India Herald 040319

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

20 Pages

India Herald

VOL. 25 • NO. 14 • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2019 • P.O. BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487 • PERIODICAL PERMIT USPS 017699 • 25 cents

Zoroastrian fire temple opens

Zoroastrian Association of Houston celebrated the grand opening of the fire Temple on West Airport Blvd. in Houston March 20-24. This is the first fire temple to be built outside India, Pakistan, and Iran. The Atash Kadeh is named after the Bhandara family, who helped build the temple with their donation. Above, Vada Dasturji Khurshed Dastoor (High Priest of Iranshah in Udvada, India) is flanked by Feroze and Shernaz Bhandara in front of the temple. Top left, priests perform holy fire lighting ceremony inside the new temple. Traditional ceremonies included the collection of sandalwood and ash for the fire, a procession led by local Mobeds, Ervads and Naavars (priests) who carried an urn with fire and ashes from the small prayer room located in the community center to the Bhandara Atash Kadeh, where the fire was in the new urn. Story on page 4.

The Holi celebration at Chinmaya Mission Houston on Sunday, March 24 gave joy to adults and children alike. Over 700 members participated with amazing zeal making it a truly memorable day. See story on Page 3.

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Dr. Milan Vaishnav, left, director of South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington D.C. presented a distinguished lecture on “India’s 2019 general elections: Money, muscle and democracy’s future,” under the auspices of Foundation for India Studies at India House in Houston on March 30. Col. Raj Bhalla, (Retd.) FIS advisory board member, Nischay Bhan, director, FIS, and Krishna Vavilala, founder-chairman of FIS. Story on Page 11.

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PAGE 2 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2019

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2019 • PAGE 3

COMMUNITY Bright hues and cool games warm hearts at Chinmaya Prabha The Holi celebration at Chinmaya Mission Houston on Sunday, March 24th, was immensely enjoyed by adults and children alike. Over 700 members participated with amazing zeal making it a truly memorable day. Rain or shine, the event was to go on as planned. Volunteers were seen working enthusiatically in the courtyard of the Saumyakasi Sivalaya temple since that morning. The volunteers of the food team started to cook the festive lunch early in the day. The courtyard was decorated with beautiful strings of colorful pennants. The holi fire was set in the middle of the courtyard. The sound system amped up the joyous mood. Piles of vibrant colors were set up to be distributed to all participants. As if to reward all devotees, the gods too seemed to shower their love gifting all with a beautiful day – the perfect weather for all to sing, dance, and play with colors to their hearts’ desire! At 1 p.m. all participants gathered in the courtyard. The celebration started with the Holi puja. The Holi fire was lit by Acharya Gaurang Nanavaty. Worship was then followed

with food. The blue skies and soft spring-green lawns called for picnicking on freshly made traditional delights – tasty chole-bhature, sweet jalebi, and crispy bhel. A flash mob dance set to rocking songs got the whole crowd moving. This set the mood for the “Gokul” games, specially crafted to convert the whole temple courtyard into Gokul-Vrindavan, the childhood home of Lord Krishna. Children found the “Gokul” or “Go-Cool”- namely the “naughty little Krishna” games - absolutely enjoyable and funny. It was an experience also that revolved around bonding with their mothers. “Bruj ki Lathmaar,”again a tradition during Holi, where the better halves got a chance to ‘beat’ their spouses with laathis or clubs (kindly redesigned with soft, spongy pool noodles) was surely delightful. “Going to River Yamuna” and “Balance the Water Pots,” walking with water (balloons) in a container on their heads followed. Every child and adult alike wanted to participate in these games. The day ended with a splash, of course! Colors filled the air as they got thrown and smeared in this happy celebration of the advent of spring. With

Priest Sri Ganeshji, left, and Acharyas Gaurang and Darshana Nanavaty prepare to light the holi fire. beaming smiles on colored faces, and with warmed hearts, all families drove back to their homes looking forward to next year when they can do this all over again! For more information about Chinmaya Mission Houston, 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. — By Ruchi Verma and Jaya Chitale; Photos by Rajesh Thatte

Indian Music Society of Houston presents season opening concert by

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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, APRIL 3, 2019

COMMUNITY

HOUSTON Zoroastrian Association of Houston (ZAH) celebrated the grand opening of the ďŹ rst ďŹ re Temple to be built outside India, Pakistan, and Iran from March 20-24. The celebration included the Navroze, the New Year, and the ďŹ rst day of spring. The Bhandara Atash Kadeh (ďŹ re temple) is a result of decades of planning and was made possible by the generous donation of Feroze and Shernaz Bhandara. Vada Dasturji Khurshed Dastoor (High Priest of Iranshah in Udvada, India) led the ceremonies, prayers and blessings. Traditional ceremonies included the collection

of sandalwood and ash for the ďŹ re, a procession led by local Mobeds, Ervads and Naavars (priests) who carried an urn with ďŹ re and ashes from the small prayer room located in the community center to the Bhandara Atash Kadeh, where the ďŹ re was in the new urn. The Bhandara Atash Kadeh inauguration and Navroze gala celebration on Saturday, March 23, began with the National Anthem and blessings given by Vada Dasturji Khurshed Dastoor and was followed by speeches, award ceremony, dining and dancing for all. Accompanying the opening was an exhibit ‘Down Memory Lane’ which presented vi-

