WHAT’S ON

Festival

Ganesh Festival

2 – 12 Sept Western Sydney Ganesh Festival Inc presents Ganesh Festival at Swaminarayan Mandir, 1/44 Bessemer St Blacktown. Cultural Program on Sat

7 Sept at Model Farms High School from 5:30 pm onwards. Details 0402 961 758

AHIA Diwali

Sat 19 Oct (7.00pm onwards)

Australian Hindi Indians Association Inc presents its annual Diwali gathering at The Sapphire Room, Croatian Club, 921 Punchbowl Rd, Punchbowl. As AHIA marks its silver jubilee this year, the theme for the evening is: Silver.

Details 0411 967 374

HCA Diwali

Sun 20 Oct (10.00am - 8.30pm)

Hindu Council of Australia presents its annual Deepavali Mela at Bella Vista Farms.

Details www.hinducouncil.com.au

Exhibition

Archibald Prize 2019

Until 8 Sep Check out Australia’s most extraordinary art event that awards the best portrait artists for their paintings. South Asian artist Ramesh

Mario Nithiyendran and Young Archie finalists Lakshman Nitish Ramesh and Anupama Pangeni are hung in this year’s event. Also hung is a lovely portrait of iconic restaurateur Anant Singh who opened the famous Jasmin restaurant in Adelaide in 1980. Venue: Art Gallery Rd, Sydney NSW 2000. Details 1800 679 278

TENDER HEART: An exhibition of photos from India

Opening Fri 6 Sept (6.00pm8.00pm); continues Sat 7 and Sun 8 Sept (11.00am - 5.00pm). A fundraising photographic exhibition by Katy Fitzgerald in support of the Tender Heart School in the small village of Bhatola, Haryana, India.

The images in the exhibition feature the gamut of daily life in India, from the unexpected and quirky to the transcendent, all captured with Fitzgerald’s kind and light-hearted gaze. Gallery 371, 371 Enmore Road Marrickville.

Details 0418 447 600

COMMUNITY

Hindi Diwas

Sat 14 Sept (1.00pm – 4.00pm) The Consulate General of India (Sydney) in association with Indian Literary and Art Society of Australia Inc and with the support of Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan Australia celebrates Hindi Diwas at the Consulate, Lvl 2, 265 Castlereagh St, Sydney.

Details 02 9223 2702

Indian Women Empower

Fri 20 Sept (6.00pm – 9.30pm) Indian Women Empower presents its launch and first fundraiser event at Parravilla Function Centre, 42 Campbell St, Parramatta.

Seminar

Sujan Chinoy at USyd

Mon 16 Sept (4:00 pm - 5:30 pm) The University of Sydney’s China Studies Centre presents Sujan Chinoy, Indian diplomat and Director General of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi, talking on IndiaChina Relations. Venue: ABS Case Study Lecture Theatre 2080, Level 2, Abercrombie Building (H70), The University of Sydney, Sydney.

Details 02 9114 0837

Public Lecture at UNSW:

Mathematician Philip Maini

Tue 22 Sept (5.30pm onwards)

-- Professor Philip Maini, from the Mathematical Institute, Oxford University, will deliver a public lecture entitled “Using Mathematics to Understand Biology”.

Venue: Matthews Theatre B, UNSW. Details www.maths.unsw.edu.au

Special Public Lecture:

Mathematician Akshay Venkatesh Mon 30 Sept (7.00pm – 8.00pm)

Australian mathematician currently at Stanford, and 2018 Fields Medal winner, will present a talk entitled “Two centuries of prime numbers”.

Venue: Eastern Avenue Auditorium, University of Sydney Free and aimed at the general public, no registration necessary. Details www.maths.usyd.edu.au

CLASSICAL

Carnatic music: Vignesh Ishwar

Sun 15 Sept (4.00pm – 7:30pm)

Pallavi Sydney presents Carnatic vocalist Vignesh Ishwar, accompanied by K Praveen Kumar on mrudangam and L Ramakrishnan on violin. Venue: Ermington Community Centre, 10 River Rd, Ermington NSW. Details Mohan Ayyar 0407 398 267

In Movement: Interactive Dance

Sat 14 Sept Sydney Sacred Music

Festival presents Bharatanatyam dancer Aruna Gadhi’s new work Pingala, (vocals Sumathi Krishnan, cello John Napier), featuring seven different cultures inclusing Aboriginal Australian, in a fast-paced, non-stop show of unity.

Dance workshop: 12 noon - 3pm

Dance Spectacular: 3.00 pm5.00pm.

Details www. sydneysacredmusicfestival.org

Rhythm Workshop: Uplifting

Rhythms of India

Sun 15 Sept (1:00 pm – 2:00 pm)

Sydney Sacred Music Festival presents Indian rhythms in its Universal Rhythms Workshop. Learn the basics of Carnatic and Hindustani Indian music. Learn & perform the rhythms with your hands and with your voice. No experience necessary, this workshop is uplifting and is accessible for everyone.

