INSIDE Sanchaari: Dances of …ficaup.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/ficaup/...512/201-0443...

July 2016 - Volume 0716 1

A Monthly Publication of the Federation of India Community Associations (FICA) Since 1967

Cleveland, Ohio, USA

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LOTUS TEAMPublishing & EditorialSujata Lakhe BarnardRamesh “Ray” GehaniPriyanka Gopal

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Email:Lotus@fi cacleveland.orglakhe4fi [email protected] 791-FICA(3422)Sign up and pdf archive:www.FICAcleveland.org/Lotus tab

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On the evening of Wednesday, May 25, 2016, a group of four culturally Indian dancers performed pieces from classical Indian dance styles of Kathak, evolved in northern regions of India, Bharathanatyam developed in southern parts, and Manipuri north-east state of Manipur nestled in the foothills of Himalayas and Chau, very dis-tinct from the classical styles, a martial arts type of dance with roots in Pre-Aryan in-digenous culture practiced and widely per-formed in Eastern states of Bengal/orissa/Bihar. The 90-minute performance included pieces that involved one, two, or four danc-ers and a Jugalbandi.

The dancers were clad in costumes true to their respective styles. Their movements perfected by the dancers from decades of practice and honing were aesthetically pleasing graceful and expressive of emo-tions identifi ed universally without needs for words or language. Accompanying beat of background music and singing, lighting transported one to its original landscapes of community theater and temple setting despite being conducted in very west-ern-styled auditorium and stage backdrop.

One can only imagine what effect the su-perb performances would have had on the audience if the dances had been staged in a temple like setting

Nevertheless the audience, almost full au-dience and many familiar faces in the crowd enjoyed the dances and clapped and cheered heartily at the end.

The short video clip is uploaded on the FICAcleveland Youtube channel, which shows the four dancers in the last piece ti-tled: “Sanchaari” – a word that means : “to travel”. According to the program notes, this dance piece blended the unique dance forms from the various regions of India.

Artists Shashadhar Acharya represents the fi fth

generation in the family of traditional artists of the Seraikella Chhau dance form. He in-herited this knowledge from his father Guru Lingraj Acharya and trained under S.N. Singhdeo, K. N. Sahoo and Bikram Kum-bhakar, Natsheakhar Pattnaik. He has ex-celled as an outstanding exponent and teach-

INSIDE1 Sanchaari: Dances of India3 President’s Message3 Appeal from Board of Trustees Chair3 Letter to the Editor4 Cultures Of India5 Yoga for Peace and Harmony6 Team Shiksha Daan Participa-tion In Cleveland Marathon7 Scoliosis8 Maharashtra Day 2016 Celebra-tion9 Sanchaari10 Down � e Memory Lane10 Arun’s Legal Corner11 Padmanabha S. Pillai Memo-rial

Sanchaari: Dances of IndiaBy Sujata Lakhe Barnard

Expression in the medium of Dance

Continued on Page 9

Sanjib BhattacharyaShashadhar AcharyaAntara Datta

Sujatha Srinivasan

2

July 2016 - Volume 0716

India’s Independence Day

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Indian community of Greater Cleveland will celebrate

11 am: Flag hoisting at Gandhi statue Cleveland Cultural Gardens

750 E 88th St, Cleveland, OH 44108

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1. Future garden, 691 MLK Jr. Drive2. Future garden, 710 MLK Jr. Drive3. Future garden, 711 MLK Jr. Drive4. Future garden, 741 MLK Jr. Drive5. Azerbaijan garden, 2008

6. Future garden, 780 MLK Jr. Drive7. Serbian garden (proposed)8. Future garden, 781 MLK Jr. Drive9. Polish garden, 820 East Blvd., 193410. Romanian garden, 870 MLK Jr. Drive, 1967

11. Slovenian garden, 840 East Blvd., 193212. Czech garden, 880 East Blvd., 1935 13. African-American garden, 890 MLK Jr. Drive, 197714. Rusin garden, 930 East Blvd., 193915. Slovak garden, 950 East Blvd., 193216. Italian garden, 990 East Blvd., 193017. Grecian garden, 1000 East Blvd., 194018. Ukrainian garden, 1008 East Blvd., 194019. Lithuanian garden, 1010 East Blvd., 193620. Latvian garden, 1010 East Blvd., 200621. German garden, 1036 East Blvd., 192922. Hungarian garden, 1070 East Blvd., 193423. British garden, 1131 East Blvd., 191624. Shakespeare Garden Theater (proposed)25. Estonian garden, 1170 MLK Jr. Drive, 196626. Finnish garden, 1180 MLK Jr. Drive, 1958

27. India garden, 1190 MLK Jr. Drive, 200528. Hebrew garden, 1160 East Blvd., 192629. Syrian garden, 1191 MLK. Jr. Drive, (proposed)30. Scottish garden (proposed)31. American Colonial garden, 1198 East Blvd., 1935

32. American Legion Peace, States garden, 1199 East Blvd., 193633. Irish garden, 1201 MLK Jr. Drive, 193334. American Legion Peace, Nations Garden, 9951 Superior Ave., 1936

Cleveland Cultural Gardens on a comeback

SOURCE: Cleveland Cultural Gardens DORA STANEFF-CLINE | THE PLAIN DEALER

PROOFPLEASE INITIAL AND RETURNTO GRAPHICS DEPARTMENT

ASSIGNING EDITORREPORTERCOPY EDITORLAYOUT EDITORGRAPHICS EDITOR

FIXINITIALS OK

8-12-0821HGCultural.ai Cleve. Cultural Gardenscomeback

S.LoveDora34p6 picas12.5 inches21HGCultural.