gnettes of past Parsi domestic spaces in India and Pakistan. Feroze Bhandara wished the audience of over 600 people a Happy Navroze and thanked the community for its support. He spoke about the inspiration to build an Atash Kadeh that would meet the spiritual needs of the second and third generation Parsis in North America and observed that he and his wife, Shernaz, felt privileged to have built this ďŹ re temple. They want the Bhandara Atash Kadeh to be a safe, inclusive and welcoming spiritual place of worship for all in the hopes that even Non-Zoroastrian family members can share the faith and spiritual beliefs thus

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carrying the Zoroastrian faith onward to the next generation. Bhandara formally turned over the ownership of the Bhandara Atash Kadeh building to the ZAH. Following this Vada Dasturji Khurshed Dastoor spoke on the “Zarathushti Way of Life in Today’s Worldâ€?, and the survival of the Zarathushti faith in the modern world. He asked whether “Zarathushtis want to survive and have the will to surviveâ€? and acknowledged the Zoroastrian core belief of “Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deedsâ€? which is evident throughout this community and oered a reminder to keep ‘the ďŹ res burning.’ At the evening gala and dinner, Feroze Bhandara introduced several key guests and dignitaries including U.S. Congressman Al Green who, on behalf of the 9th Congressional District of Texas, presented a CertiďŹ cate of Special Progression Recognition to ZAH and Consul General of India, Dr. Anupam Ray. Houston Mayor, Sylvester Turner, proclaimed Saturday, March 23, 2019 as the Bhandara Atash Kadeh Day and sent Council Members Mike Laster (District J), Council Member Martha Castex-Tatum (District K), and Council Member at Large David Robinson to present the proclamation. Sarosh Collector described how the idea of an Atash Kadeh came to mind after a discussion with Roshan and Rohinton Rivetna but the push to move forward with the idea truly came from Mrs. Cooper (Lahore) and Shernaz Bhandara. He oered his good wishes to the Bhandara family and Zoroastrian Community Members - Atha Jamyat, Yatha Afrinami (as it is, so shall it be). A series of speakers including Federation of Zoroastrian

Associations of North America President, Homi Gandhi, North American Mobed Council President, Ervad Kobad Zarolia, past President Sheroy Haveliwala addressed the gathering. Architect Cyrus Rivetna thanked Aderbad Tamboli, Rohinton Deputy, Khushrav Nariman, and others for their support and contributions during the construction. MCs for the evening were Mitra Khumbatta and Darius Tamboli. The crowd gave standing ovations to The Children’s Choir, led by Sunday school teacher Vehishta Kaikobad, who performed a Spiritual Song to the tune of “It’s Now or Neverâ€? and musical selections by Chloe and Tayte Choudhury. Vada Dasturji Khurshed Dastoor Saheb conveyed how touched he was during the ceremony, and that it is now up to the community to take care of this ďŹ re and see that it burns in perpetuity. The celebrants raised over $100,000 for operational costs making evident their commitment to the ongoing care of the Bhandara Atash Kadeh. Zoroastrians from across the United States and Canada attended the celebrations as the Bhandara Atash Kadeh is now a ‘must see’ for Zoroastrians throughout North America. DJ Gary (Farrokh Firozgary) and the Z-band rocked the dance oor by singing everyone’s favorite tunes and brought the evening to a close. The Bhandara Atash Kadeh is a standalone, easily recognizable as a Zoroastrian place of worship designed by Chicago architect Cyrus Rivetna. It is located across from the community center within the 8 acres owned by the ZAH. The building of just over 7,000 square feet includes a community Prayer Hall, with

Continued on next page

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, April 3, 2019 • PAGE 5

COMMUNITY

Feroze and Shernaz Bhandara pray inside the Atash Kadeh. ceremonial rooms and two living quarters to be used for those undertaking their Navroze or ďŹ rst training as priests. It is expected to be a place of worship for Zoroastrians, their non-Zoroastrian spouses and children where the ďŹ re burns bright for decades to come. The Zoroastrian Association of Houston was established in 1977 with just over 12 families. In 1998, the Zarathushti Heritage and Cultural Center built a community center on 8 acres donated by community members which included the ďŹ rst ďŹ re temple room for ceremonies.

Priests carry the holy fire from the cultural center across to the Atash Kadeh to keep the fire burning perpetually at the temple.

