessions inside its unique Pyramid hall under the auspicious guidance of Samani Kanchan Pragyaji and Samani Pranav Pragyaji who are stationed at Houston Center this year. It also runs special events and programs like I-Choose, Meditation Camps and Gyanshala program for children ages 4-14 yrs. JVB is located at 14102 Schiller Rd. Houston 77082. Every Tuesday, 9:30am11:30am, Samaniji has pravachan for all adults interested in learning about Jainism. Every Wednesday there is Swadhyay class from 7-8pm and meditation from 8-9pm. Every Thursday from 9:30-11am there is special Yoga class for Ladies only. Every Saturday, there is Yoga Class from 9-10am and Meditation from 10-10.30am. Ist & 3rd Sundays, there is Gyanshala Classes for Kids ages 4-14yrs. from 10-12:15pm followed by Lunch. Visit www.jvbhouston.org or send email at info@jvbhouston.org for more details. Patanjali Yogpeeth Free Yoga Classes every Sat/Sun at Arya Samaj from 8 am to 9:30 a.m. Call Anil 281-579-9433. For other free classes, call Indra 281537-0018. For Yoga/Herbal products, call Shekhar 281-242-5000. www.pyptusa.org; www.DivyaProducts.com. Hindu Temple of The Woodlands 7601 S. Forest Gate Dr,

The Woodlands, TX 77382 Temple Hours, Weekdays: 7:30 AM - 9:30 AM 5:30 PM - 8.30 PM Aarti @ 7:30 PM Saturday and Sunday 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM Aarti at 12:00 PM 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM Aarti @ 7:30 PM; Contact 832-585--0001 or temple@myhtw.net Sathya Sai centers Sunday program held at two locations (North Houston: 12127 Malcomson Road, Houston; South Houston: 246 Fluor Daniel Drive, Sugar Land) from 3:00 to 5:30 pm) - Sai Spiritual Education (SSE) classes for children; Study Circle for adults & Devotional singing for all. Service programs - food distribution, canned food drives, nursing home visits, tutoring at schools, etc. Contact Venkat Rao (North) - 602-503-2249 or Ranji Raghavan (South) 281-451-8238. Visit www.sairegion10.org Sadhu Vaswani Center Sadhu Vaswani Center of Houston holds regular Satsang on 3rd Thursday of the month and daily Arti at 7.30 p.m. Call 281-4630379 or e.mail ramolaj@aol.com Gaudiya Math Shri Govindji Gaudiya Matha is a Hindu Vaishnava temple of Sanatan Dharam and worshipping place of Shri Shri Radha Krishna, Shri Gaur Nitai & Shri Ram Darbar. Mandir is open daily from 5.30 AM until 8.30 PM. The services are held from 5.30PM to 7.30PM followed by prashad. Daily Aarti times : Mangala Aarti- 5:30 am. Bhog Aarti - 12:30 pm. Evening Aarti - 7:00 pm. Enroll your child in Sri Govindaji Vedic School. We oer Hindi classes for all ages. Sri Govindaji Gaudiya Matha is located in Northwest Houston at 16628 Kieth Harrow Blvd Houston TX 77084. For more information, call at 832-464-4686 or visit our website: http://sggm.org. Swaminarayan Temple Hindu Satsang at Shree Swaminarayan Hindu Temple, under Shree NarNarayan Dev Gadi kalupur. Opens daily from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Daily aarti at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday sabha from 5 p.m to 7 p.m. followed by aarti at 7 p.m. and Maha-Prasad (free dinner). www.issotx.org. (281) 530-2565. Sanatan Dharm Maha Sabha West Indian Religious Organization called Sanatan Dharm Maha Sabha Branch # 377 is located at 26100 Tina Lane, Katy, TX 77494. Durga Mata Pooja is held every Friday from 7 pm to 9.30 pm. Contact Ram Sharma @ 713-4129985. Gandhi Library Mahatma Gandhi Library Book Club: Meets 2nd Sunday of each month; 12:30 PM at Arya Samaj Greater Houston, 13475 Schiller Rd. Join the discussion of the great man’s autobiography – The Story of My Experiments with Truth. Call Manish Wani 713-829-6979. Sant Nirankari Mission Sant Nirankari Mission holds its weekly spiritual congregation on every Sunday at India House 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. followed by community meals. All are welcome. For further information, call Raj Bhala at (281) 980-2825.

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27 • PAGE 19

PAGE 20 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019

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