CREATED:GRAPHIC:SUBJECT:

EDITOR:ARTIST:WIDTH:DEPTH:

SLUG:

35. Chinese garden, 1890 East Blvd., 1985

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I am happy to report that this year our executive board has enthusiastically met every month with an objective of coming up with action points to fulfi ll our organi-zation’s goals. I am very delighted and for-tunate to be surrounded by loving, caring, devoted and hard working individuals on our executive board and in our community. We understand none of us, Board members, donors or individual members are bigger than the organization, it’s all about how we can all unite and pool our resources to achieve our mission, vision and objective. I have personally heard positive feedback and praise from community members with regards to our programing, presentation and

the quality of our monthly publication; The Lotus. Our Twitter account (FICAcleve-land) is starting to get some following, how-ever I will encourage even more community members to follow it to facilitate fast dis-pensation of timely/last minute information. I would also encourage everyone to utilize FICAcleveland Facebook page for discus-sions and announcements. Make sure to look for Satya Mewa Jayate emblem as our profi le photo!

My years of experience in academic and scientifi c world and close observation of the business world has taught me that success of any organization rests on its treatment of all people, from top to bottom. A true sense of unity and direction among our members, friends and supporters can only be achieved by adhering to stringent ethical practices, complete transparency with regards to fi -nancial information, governance and board leadership. The future of this organization depends on getting highly qualifi ed and en-thusiastic people to serve on our boards and then providing support to that board so that they can do their jobs effectively and in a sustainable manner.

Nothing is more important to the health and sustainability of our organization than getting highly qualifi ed and enthusiastic people to serve on our boards. The job of building a board is more than just fi lling slots. It is about fi nding leaders who have skill sets and perspectives that align with our organization’s strategies, goals, and needs — not just now, but into the future. And it’s not just about recruiting one great individual; it’s about having the right blend of skill sets, expertise, community connec-tions, and diverse perspectives and spheres of infl uence across the board as a whole. Please see the plea from Chairman of the FICA Board of Trustees and respond if you think you may be able to brings ideas, skill sets and intention to help our organization thrive.

If the boards of organization like ours sit far removed from the communities they wish to serve, then people vote with their feet and walk away. Thus to keep charitable, social organization survive the changing de-mographic and needs and keep it relevant with abundant participation, indeed it will be necessary to invite those they wish to serve into the heart of decision-making.

FICA StaffBoard of Trustees

Chittaranjan Jain, Chair

[email protected]

440/942-4369

Executive BoardSujata Lakhe Barnard, President

[email protected]/791-FICA(3422)

Interim Vice President

-,

-Vandana Singh

Utkarsha Hazarnis, Secretary

secretary@fi cacleveland.org660/349-0480

Hemant Kanodia, Treasurer

treasurer@fi cacleveland.org216/791-FICA(3422)

Shenaz khan

[email protected] 543 0616

Sujata Lakhe Barnard, Editor, The Lotus

Lotus@fi cacleveland.org216/791-FICA(3422)

Priyanka Gopal , Lotus Copy Editor

Lotus@fi cacleveland.org512/201-0443

Lotus Business Manager

Vacancy

India Cultural Garden

Raj Pillai - Chair

[email protected]

440/724-4398

Shiksha Daan

Sanjay Garg - [email protected]/590-1261

Project Seva

Mona Alag, [email protected]

Sister OrganizationsAssociation of Indian physicians of Nothern

Ohio (AIPNO)

www.aipno.orgDr. Umesh Yalavarthy, [email protected]

Bengali Cultural Society of Cleveland

www.bcscle.orgSunil Dutta, President440 316 [email protected]

Marathi Mandal

www. neomm.orgSmita Samant, President

440 725 [email protected]

Odisha Society

Birendra Jena, President

330 [email protected]

HOME CARE AIDE SERVICES FOR THE INDO-PAK COMMUNITY!

Home Care Aides fluent in Punjabi, Hindi & Urdu

Services covered by most insurances, Medicare, Medicaid and private pay

Call today for more information

216.791.8000

Dear friends of FICA

As you know the ICC building on Cedar Road has been sold. We are now in next phase. Decisions need to be made about our new direction and vision for the next gen-eration. To this end, the Board of Trustees (BOT) is seeking your input on the follow-ing:

1. FICA constitution needs major re-visions. It has served us well for over 40 years with minor revisions. Our commu-nity, demographics as well as interest and needs today are vastly different from the formative years. A “Constitution Revision Committee” has been formed. Members are Sunil Dutta([email protected]), Chit-taranjan Jain ([email protected]), Mona Alag (monaalag (yahoo.com), Sanjay Garg ([email protected]) and Dharminder Kam-pani ([email protected]). Please forward your suggestions to any of them via

email.