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2019 • PAGE 7

OBITUARY Anasuya Devi Bidding a loved one goodbye is very, very hard. My mother Avasarala Anasuya Devi, a genius of a singer, composer, writer, and a beautiful, most elegantly dressed lady, always wearing perfectly matching clothes and bindi, my beloved Amma lived a full life, and would have completed 99 years, had God not decided to take her from us, perhaps to have her regale Him with her songs that few could render as well. (We lost our mother on March 23. Final rites were performed Monday, March 25, at Bethesda, MD.) Our children lost their amazing grandmother, and her 4 great grandkids will only know about her unique life and achievements from us. But the world has lost one of its greatest artists, a nonpareil among singers, a trailblazer and fearless feminist, and one who was way ahead of her time as both a person and an artist. She gave her family many precious gifts, among them self confidence, inner strength, a profound passion for the arts, and fierce determination to pursue their dreams. Amma, life without you will never be the same. You may not be with us physically, but your music will be ringing in our ears until the day we meet you on the other side, and then you can sing for us yourself. Rest in peace, Asamaana Anasuya, the incomparable one! There can never be another like you. —Rathna Kumar, Houston. Noted folk artist, music director and writer Vinjamuri Anasuya Devi died in the U.S. at the age of 99, The Hindu reported. A recipient of Kala Prapoorna award, she got her first gramophone record at the age of 8 years, reported Born and brought up in Kakinada, Vinjamuri Anasuya Devi used music as a tool to spread the message of social equality in the days when the society considered women coming out of their homes as a taboo. The literary and cultural environment around her made Anasuya Devi learnt classical music along with her elder sister Seetha in the childhood and later the sisters lent their voices to many light music compositions of their maternal uncle the renowned poet Devulapalli Krishnasastry. With Krishnasastry developed a penchant for Brahmo Samaj and penned songs for the organisation that worked for social renaissance, they sang those songs in many public meetings. From there, Anasuya Devi left for the then Madras from where she went to Houston in the US. “Anasuya Devi was a courageous woman, who broke all the shackles and moved freely on a par with men in those days. Her independent nature made her special among the family and her voice added beauty to many lyrics of Krishnasastry,” recalled Tallavajhula Patanjali Sastry, a close relative of the family and writer and environmentalist from Rajamahendravaram. “Anasuya Devi brought out her autobiography ‘Asamana Anasuya’ three years ago, in which she gave a detailed description of her journey from Kakinada to Houston,” said Mr. Patanjali Sastry. “Seetha and Anasuya popularised folk music in the combined Andhra State. They were the first singers to give concerts with folk songs,” recollected V.A.K. Ranga Rao, renowned historian of music, who shared an association of 65 years with the Vinjamuri family. “The tune of popular song ‘Manasuna mallela.. .’ from the classic ‘Malleeswari’ was based on ‘Chandana charchita..’ a song rendered by Anasuya in 1937.

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2019 • PAGE 8

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2019 • PAGE 9

COMMUNITY

Houston honors Gitesh Desai

Gitesh Desai and his daughter Dr. Shuchi Desai with all the speakers . Col Vipin Kumar, left, Hasu Patel. Swapan Dhairyawan, Gitesh Desai, Dr. Shuchi Desai, Dr. Kalplata Guntapalli, Subhash Gupta, Dr. Kamlesh Lulla, Curtis Stroup, and Vijay Pallod By POOJA SALHOTRA Several commuity organizations joined to honor Gitesh Desai, a recipient of the 2019 Pravsai Bharatiya Samman award at a special event held at India House in Houston on Friday, March 29. The event was organized by the Consul General of India Dr. Anupam Ray and coordinated by Sewa International Coordinator Achalesh Amar, with support from Indo American Political Action Committee, Indo American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston, India Cultural Center, India House, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, and Hindus of Greater Houston. The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award is conferred by the President of India to individuals who make significant contributions towards India’s development. It’s the highest award a non-resident Indian can receive from the Indian government. In Houston, Desai is perhaps best known for leading rescue efforts after Hurricane Harvey struck last year, even after his own home flooded. In January, Desai’s commitment to selfless service was recognized internationally, when he was one of 28 recipients of the Indian award. “It’s my privilege to be here today to honor a person who I think represents the best traditions of India, the best traditions of the Indo-American community,” said Dr. Ray. “What Mr. Desai and his team in Houston does, indicates an ambition to do good, to be a force for good, to help others across the world.” “Gitesh ji has been a source of inspiration to me for the last few years,” Amar said. “Despite all his achievements, he is the epitome of humility.” Desai an engineer by profession is a multi-faceted personality. A skillful salsa dancer, he is also a certified yoga instructor, talented poet, painter and tabla player, not to mention an inspiring community leader and activist. Desai’s dedication to service stems from a young age. His family, he said, was deeply influenced by Mahatma Gandhi, who spent two days in their hometown of Jambusar during his famous Salt March of 1930. Since then, Desai’s family followed Gandhi’s teachings and was ac-

