VPS Cricket Tournament 2007

The same article also appears on Lokvani

For the fifth straight year, the Vrindavana Preservation Society (VPS) conducted its annual Cricket tournament at the Joy Hanlon Cricket fields in Quincy Massachusetts. Spread across four weekends, the tournament featured sixteen participating teams. In the finals held on Saturday June 23rd, Team Waltham 11 defeated two time champions, UMass Lowell to claim the coveted championship trophy.

It was a fine day for Cricket with relatively milder temperatures and a gentle breeze from the backwaters of Quincy right beside the field. Both teams advanced into the finals undefeated in their previous matches. Earlier that day, both teams won their respective semifinals. Waltham 11 had a convincing win over Andover CC and Team UMass Lowell beat Stoughton to book itself a berth in the finals.

The match between Waltham 11 and Andover CC was a low scoring one. Thanks to excellent bowling spells from the Waltham bowlers, Andover was limited to a modest score of just 40 runs. Waltham 11 had few problems achieving the winning target of 41, helped by fine batting by KT Patel who remained unbeaten on 24. KT was declared the man of the match.

The match between UMass and Stoughton was also a low scoring one. Stoughton’s batsmen simply collapsed from the relentless bowling attack from the UMass bowlers, mainly Wahab who claimed 5 wickets. UMass has few problems reaching the target of 50 with a few overs left to spare.

The final also proceeded to be a low scoring game. The pitch which has always been a bowler’s paradise rewarded the Waltham 11 bowlers for their fine efforts. UMass Lowell, the favorites were dismissed for a paltry sum of just 30 runs. While Team UMass did all it could with a spirited fight back, it could not stop Waltham 11 from making the 31 runs within the allotted 12 overs. Gaurang Patel of Waltham 11 was declared the man of the match. Nilesh Kumar of Andover CC was nominated as the man of the series.

The event received wide media coverage from NECN and from the Patriot Ledger. The event was graced by Mark Jaehnig, Director of the Quincy Parks department and his son Andrew.

This tournament was yet another grand success from VPS. As a volunteer and a spectator, I have seen this tournament get bigger and better each year. This is unquestionably from the passions of many volunteers from VPS. Rajiv Tarway, the VPS games committee chairman, untiring umpire Chetan Anand, Nikhil Wadhwa, Kumu Gupta and Gary Sottile deserve special mention for their services. India Delight Restaurant (Weymouth), Punjab Café(Quincy) , Sunshine Fruit (Quincy), South Shore India Market(Braintree) and Wendy Gibson, VP Investments of First MidAmerica were the generous sponsors of the event.

The tournament is just one of the many events planned by VPS for the coming year. For more information, please visit www.vps-international.org. A clip of the NECN coverage is featured at: http://www.boston.com/partners/worldnow/necn/landingpage.html?clipId=1552532&topVideoCatNo=80781

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VPS 2005 Cricket and Yogathon releases

VPS Yogathon and VPS Cricket Tournament Press Releases

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Second VPS Yogathon 2005

Barely three months after the immensely successful first VPS Yogathon of 2005, the members of the Vrindavana Preservation Society produced a sequel Yogathon that was equally spectacular.It was held on the 21^st of May. The free event featured a variety of Hatha Yoga instructors, some ‘neo’ Yoga practitioners, a slide show on VPS Tsunami relief efforts in South India. It ended with a session of chanting. Over 200 people attended the event.

Rajiv Ramaratnam opened the program with a brief introduction on
VPS and the Yogathon. He also presented a brief eulogy and held a moment of silence for the late Chitra Parayath of Lokvani, his friend and mentor. The morning session of the event featured a deluge of Yoga practitioners.

Jay Gupta led a session on Sukshama yoga and Hatha yoga kriyas that he learned at the Vishwayatan Yogashram in India. Following this, John Calabria presented a Vinyasa yoga session of asanas. Next, Lauren Toolin led a session on Pranayama and Mudra, with assistance from Ann Ramsey and Amy Yanover.Santosha then led an asana session of subtle body postures with internal focus.

After the attendees were energized by the numerous sessions of Hatha yoga, it was time for the neo or non-traditional forms of Yoga. These included a session of ‘Laughter Yoga’ and ‘Dance Yoga’. The power of laughter to boost the immune system and cure diseases is well known. Thomas Varkai of Laughter For Life conducted a session where the participants experienced the benefits of laughter, first hand. This event was a blast! Next the creative presented a program ‘Kripalu Danskinetics and 100 Breaths of Joy!’ which was a combination of aerobics, dance, breathing and fun. Participants were led through a session of graceful dance that was excellently choreographed, extremely empowering and very relaxing.

The participants then took a late lunch break and reconvened for a touching slide presentation presented by Nick Cavallo on Tsunami relief efforts by VPS members in South India. Keshav Shukla, Nick Cavallo and Cheta Guru, all members of VPS made a trip to South India earlier in the year to South India,. The focused on a village, Oyali Kuppam. This was a village neglected by the government and by bigger organizations but as badly devastated as any other. During the time the members visited, they did all they could to transform grief and despair into hope and faith. Working with Chennai resident and VPS member Venkat Dayanandan, and the Hope foundation, they organized a day with a free meal and presented sarees to women of the village. They also organized Kabaddi(an Indian game) for the male villagers and musical chairs for the women in an attempt to restore happiness. The villagers also witnessed a play performed by a nomadic group of actors, thanks to arrangements made by VPS members. VPS has spent almost $20000 on restoration efforts of Olayi Kuppam , its schools and medical facilities. The proceeds of this Yogathon will go towards more relief efforts.

The event ended with a session of Bhakti Yoga that included traditional Vaisnava Song and Dance. Hats off to VPS for pulling off yet another successful event. In the wake of this event comes the third VPS Cricket Tournament, which will be held from the 18^th of June through the 25^th of July. For more information on VPS and VPS events, please visit www.vps-international.org.