A copy of the current constitution was printed in the March issue of The Lotus.

2. A subcommittee has been formed under the leadership of Dr. Subha Sen Pakrashi ([email protected]) to seek your input for a focused vision and objectives of FICA. Other members are: Prasanta Raj (prasantaraj@yahoo .com), Suesh Bafna ([email protected]) and Umesh Yalavar-thy ([email protected]). This committee will also explore and make recommenda-tions for the need for a new ICC building. Kindly email any member with your sug-gestions and recommendations.

PLEASE CONSIDER THE ABOVE TO BE EXTREMEY CRITICAL FOR THE POST ICC FICA AND YOUR INPUT IS ESSENTIAL.

Chittaranjan Jain

[email protected];

(440)840 1641 (cell)

Appeal from Board of Trustees ChairBy Chittaranjan Jain, BOT Chair

President’s MessageBy Sujata Lakhe Barnard, FICA President

Letter to the EditorHello,

I talked to you about The Man Who Knew Infi nity and 2 other fi lms about Ramanujan and I just want to say that the Indian-made

fi lm called Ramanujan (2014) which is rated 7.0 on the Internet Movie Database, would be very interesting to see along with the Western made fi lm. And the documenta-ry fi lm Genius of Ramanujan, which is rated very high-9.3 out of 10 on the IMDB, would also be fascinating to see. I noticed on the Internet that the BBC also made a documen-

tary fi lm about him which I believe you can see on YouTube.

I saw an article on the Internet about

the fi rst fi lm being used to help fi nd math-ematically inclined students world wide in

hopes of fi nding someone so very talented as Srinivasta was. This fi lm encouraged me, along with the American astronomer Carl Sagan’s writings, to become more interest-ed in math and I’m sure it could do the same for other students and non-students.

Alan Bundy ([email protected])

4


Federation of India Community Associations of Northeast Ohio (FICA)

Membership Form Free for Students

Single Membership is $35 per year

Family membership is $50 per year.

Life membership is one-time fee of $500.

Name(s) Adult(s):

Name(s) Child(ren):

Name Spouse:

Address:

Address:

Phone: E-mail:

Type of Membership:

Single Family Student Life

Mail completed form with check payable to FICA and “Membership” in the memo line to:

FICA India Community Center

12412 Cedar Road, Cleveland Hts, OH 44106

FICA of Northeast Ohio

PO Box# 39474

Solon, OH 44139

The Lotus Paper Email Donation $

2016

Cultures Of IndiaBy: Jenisha Domadia & Vidhi Chheda

The culture of India refers to the way of life of the people of India. India’s languag-es, dances, music, architecture, food and customs differ from place to place within the country. Many elements of India’s di-versecultures such as Indian religion, yoga, Indian cuisine had a profound impact across the world.

India is a birth place of Hinduism, Bud-dhism, Jainism and Sikkhism, collectively known as Indian Religions. India is one of the most religiously diverse nations.

Family plays a signifi cant role in the In-dian culture. India has had a prevailing tradition of joint Hindu family system. For centuries arranged marriages have been the tradition in Indian society though men and women have always had the choice of who they want to marry. The divorce rate is extremely low compared with about 50% in the United States. Namaste, Namaskar or Namaskara or Namaskaram, Vanakkam Namoshkaar is a common spoken greeting in indian sub continent. Taken deeply, it means “ I BOW TO YOU” There are 415 living languages. Two offi cial languages of communication- Hindi and English Other languages include gujarati, marathi, tam-

il, telgu, urdu, sanskrit, punjabi and many more. Indian dance too has diverse folk and classical forms. Among the well known folk dances are the bhangra of Punjab, Bihu of Assam, the chhau of Jharkhand, Odisi of Orissa, ghoomar of Rajasthan, dandiya and grab of Gujarat and Lavani of Maharashtra.

Indian architecture has evolved through various ages in different regions of the country. Apart from these natural and ob-vious evolution from the pre- historic and historic periods, evolution of Indian archi-tecture was generally affected by the emer-gence and decay of great empires and dy-nasties in the sub-continent .

The cuisine in India is classifi ed into three major categories- Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.

There is a great diversity among different regions of India in terms of language, cui-sine, culture and dress. But though we all are different we all are Indians. We owe a lot of the Indians who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scien-tifi c discovery could have been made.

Albert Einstein

5


Yoga for Peace and Harmonyby Hira Fotedar

Sewa International Cleveland Chapter Celebrates Second International Yoga Day with Surya Namaskar

Over 45 participants from North East Ohio came together to celebrate the arrival of summer with Second Annual Yoga Summer Solstice event on Sunday June 19, 2016. Sewa Inter-national Cleveland Chapter organized the event at the Lake Shelter at Hun-tington Beach, Huntington Reserva-tion, Bay Village, Ohio. Other Sewa International Chapters across the USA are also celebrating the International Yoga Day.