tive in public service. In fact, Desai grew up hearing his grandmother recite Ghandi’s words: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others,” she would say. And Desai has done just that. Inspired by the transcendental literature of Indian philosophers such as Sri Aurobindo and Vivekananda, Desai became a student activist, leading protests against government corruption. And upon immigrating to the US in 1980, Desai continued his advocacy efforts. He led a delegation to Capitol Hill to lobby for transparency in US monetary aid to Pakistan, pushing to ensure the funds would not be used for terrorist activity, and he also advocated for the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to India to further develop the diplomatic relationship. In 2008, he accompanied former county Judge Ed Emmett on the Trade Mission to India, which resulted in tractor company Manhindra & Manhindra expanding their facility in Harris County, thereby creating jobs and boosting the local economy. “He’s a true swayamsevak,” said Subhash Gupta of HSS. “Swayamsevak is one who works selflessly for the betterment of the society. He or she organizes and leads the society and this is what my friend Gitesh ji has been doing all along his life.” Two years ago, Desai was named President of the Sewa International Houston Chapter. In this role, Desai mobilized over one thousand volunteers to rescue victims of Hurricane Harvey, despite having to move into a hotel after his own home was flooded with five feet of water for two weeks. Desai further helped Sewa International secure a $500,000 grant from American Red Cross to rebuild homes of victims in Rosharon Village. The grant extends 18 months and is helping the organization reconstruct 11 completely destroyed homes and 24 partially-destroyed homes. “Even though he was staying in a hotel, he was volunteering […] and helping us and guiding all of us,” said Arun Kumar, a Sewa International volunteer. “He’s definitely an inspiration.” Several speakers at Friday’s

event emphasized Desai’s positive attitude and his tendency to put others before himself. “During Harvey, both of us had lost the first floor of our homes,” said Executive Director of India House Vipin Kumar. “While I was grieving, Gitesh Bhai was busy helping people. This is called real community service.” Desai’s boss, Curtis Stroup from Wood Group, described Desai as “someone with a caring heart,” and he emphasized his modesty and humbleness. As an example, Stroup noted that he found out about Desai’s award not from Desai himself, but from a coworker who placed a news-

paper article about the award on his desk. “The award may have my name on it, but in truth it belongs to everyone who has helped me grow, gave me opportunities, supported me, and served with me to make it happen in reality,” Desai told the gathring. “I could succeed only because of you. It is you who lifted me up and made me look taller.” To illuminate more about Desai, his daughter, Shuchi, shared how her father led by example. Shuchi learned from her father to “be a voracious reader.” Growing up, she saw her father read multiple newspapers each morning and then read literature in the evenings. Desai also engrained in her a “holistic approach to health” that inspired her to become a physician.

“My father has taught me to be a strong person, a leader, and to smile in the face of adversity,” she said. She also elucidated some of Desai’s hidden talents, such as his skills in charcoal painting, and his ability to dance salsa and rumba. Kavita Tiwari, executive director of Sewa Houston and MC for the event, emphasized that Desai gives each person the same attention, regardless of their status or background. This sentiment was echoed by Sayeed Javed, a structural engineer. “Although, I am a Pakistani American Muslim, you never ever showed any bias against me,” he wrote in an email to Desai on Friday. “You always treated me as one of the team members with dignity and respect.”

Sewa Chapter Coordinator Achalesh Amar with Kavita Tewary the MC of the event.

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PAGE 10 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2019

NEWS

Indian-Americans join hands to fight food insecurity NEW YORK — Indian Americans across New York are coming together to fight food insecurity with Food Bank For New York City. The newly formed Indian American Council (IAC) kicked off their Million Meal March campaign at Baar Baar restaurant on Tuesday, March 12. The launch event garnered more than 100 attendees and raised over 610,000 meals for New Yorkers in need. The group has mobilized the Indian-American community with the rallying cry of “Hunger Mitao!”, which means Wipe Out Hunger. The Council’s Co-Chair is Payal Sharma,

the Managing Partner of Baar Baar restaurant, and its Founders and Advisors are Raj Asava and Aradhana “Anna” Asava. The council will raise awareness, improve engagement, and channel resources and contributions of the Indian-American community in New York City to support Food Bank’s mission. “In the spirit of ‘give where you live,’ the Indian-American community – through IAC – has enabled close to 5 million meals in Texas in just over a year,” said Raj Asava. “We are excited to bring this model to New York City and are confident that the Indian commu-

nity here will galvanize around Food Bank and provide millions of meals for NYC’s food insecure children, seniors, veterans and vulnerable families,” added Anna Asava. “In order to be Food Bank FOR New York City, it’s imperative that New Yorkers from every community see a place for leadership within our mission,” said Margarette Purvis, President & CEO of Food Bank For New York City. “We are grateful to be selected as the recipients of the great passion, commitment and focus of the Indian American Council. Their important work punctuates how every New Yorker

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has a role to play in the fight against hunger.” Originally launched in North Texas, the Co-founders have since expanded the Indian American Council to Houston, as well. For 35 years, Food Bank For New York City has been the city’s major hunger-relief organization working to end hunger throughout the five boroughs. Nearly one in five New Yorkers relies on Food Bank for food and other resources. Food Bank takes a strategic, multifaceted approach that provides meals and builds capacity in the neediest communities, while raising awareness and engagement among all New Yorkers. Through its network of more than 1,000 charities and schools citywide, Food Bank provides food for more than 61 million free meals per year for New Yorkers in need. Food Bank For New York City’s income support services, including food stamps (also known as SNAP) and free tax assistance for the working poor, put more than $110 million each year into the pockets of New Yorkers, helping them to afford food and achieve greater dignity and independence. Food Bank’s

nutrition education programs and services empower more than 50,000 children, teens and adults to sustain a healthy diet and active lifestyle on a limited budget. Working toward longterm solutions to food poverty, Food Bank develops policy and conducts research to inform community and government efforts. To learn more about how you can help, please visit foodbanknyc.org. Follow us on Facebook (FoodBank4NYC), Twitter (@FoodBank4NYC) and Instagram (FoodBank4NYC). The Food Bank of New York City’s Indian American Council (IAC) exists to raise awareness and community involvement, as well as channel the resources and contributions of the Indian American community towards the mission of Food Bank of NYC of a hunger-free community. To learn more about IAC or join the fight against hunger, visit www.foodbanknyc.org/iac. To learn more about how you can help, please visit foodbanknyc.org. Follow us on Facebook (FoodBank4NYC), Twitter (@FoodBank4NYC)