Workshop facilitator: Abhijit Dan Venue: Ashfield Town Hall, 260 Liverpool Road, Ashfield. Details www. sydneysacredmusicfestival.org

Bharatanatyam Solo Sat 21 Sept (6.30pm onwards)

Shivam School of Dance presents Harinie Jeevitha in a Bharatanatyam solo at Bryan Brown Theatre, Bankstown. Details 0415 066 252

Bhoomi: Woman & Earth

Sun 22 Sept (4.00pm – 5.30pm)

Ancient South Indian art meets contemporary Australia. Indian and Sri Lankan artists from NSW and VIC explores pressing themes of contemporary Australian society and diaspora. Outdoors at Old Government House Parramatta. Details Indi Balachandran 0413 063 527

Abhijnana Shakunthalam

Sat 12 Oct (6.30pm onwards) To celebrate Diwali this year, charity organisation Vision 2020 has organised a grand ballet based on the great Indian poet Kalidasa’s immortal drama Abhijnana Shakunthalam. Exclusively choreographed by Sydney’s renowned artist Hamsa Venkat and presented by Samskriti School of Dance, it will be a rich cultural experience for all age groups. Venue: Performing Arts Centre, Pacific Hills Christian School, 9-15 Quarry Road, Dural. Fresh food and free parking available. This year Vision 2020 is supporting a unique organisation REHOBOTH (Shelter) Paraniputhur in rural Tamil Nadu, which has been providing shelter and rehabilitation facilities to destitute women with mental health issues. Details www.Vision2020.org.au

Krishnaarpanam

Sun 20 Oct (5:00 pm - 8:00 pm) Marking its 10th anniversary, performing arts organisation Silambam Sydney, presents Bharatanatyam production Krishnaarpanam, based on the lilas (playful pastimes) of Lord Shri Krishna. Venue: UNSW Sydney, Entry Gate 14, Barker St Kensington. Details www.arunagandhi.com/ silambamsydney

ENTERTAINMENT

Garba Night Devang Patel

Sat 7 Sept (7:00pm onwards)

Blacktown Leisure Centre, Stanhope Parkway and Sentry Drive, Stanhope Gardens.

Details Shah 0425 188 199

Fashion Show: Royal Indian Rendezvous

Sat 21 Sept (12:00 noon to 05:00 pm) Bowman Hall, 35 Campbell Street, Blacktown.

Raas Leela with Parthiv Gohil

Sat 14 Sept (6:00pm – 11:00pm) Blacktown Leisure Centre, Stanhope Parkway and Sentry Drive, Stanhope Gardens. Details 0411 964 506

Dandiya Night with Fashion Show

Sun 29 Sept (5:00pm - 9:00pm) Team India present a Dandiya night with live band and traditional fashion show, with indoor activities for kids. Venue: Young

St, Parramatta. Details 0470 130 891 or email teamindia.au@gmail.com

Rasotsav with Dev Bhatt

Sat 28 Sept Gujarati Samaj of NSW announces Rasotsav with playback singer Dev Bhatt. Blacktown Leisure Centre, Stanhope Gardens.

Details 0449 996 962

Shah Rukh Khan tour: Temptation

Reloaded

Mon 7 Oct Allphones Arena, Sydney Olympic Park. Details www.temptationreloaded.com.au

New Gokula Farm urgently seeking donation

New Gokula is a not-for-profit organisation, nestled in the heart of the Hunter Valley, dedicated to serving the community through sustainable agriculture, cow protection, spiritual courses and retreats, and providing free, organic vegetarian meals every day of the year.

New Gokula grows organic produce, which is also used in its nutritious vegetarian cooking. It also has more than 70 cows and bullocks. It is committed to sustainable practices and has been self-sufficient in many areas including water usage and food production until the impact of the drought.

Millfield, where New Gokula is located, has been severely struck by the 2017/2018 drought. Because of this, it now has barren pastures, dry lakes and hungry animals.

The lack of rain has left New Gokula Farm struggling as it battles the worst drought in the hundred years of recorded history.

Unrelenting hot weather has ripped moisture out of the ground and the once luscious pastures have turned brown, the grass is dead, and the animals have no feed.

As the drought continues, New Gokula is in urgent need for help. It is struggling financially with the increased electricity costs involved with pumping water to stock troughs and the increasing costs of purchasing feed to keep the animals alive. New Gokula is now kindly seeking your generous support to help continue our activities.

Donations can be made to:

Bank: Westpac Account name: ISKCON Farm BSB: 032164 Account no: 110819

OR for making a tax-deductible donation, please donate to:

Bank: Westpac Account name:

Hare Krishna Food For Life Hunter Valley Inc. BSB: 032516 Account no: 182462

Your donation will significantly assist New Gokula with purchasing of hay bales, supply of clean water for the animals, keeping them fed until spring, and assisting with other overheads.

Details 0469073918 or email newgokula@gmail.com