It was a beautiful cool sunny day on the shores of Lake Erie on Sunday, to practice Surya Namaskar or sun salu-tation, a gesture of showing gratitude to the sun for providing us with life sustaining energy. Surya Namaskar is a set of 12 yoga asanas (physical pos-es), which bring body and mind to-gether in harmony, it revitalizes your body and refreshes your mind, leaves you feeling energetic throughout the day. These asanas when performed on a regular basis improve one’s posture, gives body a good workout and helps in reducing obesity and disease such as diabetes and strokes. Other health benefi ts include reduction of anxiety, restlessness and enhancing strength and vitality.

All participants in this Yoga event felt a sense of accomplishment by honoring their mind, body and spirit. Many enquired about the next year’s date so that they will participate again. This event was free and open to the public. SewaUsa Team provided complimentary water bottles.

Staci Teter a teacher at Yoga Alliance in Strongsville, Ohio and Bejan Hus-sein Faraji who teaches Yoga at EMH Center in Avon, Ohio led the yoga practice session. Bejan is originally from Iran. Viji Vijay, Vice President, Operations of Sewa International –Cleveland thanked all the participants and Yoga teachers for making the sec-ond annual summer solstice a success.

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6


Team Shiksha Daan Participation In Cleveland Marathonby Sanjay Garg

Members of the Shiksha Daan team par-ticipated in the recent Cleveland Marathon activities to increase awareness of and raise funds for Shiksha Daan. Mala Garg, Priya Singh (Mala’s cousin visiting from India), Swati Sathe, Meera Kansal, Rajshree and Ajay Bhandari, Saroj Mahalaha, and Re-nuka Diwan braved the cold weather and walked the 5K (5 Kilometer – approximate-ly 3 miles) on May 14. Attached are pictures of some of the team members at the start and all the team after the fi nish. They all did an excellent job fi nishing the walk at differ-ent times. After the initial rain, the weather held off to allow for a pleasant walk. The

walkers were exhilarated after the walk and were proud to have participated for a good cause. They all look forward to doing this again next year. Our hope is that more mem-bers of the community will join us in the walk next year.

Sanjay Garg walked the half marathon (13.1 miles) on May 15. It was interesting weather with rain, sleet and hail. Despite that and heavy winds, he was able to fi nish in 3 hours and 17 minutes, improving upon his time of last year by about 5 minutes. A photo of Sanjay close to the Finish line is attached.

We will like to thank all those who wished the team well and sent contributions. These include (as of May 25): Mona and Harjit Alag, Guniya and Suresh Bafna, Sangi-ta and Dinesh Bafna, Rajshree and Ajay Bhandari, Renuka Diwan, Gita Gidwani, Renu & Mahesh Goswami, Nisha and Chi-tranjan Jain, Meera & Sunil Kansal, Kamini & Bal Karamchandani, Saroj & Ashok Ma-halaha, Vandana & Ravi Marwaha, Bimal Pania, Shilpi & Ritesh Shah, Reena Shah and Mayank Kansal, Vimal Sharan, Shali-ni Sharma and The Swaminathan and Garg Foundation. We received about $3000 total in gifts through this effort. These funds will help us continue the mission of Shiksha Daan to help with the education and devel-opment of the under-privilege youth in the Greater Cleveland area.

For information about the mission and ac-tivities of Shiksha Daan, please visit www.shikshadaanusa.org or contact us at shiksha-dan.fi [email protected]

Our operating budget need for 2016 is about $6,000. So if you will still like to make a contribution in support of the Team Shiksha Daan participation in the Cleveland marathon, then please send a check made out to “FICA - Shiksha Daan” with “Cleve-land Marathon” in the memo line, and mail to Shksha Daan, C/O Sanjay Garg, 28853 Woodmill Drive, Westlake OH 44145.

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Vishali is a certifi ed Yoga teacher who lives in Solon with her family. Yoga is her passion. She learnt Yoga while growing up in India and also completed a 200 lev-el teacher training at Chagrin Yoga. She teaches group classes in Chagrin Yoga and Solon Recreation Center. She offers an in-spiring and powerful combination of asa-na, breath, meditation, and chanting that leaves students uplifted and empowered. Vishali specializes in Yoga and meditation techniques to promote overall wellness strengthen the core muscles to bring agili-ty and alleviate back pain. She also helps private clients and also does instruction for individuals training to be Yoga teachers at licensed Yoga Schools. She can be reached at [email protected]

Scoliosis is the lateral curvature of the spine that occurs most often during the growth spurt just before puberty. Most cases of scoliosis are mild but some children de-velop spine deformities that continue to get more severe as they grow. Severe Scoliosis can be disabling. It can reduce the amount of space within the chest, making it diffi -cult for lungs to function properly. Some children will need to wear a brace to stop the curve from worsening. Others may need surgery to keep the scoliosis from worsen-ing.