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Indian American Council Founders and Advisors Aradhana “Anna” Asava and Raj Asava, and Co-Chair Payal Sharma

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, APRIl 3, 2019 • PAGE 11

NEWS

2019 Indian election is BJP’s to lose; Modi will remain the PM

By SESHADRI KUMAR India’s elections in 2019 will be the largest democratic exercise in world history and the largest show on earth, with 879 million registered voters, and it remains the Bharatiya Janata Party’s election to lose, despite a good fight from the united opposition, said Dr. Milan Vaishnav, director of South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington D.C. Vaishnav presented a distinguished lecture on “India’s 2019 general elections: Money, muscle and democracy’s future,” under the auspices of Foundation for India Studies at India House in Houston on March 30. Vaishnav, a Houstonian, is the author of the awardwinning book, “When crime pays: Money and Muscle in India politics,” (Yale University Press and Harper Collins, India, 2017.) What was presumed to be a cakewalk for the BJP has turned into a keen contest, yet it is premature to declare Narendra Modi as one-time Prime Minister, Vaishnav said. Two years ago, the opposition parties had written-off their chances of victory in 2019 but are now singing a different tune after the Congress Party’s victory in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh last year. What caused the change in the trend? Economy was one factor. The economy took the shine off the BJP and the Prime Minister’s promise of multiplying his success in Gujarat did not materialize. The economic picture for the

last 5 years has been mixed and has been a roller coaster ride. With the impact of the General Sales Tax and demonetization, a majority of the people did not feel that the “Achhe din” assured by Modi had arrived. Despite the better economy in urban areas and the declining inflation, the rural areas are under stress, Vaishnav said. While the services sector boosted employment, they don’t produce as many jobs as the manufacturing sector or the industry. Anti-incumbency is another challenge that the BJP faces. The opposition alliance, however, is new and still evolving and it is an opportunistic alliance to keep the BJP at bay. However in the last two months, the winds have been favorable to the BJP because of the Pulwama attack. The BJP did not contrive the attack for electoral benefit, but it helped boost their prospects, according to Vaishnav. Even before Pulwama, surveys suggested that the BJP would get 260 seats and form the government and it is BJP’s election to lose, Vaishnav opined. Modi did not strike Pakistan for political motives, but he is using it. The opposition is in a Catch 22 situation - damned if it did and damned if it did not criticize the attack on Pakistan. On the coalition front, the BJP has come out early with its alliance partners, while the Congress is still struggling to finalize the coalition deals. The BJP government has also taken some savvy political measures in the

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FIS board members with the guest speaker: Krishna Harshith Marepalli, left, Milan Vaishnav, Nischay Bhan, Krishna Vavilala, Naresh Koli, Col. Raj Bhalla, and Hiren Sharma. budget, benefiting the middle class as well as the corporate sector. It has also offered an unconditional income support scheme to the farmers. If Indian elections are seen as a U.S. presidential race and whether the elections will be fought on national issues or local issues, the victor will be Narendra Modi over Rahul Gandhi, according to Vaishnav. Modi remains the most popular politician in India; the BJP’s organizational and fundraising prowess is considerable; and the opposition, while newly collaborative, has no leader or clear economic message yet. Vaishnav presented three likely scenarios of the election results. The first scenario is where the BJP gets 250 to 260 seats and Modi remains the Prime Minister. This model has a 25 percent chance. In the second scenario, BJP will get 200 to 220 seats, Modi

will be the PM and the BJP would form the government with NDA and some other allies. This scenario has a 60 percent chance, according to Vaishnav. The last scenario is where the BJP would get 180 to 190 seats and BJP could form the government with someone other than Modi as the PM as potential allies would demand it and the chances of this happening is 15 percent, Vaishnav said. In this scenario, the BJP would prefer to sit in the opposition and bide its time for the fall of the government. Money is Indian politics posed a challenge to Indian democracy, Vaishnav said. The Centre for Media Studies estimates that the 2009 election cost around $2 billion and that parties and candidates spent around $5 billion in 2014. Expenditures in 2019 will easily top 2014 and could well double the 2014 estimate.

