News Notes

Ekal Fundraiser

Ekal Vidyalaya’s Charlotte Chapter hosted its annual fundraiser on Sunday, June 25, 2023 titled Sur Sangam with singer Vishwanath Batunge and his band. There were over 150 people in attendance and they enjoyed a nearly four-hour program of live music.

Jagannath temple to the Gundicha temple. For families in the Charlotte metropolitan area, however, celebrations looked a bit different.

The Hindu Center of Charlotte held a chariot procession on June 24, 2023 marking its seventh year of celebrating Rath Yatra. Hundreds of people took part in pulling the chariots around the temple, ringing bells, blowing conch shells, and chanting “Jai Jagannath.” The procession symbolizes the journey of Lord Jagannath and his two siblings, Lord Balabhadra and Mata Subhadra.

“Rath Yatra is a very popular, very religious, very auspicious festival,” said Mahesh Panda, puja committee lead of the Shri Jagannath Society of North Carolina, or SJSNC. When devotees chant mantras, pull the chariots, and take part in the festival, they experience a strong and positive spiritual connection, said Panda.

In Puri, Rath Yatra takes place over nine days, after which the deities return on Bahuda Yatra. But an “abridged” version was celebrated here, with priests conducting all ceremonies the same day.

“You can worship Jagannath in any way,” said Prakash Mohanty, president of SJSNC. “We have been doing [this] for five, six years, but when we started, we didn’t know all the rituals, so we made mistakes.”

There is no fixed ritual, said Mohanty, and Lord Jagannath is happy with any form of devotion.

The event was a collaborative effort between the Hindu Center of Charlotte and the Jagannath Society, who had been preparing for the celebration for several months. Dozens of volunteers helped assemble and decorate the chariot, set up booths for aarti and lassi, organize cultural showcases, raise funds, and cook food for over 1200 people.

“[There] is very intensive work going on to do the Rath Yatra,” said Mohanty. Volunteers are largely from the Jagannath Society, but if anyone they know is interested in helping, they are welcome too, he said.

The annual Rath Yatra celebrations at the Hindu Center began in 2017. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, there was no chariot procession in 2020 or 2021— instead, the temple held a small puja indoors.

After the chariot-pulling, devotees offered aarti to the deities. In honor of them, a cultural program also took place, consisting of performances of devotional songs and classical Odissi dances.

The East Indian festival of Rath Yatra took place in late June. Hundreds of thousands of people amass in Puri, Odisha annually to take part in the procession of three chariots that travel from the

SJSNC feels it is important to celebrate events like these because of the growing Indian diaspora around the world and to pass on the culture and beliefs to future generations.

“It brings everyone together,” said Hemant Amin, president of the Hindu Center. “Our goal is to have kids educated… to give them that knowledge. When they are here, they learn from each other, we learn from each other, we learn from them too while teaching them.”

The Hindu Center strives to keep the culture and religion alive for generations to come, said Amin.

“A lot of people are coming in together, chanting the holy name, and enjoying the darshana,” said Panda. “It’s really a great moment for everyone to… enjoy.”

9th Annual International Day of Yoga led by Modi During His USA Visit

India Day Parade NYC

One of the world’s largest India Day Parades, celebrating India’s Independence, will take place on Madison Ave, New York City on Sunday, August 20, 2023 beginning at noon. Sponsored by the Federation of Indian Associations, the 41st annual parade will feature free events, programs, participation by attendees and performances. There will be food, vendors, Bollywood celebrities, marching groups, and cultural floats. For more details, visit fianynjct.org.

Launch of the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X)

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the 9th annual International Day of Yoga celebrations on June 21, 2023, at the iconic North Lawn of the UN Headquarters in New York City. The theme for this year was “Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.” – which means “One Earth One Family One Future.” The event witnessed an overwhelming response from thousands of yoga enthusiasts from over 135 nationalities, setting a Guinness World Record for participation by maximum number of nationalities in a Yoga session.

A video message by UN Secretary-General Mr. Antonio Guterres was played as well. The event was graced by several notable dignitaries and prominent personalities from all walks of life - Diplomats, Officials, Academicians, Health professionals, Technocrats, Industry leaders, Media personalities, Artists, Spiritual leaders and Yoga practitioners; including H.E. Csaba Korosi, President of the 77th United Nations General Assembly; Eric Adams, Mayor of New York City; H.E. Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group.

Prior to the yoga session, Modi paid floral tributes at the bust of Mahatma Gandhi, which was inaugurated in December 2022, during India’s UNSC Presidency. The Prime Minister thereafter paid his respects at a Peacekeeping Memorial, also on the North Lawn. Modi was in the US for State visit President Biden. Modi’s whirlwind two days were filled with meeting CEOs, an address to the Congress, and more dignitaries.

The U.S. Department of Defense and the Indian Ministry of Defense launched the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) on June 21, 2023 at a catalyst event hosted by the U.S.-India Business Council. Launched against the backdrop of Prime Minister Modi’s State Visit to the White House and at a time of historic momentum for the relationship between the United States and India, INDUS-X will vitalize the countries’ defense industrial cooperation and unlock new innovations in technology and manufacturing. INDUS-X will create jobs in both countries and promote global peace, security, and prosperity.

The event convened representatives from more than 30 U.S. and Indian start-ups, as well as government, business, academic, and thought leaders, for discussions to advance technology cooperation between the nations’ defense industrial ecosystems.

Following the launch event, the U.S. Department of Defense and the Indian Ministry of Defence welcomed an ambitious collaboration agenda that outlines the initiatives INDUS-X stakeholders intend to spearhead. These initiatives complement existing government-togovernment collaboration and include joint prize challenges for start-ups, roundtable events, mentorprotégé initiatives between major primes and start-ups, and the formation of a Senior Advisory Group.

In engagements through the day, officials affirmed that INDUS-X will catalyze innovation and help equip both countries’ armed forces with the capabilities they need to defend a free and open Indo-Pacific.