SIGNS OF SCOLIOSIS

Scoliosis is not only a curve of the spine but also has a rotational element to it. The ribs are connected to the spine and move with it. The spine moves laterally, form-ing an S curve and rotates at the same time. Some obvious signs of a spine with Scoli-osis are:

• One shoulder is higher than the other

• One side of the rib cage appears higher than the other

• One hip appears higher than the other

• The waist appears uneven

• The body tilts to one side

YOGA FOR SCOLIOSIS

Regular practice of Yoga can offer relief from Scoliosis related discomfort.

First and foremost, it is important to lengthen the spine and create space to de-crease the lateral side bending component and bring it back to center. Yoga can help create symmetry in the spine by bringing modifi cations in asana.

Second, bringing awareness to breath-ing is the key. Focus on breathing into the concave side of the spine where the ribs are compressed. It will create space into the ribs. Breath will create more energy in com-pressed ribs.

ASANAS

1. Tadasana is the mountain pose that will bring axial elongation in the spine. Adding side bending towards the convex side will bring length and space to the concave side of the spine (side opposite to the curve).

2. Warrior 1 with a modifi cation. This will create power in the legs and lengthen the spine.

3. Create space in the spine with the bar stretch. Hold the bar and walk backwards so spine is parallel to earth. Hips are in line with the knees and ankles.

4. Triangle with the wall or bar. Lengthen the concave side more so left hand is on bar if the spine is concave to the left.

5. Parsvakonasana or Extended Side An-gle with the wall. Stand with both shoulders

into the wall. Right buttock presses into the wall. Bend the knee over the ankle. Left buttock is slightly away from the wall.

6. Side bending bolster stretch. Lay side-ways on a bolster with knees bent. Place a sandbag on the convex side of the spine so the ribs move in towards the spine.

7. Rest in Savasana. When the mind be-comes quiet, true healing can take place.

Yoga for Scoliosis is very empowering and healing. It requires commitment, con-sistency, and inner awareness.

Scoliosisby Vishali Gupta

8


North East Ohio Marathi Mandal (NEOMM) celebrated Maharashtra Day on May 1st at Parma Snow Library Auditorium. More than 100 people were in attendance. The program theme was Fun and Fair. Members of the Cleveland community hosted stalls with variety of items on sale, which included Indian food, clothes, jewelry, and henna. The program commenced with guests visiting these stalls and enjoying the In-dian delicacies. All guests were provided with the historic information of Maharash-tra Day. The entire committee and audience sang the famous Maharashtra geet “Jai Jai Maharashtra Maaza.” There were fun games organized for all the guests. Keeping the occasion of Maharashtra Day in mind, all the games were based on “Me Marathi” theme. The games included translating and enacting famous Bollywood dialogues in Marathi, advertising famous products in Marathi, and antakshari. The guests also had fun playing full house Bingo. Everyone had great fun visiting the stalls, purchasing items of their choice, and playing games.

Utkarsha Hazarnis, [email protected]

Maharashtra Day 2016 Celebration

9


er of this art form. He has researched and documented the teaching methodologies, rhythmic structure and melodies, Akha-da system, and the evolution and usage of masks in Seraikella Chhau. He has travelled widely, performing and has been largely responsible for spreading knowledge about the dance form around the world. Currently, he teaches at Triveni Kala Sangam, Delhi, training students in dance and theatre. He is the fi rst to establish a Museum and a Li-brary at his institution Acharya Chhau Nri-tya Bichitra in Seraikella.

Sanjib Bhattacharya, recipient of Pres-ident’s Awards from Dr. A.P.J Abdul Ka-lam in 2006 and Pratibha Patil in 2011 is an accomplished Manipuri dance exponent, Guru and well known Choreographer in In-dia and abroad. He has received his training under eminent gurus Bipin Singh, Darshana Jhaveri, Kalavati Devi, Manjushree Chaki Sircar and Mamata Shankar. He performs as a solo artist and with eminent gurus and icons of Indian classical dances like Son-al Mansingh, Darshana Jhaveri, Ranjana Gauhar, Sadanam Balakrishnan in India and abroad. Sanjib runs several dance acad-emies and institutions in India and Abroad while conducting lecture demonstrations and workshops regularly across the globe.

Antara Datta has specialized in the Luc-know gharana (style) of North Indian Clas-sical Dance Kathak . She received intensive

training in Kathak by senior disciples of the Kathak maestro Pandit Birju Maharaj. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of Anga Kala Kathak Academy that special-

izes in teaching Kathak in North East and Central Ohio and also in Seattle, WA. S he has held an adjunct faculty position of Kath-ak at the Cornish College of Arts in Seattle, Washington and at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. Her innovative choreography has often brought together seemingly unre-lated dance forms (such as Kathak and Tap Dance or Kathak and Flamenco) in beau-tiful ‘jugalbandi’s, captivating audiences across cultures.