This is not a partisan issue— all parties will be spending inordinate sums to win this election. At least 82 percent of Members of Parliament elected in 2014 are crorepatis and Vaishnav expects this number to reach nearly 100 percent in 2019. Secularism has become a four-letter word and has become synonymous with Muslim appeasement. The Congress party has misused it and corrupted the concept of secularism, Vaishnav said. Now, Hindu nationalism has taken the prime seat and Congress is attempting to show that it is more pro-Hindu than even the BJP. BJP’s not going to stress Hindutva issues like the Ram Temple in this election and even this messaging does not come from Modi himself, although other party activists do exploit this sentiment.

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PAGE 12 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2019

NEWS

Why the upcoming Indian election aects the whole world?

By PREITY UPALA In a few weeks, India will be voting in its parliamentary general election. In a country of 1.3 billion people, 900 million will be voting. In contrast, 137 million Americans voted in the 2016 US elections. The Indian electoral process is vibrant and Indians take pride in their democratic right to vote and let their voices be heard. Utilizing cutting edge technology, it is the only country that predominantly uses an electronic voting system for casting and counting of votes. Almost one billion votes and the results can take shape in a matter of hours! Which brings me to my point - why this particular election is so crucial and aects not just the future of India but the entire world by proxy. We are living at an interesting conjuncture point in the evolution of our country. In the 70 years post-colonial invasion, 60 of these years have seen one political party, the Congress in power. This is a dynasty with Prime Ministers like Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Dr. Manmohan Singh. Only in 10 of those years did we see another party at the helm, namely the current government - Modi’s party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a nationalistic party which takes pride in Indian history, values, culture and puts the country ďŹ rst. It also happens to be the largest party in the world by size due to its 110 million members. (The Congress was out of power briey after the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed Emergency in the late 1970s.) India needs a strong mandate moving ahead in 2019. One may think it is a shoe in for a strong global leader like Modi, however anti-incumbency and negative media propaganda as well as a common obsession to unseat Modi from power

has bought many regional parties together on one side. This opposition is spearheaded by the Congress Party, which is a mere shadow of what it once used to be. All these opposition parties oer no solutions and only share a common disdain for the party and leader in power. A strong mandate will let important laws and issues be debated and passed in Parliament. With a weaker mandate and fragmented coalition government, several regional parties will be ďŹ ghting for space for their own state level issues and the larger national issues like national security, economy and job creation will be neglected. There is a growth momentum now which will come to a halt. The 2014 general elections saw the biggest mandate for Narendra Modi’s BJP party. They got 305 seats out of 550 and crossed the needed 272 mark on their own ensuring that they don’t need to appease smaller parties for the sake of votes. A lot has been done in the last ďŹ ve years during Modi’s reign. India is shining on the global stage, is the fastest growing economy, and becoming a global leader not just in AI and space programs but also as a spiritual teacher of the world. Perhaps, the one issue that aects the world at large is the ďŹ ght against terrorism. Particularly radical Islamic terrorism by groups such as ISIS, Al Qaeda, Lashkar e Taiba, Jaish e Mohammed and Hizb-ulMujahideen which have an active base in Pakistan and have been known to harbor and train known terrorists like 9/11 mastermind Osama Bin Laden, 26/11 mastermind HaďŹ z Saeed and Masood Azhar. These terrorist organizations have killed thousands of Afghans and US troops in Afghanistan and surprisingly thousands of their

own Pakistanis as well. In the wake of the dastardly Pulwama attacks in Kashmir in February, the worst ever in 30 years, where 45 Indian armed forces were martyred, the threat of radical Islamic terrorism is at its height. The involvement of state funded terrorism, Pakistan, has alarmed the world with most international leaders condemning this attack and pressuring Pakistan to take drastic steps to curb this terrorism. Religious terrorism is the biggest hurdle towards global peace that is facing the planet today and more needs to be done to address this problem. We have seen a new India rise to the occasion that retaliated by using air strikes and wiping out 350 of the jihadists in these training camps. It showed the enemy and the world that we have a zero-tolerance-to-terrorism policy and that serious action will be taken. A strong message has been sent out and a dierent election result in the 2019 may push this military stance back several years where there was absolutely no response to the famous Mumbai terrorist attacks. India is at a pivotal point where the size of its population is ďŹ nally an asset instead of a liability. In the next 10 years, India will move to being the 3rd largest economy, with one of the strongest militaries and second largest consumer market. It is in India’s interests that it appoints the right kind of decisive, strong forward thinking leadership to see it through the future. Hopefully the people of India will vote for their future. Regardless of which party comes to power, it is important to get a strong mandate so that the parliament can govern on the issues that matter the most.