Sujatha Srinivasan i s a highly acclaimed exponent of Bharathanatyam, bringing over thirty fi ve years of artistic excellence to her career as a performer, teacher and choreographer. Having learnt the art under illustrious gurus of the Vazhuvoor style of Bharathanatyam, she is also knowledgeable in yoga, mridangam, Carnatic music, and has a masters in English. Traveling world-wide, she has presented solo recitals as well as thematic productions. She has won many titles and has been spearheading her efforts towards social causes through fundraising events to benefi t educational institutions, orphanages and temples in America and In-dia. Sujatha is the artistic director of Shri Kalaa Mandir, Center for Performing Arts where she has trained many students, many of whom rank among the front runners of the next generation on the North American Bharathanatyam scene.

Dance Forms

Seraikella Chhau

An energetic and spirited dance, this unique masked dance form evolved from martial art techniques that were earlier prac-ticed in this region by soldiers in the roy-al army. This word chhau traces its origin to Sanskrit in which it means shadow. The thematic contents of the compositions arc mostly abstract and are steeped in symbol-ism.

Parikhanda, meaning shield and sword, was a system of exercises practiced by the soldiers which became more stylized and adapted to a dance form, both in physical and aesthetic sensibilities. Chhau is differ-ent from other Indian classical dance forms primarily in its treatment of space and in its method of communication emotions. The dancer executes movements that thrust the body upwards away from gravity: spiral turns executed in the air, jumps and extend-ed leg movements carry the dancer through choreographic patterns that traverse the per-forming space.

The second unique feature of Seraikella Chhau is the complete absence of Vachik-abhinya by means of vocal support and Mukhabhinaya, as the face is completely concealed by the mask. Thus the emoting is done kinesthetically through body move-ments. Mukhota or masks are an integral part of this dance style and the art of mask making is itself highly evolved.

Bharathanatyam

Bharatnatyam is one of the most popular classical Indian dances originating from the South In-dian state of tam-il Nadu. Almost 2,000 years old, it is believed that Bharatnatyam was revealed by Lord Brahma to Bharata, a famous sage who then codifi ed this sacred dance in a Sanskrit text called the Natya Shastra. The Bharatnatyam dance initial fl our-ished in the Hindu temples of South India where temple dancers fl ourished under royal patron-age and religious devotion.

Bharathanatyam stems from the confl uence of “bha” bhava mean-ing expression, “Ra” raga meaning melody, “tha” thala meaning rhythm, and “natya” mean-ing dance theater. The two main ele-ments of this form are nritta, abstract pure dance move-

ments, and abhinaya, or mime. The music used for this art explores themes of “bhakti” or devotion to God as well as romantic and social themes.

Manipuri

Manipuri is indigenous to Manipur, the North eastern state of India. The Manipuri dance form is mostly ritualistic and draws heavily from the rich culture of the state of Manipur. Costumes used in the Manipur dance are colorful and the music carries a quaint charm.

Manipuri dance is entirely religious and aims at gaining spiritual experience. The Manipuri dance is not only a medium of worship and delight but also essential for all socio cultural ceremonies of Manipuri people. According to legends the original creator of Manipuri dance was Radha and Krishna. This Rasa Leela dance is said to be repeated by Shiva and his consort, God-dess Uma in Lasya style (in Manipur). It is interesting to note that the same dance (Rasa dance) was performed for the third time by two mortal human beings, princess Toibi and Khamba of Manipur. The dance performed by these two lovers is known as Lai Haraoba.

The most important facet of Manipuri culture is that it has preserved the ancient ritual based dances and folk dances along with the later developed classical Manipuri dance style. Of all the classical categories, the ‘Ras Leela’ (a greatly evolved dance drama, choreographed on ‘Vaishnavite Pa-davalis’) is the utmost expression of artistic genius, devotion and excellence of the Ma-nipuri people.

Kathak

Kathak is one of the leading forms of Indi-an classical dance. The ancient art of India derived its name “Kathak” from “Katha” the art of storytelling. The Kathak dancers were excellent narrators and storytellers, and they interpreted incidence from the great epics with gestures and music. Through an aesthetically exquisite and continuously evolving style, these storytellers of the past combined dance and music and became the protagonists of the modern Kathak dance. During the Hindu period, this performing art of North India was nurtured in temples for the glory of God. The dancers were mainly Brahmins and held in high esteem. Kathak dance believed in the Vaishnava philosophy and the Radha Krishna theme, passed through a period of renaissance and for some time became a powerful vehicle of entertainment for the Mogul courts. As a result of fusion of the Indo Mogul culture, Kathak emerged into a new form of dance. Though the basic graces of the old form were retained, a new idiom was defi nitely added. The moguls brought their Persian art introducing the geometrical patterns and de-signs, music and dancing with special em-phasis on footwork and intricate rhythmic patterns.

The free performance was sponsored by the Cleveland Museum of Art and The Fed-eration of Indian Community Associations.

Continued from Page 1

Sanchaari

10


Down The Memory LaneBy Om Julka

During World War II, one of the most important Freedom Fighters, Subhash Chander Bose, who ignored Mahat-ma Gandhi’s views of non-violence to achieve India’s Independence tried to fi nd ways to fi ght and win freedom. He was affectionately called Netaji (respected leader). Some snippets of his life are giv-en below. I had the privilege of listening to his speeches and witnessed some of his heroic adventures when I was in India.

He was born on 23rd January1897, in Cuttack (Orissa) to Prabhati Devi. His father, Janakinath Bose was a successful lawyer in Cuttack, who had received the title of ‘Rai Bahadur’ from British rulers.

In 1916, Subhash reportedly thrashed one of his British teachers, Professor E.F.Ot-ten who made a racist remark against the Indian students.He was expelled from Presidency College and banished from Calcutta University. In December 1921, he was arrested and imprisoned for his an-ti-British activities. Again arrested in July 1940, where, during World War II, he re-sorted to hunger strike, demanding his re-lease. His condition deteriorated and then he was placed in house-arrest at his home in Calcutta. Despite strict surveillance on his house which we used to read in the Newspapers, he baffl ed the British rulers when he managed to escape under the guise of a Muslim religious teacher. How he arrived in Berlin on March 28, 1941 to request Herr Hitler’s help for India’s free-dom is the mystery of great interest and the real story is given below: -

From Calcutta to Gomo, he and his companion travelled in a car. From there the arduous journey of 13 miles South

of Khyber Pass to Peshawar(now in Pa-kistan), was covered by train. They had to maneuvre the rough terrain before they could reach Afghanistan. On July 23, 1941 these two travellers entered Afghan territory. He was dressed as a Muslim Maulvi (Priest) wearing Malesia cloth Salwar Kamiz, Pathan leather jack-et, khaki kulla(cap below a turban) and Peshawari chappals posed as Zia Uddin Khan Lalpure as if he had suddenly lost his speech and hearing. His companion, Bhagat Ram Talwar, well versed in Push-to language posed as Rahmat Khan Lal-pure; thus hiding their identities.

The younger person, well-versed in lo-cal language Pushto, was Bhagat Ram Talwar but named Rahmat Khan Lalpure. Their excuse for being in Afghanistan: they were going to the holy shrine of Add-ashareef to seek Allah’s blessings for the old man’s recovery.

Uttam Chand, with whom they stayed in Kabul was great admirer of Netaji Sub-hash Bose, and an old friend of Bhagat Ram Talwar as both had been together as political prisoners in a British Indian Jail in 1930. Uttam Chand said his “fi rst meet-ing with Netaji was like a windfall”.

Impediments crept in later. Russian Ambassador refused to believe that Sub-hash Bose was in Kabul and so his help could not be procured. There was only one way now: To contact the German Mission. The response was positive. The German embassy at Moscow had been asked to arrange for a passport for Sub-hash Bose. Days passed and there was still no word from the Mission. Subhash was tense and worried. Something had to be done soon. On March 17, 1941, at 10 AM Subhash Bose bade goodbye to Ut-tam Chand’s family, while carrying a new identity – an Italian passport with his new name: Orlando Mozatta. Accompanied by a German, Dr Weller, from Kabul they drove to the Russian frontier. On March 20, Bose left by train for Moscow from the Russian border. On March 27, Netaji stayed on in Moscow. The day after, he arrived at his destination: Berlin. In No-vember 1941 broadcast from German Ra-dio sent shock-waves among the British and also electrifi ed the Indian masses.

(The subsequent story of Subhash Bose will be published in the next issue.)

You are very excited. Your baby brother and his wife just had a perfectly healthy (not to mention cute) baby girl named Sunita. As the elder uncle, you take it upon yourself to purchase a complete set of pajamas and day wear for your niece.

As she begins to wear the clothes you purchased, however, Sunita’s health takes a turn for the worse. She develops severe eczema and asthma. She is admitted to the hospital where she is diagnosed with an acute formaldehyde sensitivity brought on by the clothing you bought for her. You are

enraged. Aren’t there regulations forbid-ding formaldehyde in clothing?

No. The Consumer Product Safety Com-mission (CPSC) regulates the safety of con-sumer goods in the United States. There are no CPSC (federal) regulations on the use of formaldehyde in clothing governing con-tent or labeling. There is a state labeling requirement under California’s Proposition 65 (Prop 65) law for any product containing formaldehyde unless the potential exposure falls below a safe harbor level.

Formaldehyde is a common additive to fabrics as an anti-mildew, anti-moth, and preservative. In fact, formaldehyde is so common in fabrics it is part of the chemi-cals that form the “new car smell” of which consumers are so fond. There are many countries in the world that regulate formal-dehyde in clothing. The strictest is that of Japan which mandates that formaldehyde be “not detectible” (less than 20 parts per million) for infant clothing. Other coun-tries and economic zones have regulations on formaldehyde content including the Eu-ropean Union, Australia, New Zealand, etc.