EC issues notice to railways over BJP slogan on tea cup, PM Modi’s picture in tickets The Election Commission Tuesday called the railways approach towards enforcing the model code of conduct “lackadaisicalâ€? after allegations that poll norms were violated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s picture on tickets and the slogan “Main Bhi Chowkidarâ€? on tea cups. The poll panel has issued a notice to the railways, asking it to submit a report by Thursday on the slogan on tea cups, so that it can take a call on whether it was a poll code violation. The issue came to the fore after a passenger on the Kathgodam Shatabdi tweeted a picture of tea cups with the slogan, the post went viral. The railways said its has withdrawn the cup and penalised the contractor. On the ticket issue, the EC has reprimanded the national transporter for not taking the code of conduct seriously. “It has come to the notice of the commission that tea cups were provided to the passengers in the train of the Indian Railway by the NGO, namely “Sankalpâ€?, which contained the political slogan of the Bharatiya Janata Party and such matter is closely related to violation of the Model Code of Conduct,â€? according to the notice. “The commission, taking cognisance of the incident, has directed that the matter may be looked into immediately and a report may be furnished by 11:00 hours on April 4 that decision may be taken by the commission in the matter,â€? it said. In a letter over the image of Modi on train tickets, the poll panel criticised the railways for non-compliance of its instructions. “The commission expresses its considered displeasure over the non-compliance of the commission’s instructions especially when the Model Code of Conduct is in force and the lackadaisical approach towards enforcing the Code. “The commission has also decided that disciplinary action be taken against the oďŹƒcer incharge and a report be submitted to the Election Commission within a week,â€? it said. The railways is yet to comment on the EC letter and notice.

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2019 • PAGE 13

NEWS Stop Diabetes Movement camps create measurable impact on participants By Nikhil Jain Sewa International and VYASA organized ten-day yoga camps from Feb 22nd to Mar 3rd. The camps were held simultaneously at three locations in the Houston area (Sugar Land, West Oaks Mall & Katy). The camp is specially designed for diabetic and pre-diabetic people to help them manage and control high blood sugar levels. SDM camps are being conducted all across the country; so far 22 Camps have been conducted in Houston. More than 350 people, from all walks to life, have participated in these camps. The 10-day camp included daily yoga routine, breathing, meditation, relaxation. Participants also have educative sessions from medical doctors and specialist on medical understanding of diabetes, stress management, diet & nutrition & sleep over the weekends. At the closing ceremony held at Keshav Smruti, participants shared about the transformation the camp brought in their lifestyle and in managing diabetes. Participants talked about lowering their blood sugar levels by 35%, reducing their A1c, sleeping well etc., testimony video are available on youtube channel “SDM Houston”. VYASA presented data on the results of this camp on the last day. The program concluded with Nikhil Jain offering vote of thanks to all the participants, doctors (Dr. Neeta Shukla, Dr. Anjali Ranade, Dr. Ulupi Choksi, Dr Sudha Tallavajhula); camp yoga therapists (Meena Kankani, Satya Pappu, Vijay Jilledimudi, Jayachandran Chandrasekaran, Rohit Panse); Tejal Pathak, VYASA Houston Directors Vishwarup Nanjundappa & Smitha Mallaiah and their team; Sewa Houston team of Narendra Zamwar, Vibhuti Shah, Veela Sadani and team, Unique Industrial Product Company, Gayatri Temple, Star Pipe Products & Vyasa Yogashala for providing their facility and partnering to conduct these camps. A nutritious potluck meal was served to end the program on a high note. These yoga camps were extremely successful and the participants are now looking forward to keeping up with the practices. Sewa & VYASA Houston will conduct the next set of camps from Sep 20th to 29th in various parts of Houston. These camps are free of charge and have refundable deposit after participants complete all the sessions. For more information or to volunteer, please email infosdm@sewausa.org or contact (713)834-4909. Sewa USA is 501 (c) (3) Hindu faith-based non-profit, charitable organization.

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PAGE 14 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 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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NEWS India’s Supreme Court upholds life term for Saravana Bhavan owner The owner of the popular chain of restaurants was convicted for the murder of Prince Santhakumar, whose wife he wanted to marry. The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the life imprisonment awarded by the Madras High Court to P. Rajagopal, owner of the popular Sarvana Bhavan chain of restaurants, in the Prince Santhakumar murder case. A Bench, led by Justice N.V. Ramana, gave him time till July 7 to surrender on medical grounds. Prince Santhakumar’s wife Jeevajothi is the daughter of

Ramaswamy, who was an employee of Saravana Bhavan. Rajagopal wanted to marry her but she did not oblige. Hence Rajagopal plotted the murder, according to the prosecution. The Supreme Court granted bail to him in 2009 on health reasons. The court also granted bail to Daniel, Karmegam, Hussain alias Zakir Hussain, Kasi alias Kasi Viswanathan and Pattu Rajan. They, according to the prosecution, were hired by Rajagopal to commit the murder. The body of Santhakumar was found by forest officials at Perumalmalai in the Kodai-

Indian Army Chief to visit US to boost military ties

kanal range in October 2001. It was buried in the Kodaikanal municipal burial ground. Later, the body was identified to be that of Santhakumar and a charge sheet filed for offences under section 302(murder) 364 (abduction) and 201 (destruction of evidence) IPC, following which the alleged conspiracy came to light. The Madras High Court had convicted Rajagopal under section 302 IPC (punishment for murder) and sentenced him to undergo life imprisonment along with the five others.

4 terrorists killed in Pulwama gunfight In another successful operation, the joint teams of security forces, early Monday morning, eliminated four terrorists in Lassipora area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district. According to the police, it was a combined group of proscribed terror outfits Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). This is the third big operation in the last two weeks in which security forces have achieved major success. According to police, “It was a clean operation and no collateral damage happened during the encounter. However, in the initial exchange of fire, three army jawans and one policeman also sustained injuries. Their condition is now stated to be stable”, official sources said. Since January 2019, around 66 terrorists have been eliminated by the security forces across the Kashmir valley.

Out of this, 21 killed terrorists were members of Jaish-eMohammad terror outfit. According to Jammu & Kashmir police spokesman, “the operation was launched in the Lassipora area of Pulwama on the basis of credible input about the presence of terrorists in the area”. “During searches, terrorists fired upon the search party. The fire was retaliated leading to an encounter”, the police spokesman said. In the ensuing encounter, four terrorists were killed and the bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. Police spokesman said, these terrorists were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities. As per police records, Tauseef had a long history of terror crime records and several terror crime cases were registered

against him including FIR No. 281/2016, 509/2016, 19/2018 registered in P/S Pulwama and 33/2018 registered at P/S Litter. He was involved in conspiring and executing many terror attacks in the area. Similarly, Zaffar was involved in many terror crimes cases which include FIR No. 290/2017, 307/2018, 13/2019, which were registered against him in Police Station Shopian. Aqib Ahmad and Mohammad Shafi were also involved in terror crimes in the area.

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7 Pakistani posts destroyed as Indian Army retaliates to ceasefire violations Seven Pakistani posts across the LoC were destroyed as the Indian Army retaliated to cross border shelling by Pakistani troops who targeted border areas in Rajouri and Poonch districts, officials said Tuesday. There have been several casualties to Pakistani troops too, they said. As a precautionary measure, all schools along the borderline in Poonch and Rajouri districts have been closed by authorities in view of the Pakistani shelling. On Monday, a BSF inspector and a five-year-old girl were among three persons killed while 24 others were injured as Pakistani troops heavily shelled forward areas along the Line of Control in Poonch district, prompting the Indian Army to retaliate “befittingly”, said officials. There was heavy mortar shelling and firing along LOC in Poonch district and Nowshera sector of Rajouri district till Tuesday morning”, officials said. There was also firing and shelling by Pakistan troops in Shahpur sub-sector in Poonch and Nowshera on Tuesday, they said. In the retaliation carried out by Indian troops, seven Pakistan posts across the LoC in Rakhchikri and Rawalakote forward areas of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) were destroyed, they said adding there have been several causalities on the Pakistan side. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) of Pakistan has said three Pakistan Army soldiers were killed on Tuesday in retaliation carried out by Indian forces along the Line of Control (LoC). Pakistan has been using heavy weaponry and 120 mm mortar bombs to target civilian areas along the LoC in Poonch, triggering panic among villagers, they said. Amid the ongoing shelling by Pakistan, people have been advised to stay indoors, the officials said.

In an effort to further strengthen military-to-military ties, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat will hold wide ranging discussions with the US top brass during his four-day visit there beginning on Tuesday. Both the Armies now hold regular joint exercises here and in the US annually besides exchange of officers to promote better relations. His visit comes against the backdrop of growing strategic and Defence ties between the countries increasing manifold over the past few years. Moreover, the US has emerged as one of the biggest weapon suppliers to India in the last two decades with India recently signing deal with a US firm for 72, 400 Sig Sauer assault rifles worth over Rs 700 crore for frontline troops guarding the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan and Line of Actual Control (LAC) facing China. The rifles will be acquired on fast track basis and likely to be inducted within a year. Also, the arms exports from the US have crossed the ten billion dollar mark in last few years and the US keen to have joint ventures with Indian companies to manufacture weapons here. Given this scenario, the Army Chief led delegation will interact with senior military hierarchy of the US Armed Forces with an aim to take forward the military to military cooperation. The Army Chief will also visit the US Military Academy at West Point and the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, officials said here on Monday. Rawat is an alumnus of the prestigious college. Rawat will interact with General Joseph F Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and General Mark A Milley, Chief of Staff of the US Army to discuss military cooperation issues of mutual interest. The visit to US aims to give impetus to the military ties and enhance strategic engagements. The functional experience gained during the visit shall further enhance India-US relationship, they said.

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR Sri Meenakshi Temple 6-Apr Sat 10 a.m. Ugadi Telugu and Kannada New Year 13-Apr Sat 10a.m. Sri Rama Navami Seetha Rama Kalyanam 13-Apr Sat 6 pm Ayyappa Padi Puja 14-Apr Sun 10:30 a.m. Tamil New Year Vikari Nama Samvatsaram And Vishu Kani 18-Apr Thu 7 p.m. Mahotsava Anugnai Vaasthu Shanthi 19-Apr Fri 7 p.m. Mahotsavam 1st day Dwajarohanam 20-Apr Sat 6 p.m. Meenakshi Pattabhishekam, Poo Pallakku 21-Apr Sun 10 a.m. Nayanmars and Alwars Thiruvizha 28-Apr Sun 9:30 a.m. Mahotsavam 10th day Sri Meenakshi Kalyana Utsavam, Dwajavarohanam 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 BUY

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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, 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, OLD

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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; 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, engagement 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.

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2019 • PAGE 19

PAGE 20 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2019

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