The good news is that since the 1960s, when formaldehyde levels in clothing were

extremely high, many companies selling to the American market have voluntari-ly instituted policies signifi cantly limiting formaldehyde levels in their clothing and to conduct testing for formaldehyde content. There are also industry groups related to the textile and apparel industries that have insti-tuted consensus standards for formaldehyde content in clothing. Recent random sam-pling conducted by governmental organiza-tions found either no formaldehyde in the tested clothing or relatively small amounts in the hundreds of parts per million range.

As for Sunita, she will recover and luckily be no worse for the wear. The truth is that the vast majority of the population has no adverse effects from formaldehyde in cloth-ing. Perhaps there should be some formal regulation, but apparel and textile compa-nies are generally already doing the right thing. And your order of Japanese-manu-factured infant clothing should be arriving soon, which will look adorable on her.

About the author: Attorney Arun J. Kottha is a litigator and regulatory compliance at-torney at Tucker Ellis LLP Contact: [email protected]. This article is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact an attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or prob-lem.

Arun’s Legal CornerArun J. Kottha, Esq.©

11


Memorial Service information:

Shiva Vishnu Temple 7733 Ridge Rd,Parma, OH 44129Saturday August 13, 20163-5 pm http://klmpillai.wix.com/mysite

If friends would like to make donations in Padmanabha S Pillai’s name, this can be done in his name to the Shiva Vishnu Tem-ple.

Padmanabha Pillai was very active in the Akron and Cleveland Indian communities. Being one of the earliest Indian families to settle in the area, he was very engaged in cultural and religious organizations.

Padmanabha was past president of both the India Association of Akron and the Bharthi Cultural Society of Cleveland. Last year he was given an award by the Bharthi Cul-tural Society of Cleveland. The award is” for signifi cant contribution to the NE Ohio Tamil Sangam.” He was an active member of the Malayalee Association of Cleveland and received an award for outstanding con-tribution to the Malayee Association of the Greater Cleveland area.

Dr. Padmanabha S. Pillai passed away peacefully in India on March 20, 2016. Born in Trivandrum, India, he was the fi rst member of his family to attend college. He graduated from University College in Trivandrum with a BSc in Physics. Then,

he completed his Masters in Physics from Benares Hindu University.

He and his wife Gowri Pillai had been married for over 60 years. He came to the United States to pursue his PhD and re-ceived his PhD from West Virginia Uni-versity. He accepted a position as Senior Research Physicist at The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in 1966 in the Ak-ron-Cleveland area. His family joined him shortly thereafter.

He was an early pioneer of using laser technology in tire research development. He received the Pioneer award from Good-year and was the holder many patents. He retired after 31 years of service.

Padmanabha Pillai was as one of the ear-liest participants in the construction and formation of the Shiva Vishnu Temple. He served as the Executive Committee Presi-dent. Padmanabha was instrumental in the construction of many phases of the Shiva Vishnu temple and the consecration of idols in accordance to Vedic traditions.

He went to India many times on behalf of the temple. Talking with various temple artisans, he helped facilitate many of the South Indian idols. He and Gowri, his wife, over the years, have hosted many of the vis-iting temple priests in their home.

In the early years of the temple, he could be seen on any given Sunday teaching reli-gion classes to the younger generation and

sitting on the ex-ecutive committee of the Shiva Vish-nu temple. In his later years, he was the familiar and friendly face that many saw collect-ing money during Sunday lunch.

His other inter-ests included be-ing an avid mem-ber of the Akron Physics club (40 years), working as a Junior Achieve-ment volunteer with Akron inner city high school students, being a volunteer tax pre-parer for AARP seniors, giving scientifi c lectures at many Indian in-stitutions, amongst other activities. Padmanabha Pillai loved to read and learn as he was a lifelong learner. He also received his MBA from Kent State Univer-sity. Later he completed the course work for his DBA.

He is deeply missed by his family includ-ing his loving wife Gowri Pillai, his son

Kumar (Sharon), daughter Lekshmi (Rama-lingam), and son Mohan (Priya). He was the beloved grandfather to NithyaPriya, Jaya, Divya, Aashna, Nikheil, and Mali.

Memorial service at the Shiva Vishnu Temple , Saturday, August 13, 2016 from 3-5 pm.

Padmanabha S. Pillai MemorialMemory by Lekshmi Ramalingam

12


& HIS BAND

$250, $100, $75, $50, $35$150,

First time ever

in Cleveland

Aug 13, 2016

Playhouse Square1501 Euclid Avenue, Suite 200Cleveland, Ohio 44115

7.30 PM

Book tickets online @www.playhousesquare.com

Swati Desai: (440) 506-0409 Anil Singh: (440) 463-6598 Zara Imran: (216) 403-8404

Viji Vijay: (440) 610-5719 Ritu Mahna: (216) 577‐3210 Priyanka Sharma: (440) 212‐0282

Rupesh Raina: (216) 401‐7894 Amit Patel: (440) 710‐4820 Falguni Dani: (216) 225‐2811

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