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VPS Cricket 2005

Press Release by Rajiv Ramaratnam

The same article appears on Lokvani.com.

The semifinals and the finals of the most prestigious Cricket championships in New England, the 2005 VPS Cricket Tournament, were held on the 10^th of July 2005 at the Joy Handon fields in Quincy. In the finals the Tigers of UMass Lowell outclassed the South Shore team Lagaan, to claim the coveted trophy for the second straight year. UMass remains undefeated in this Tournament.

Twelve teams participated in this tournament spread across the 18^th of June through the 10^th of July. They included Baba (Lowell), UMass Lowell, Phillips(Andover) , Leopards(Attleboro), Mansfield Cricket Club, Lagaan(Quincy), Jaguars(Quincy), NECPS(Burlington), Strikers(Quincy, Attleboro), Boston Braves(Norwood, Quincy), Waltham 11 and Khilladi(W. Bridgewater, Boston, Sommerville,Burlinton, Quincy). All matches except the finals were set to 12 overs. As rightly pointed out by umpire and great supporter, Chetan Anand, almost all matches in this tournament were nail biters. Some matches even had unpredictable endings.

In the opening match of these championships, when Team Leopards took on Phillips Andover, it posted a score of 54. When Phillips batted next, there was one ball to left be bowled in the game and Team Phillips needed a winning target of four runs. It was then that batsman Sree hit a towering six to clinch that game for Phillips.

In another qualifying match, Team UML set a target of 101 in 12 overs. Team Jaguars, fought valiantly and looked like they were going to cause an upset, but ended up scoring 89. They received a standing ovation for their efforts. In yet another qualifying match, team Killadi, chasing a target of 49, made a score of 55 in 6 overs, thanks to five sixers by Nikhil Wadhwa. In another memorable match, Team Baba, one of the best teams in the tournament posted a total of 105, a record in this tournament to beat the Boston Braves.

In one quarterfinal match, set to score a target of 74 against the Leopards, Team UMass Lowell won the game by scoring two runs in the last ball of the match. The biggest upset in the tournament was in the quarterfinals when Waltham 11 upset last year’s runner up Team Baba, by scoring 59 and limiting Baba to 51.

In one semifinal, Team Lagaan, the winner of these championships in 2003, outclassed Waltham 11. Eijas of Lagaan hit towering sixes to post a total of 63. The Lagaan bowlers then dismissed Waltham 11 for 59. In the other semifinals, defending champions, UMass Lowell crushed Killadi by first scoring a mammoth 86 and then dismissing Killadi for 45.

The finals featured UMass Lowell against Team Lagaan. The finals were set to 15 overs. UMass Lowell batting first scored 79, thanks to some excellent batting from Prahalad and Sabeeh Ehsaan. The former was awarded the ‘man of the match’ trophy and the latter took home the ‘man of the series’ award. The UMass Team then restricted the Lagaan Score to 67 to bag its second consecutive trophy.

The VPS Cricket Tournament is the most well organized set of matches in the Boston area, attracting teams from all of New England. The venue of the Tournament, Joy Hanlon Fields is a picturesque locale overlooking the backwaters of Quincy. Several Indian Restaurants from Quincy and Cambridge provided sumptuous meals for lunch for each day of the tournament. There was commentary for every game. Volunteers worked tirelessly wearing several hats like commentators, umpires, scorers and caterers for the entire tournament. On the final day, children from VPS families also put up a dance performance to entertain all those present. A special match for women on this day of these championships was another highlight of this event.

Tents were set up to provide spectators and participants relief from the searing heat. The high temperatures and occasional showers of the past weekends did little to dampen the spirits of the participants and scores of spectators who showed up for this event. VPS games committee chairman Nikhil Wadhwa and Umpire Chetan Anand require a special acknowledgement for their efforts in making this event an indisputable success. This tournament underlines the fact that nothing unites the South Asian community like Cricket and that Cricket is here to stay in the New England area. Please visit www.vps-international.org for updates on cultural events that VPS has planned for the rest of this year.

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VPS Holi 2005

On Saturday, the 9th of April, The Vrindavana Preservation Society (VPS) celebrated a colossal Holi festival. Attended by about 200, the event featured a panorama of events, including Bhajans, traditional BharatNatyam, Garba dance, a children’s play and traditional Holi color smearing.

As with all other VPS programs, the show commenced with Bhajans from Dennis Kelley, Viryavan Dasa, Suraj Mahadeo and Geeta Sharma. Sanjeev Sharma and Nick Cavallo were the dynamic MCs of the event.

The Bhajans was followed by a BharatNatyam performance from special guest performers, The Triveni School of Dance. Girls dressed in colorful traditional dresses and bedecked with fine jeweler performed graceful, dexterous moves to the music.

Nick Cavallo then gave a presentation on VPS relief efforts for the Tsunami that struck South Asia last year. In addition to organizing Bhajans in the New England area, a few members of VPS visited villages near Chennai and helped their residents. In one particular village Oyyali kuppam the members of VPS organized a meeting to discuss the extent of the devastation, organized a Kabbadi match to boost morale, helped the residents organize a spectacular drama, provided two vegetarian feasts and distributed clothing to the residents. By working hand in Hand with the Hope Foundation, VPS is committed to taking on the responsibility of restoring the village, by aiding in rebuilding its schools and providing the village residents with medical supplies.

This event was followed by a Garba or traditional stick dance by the women of the Vasinava Academy, a subsidiary of VPS. Thanks to the excellent choreography by Jyothi Setty and Reshma Pahwa, and a lot of practice from the participants, this event was one of the big highlights of the evening. It was deservedly well received by the audience.

Then came the equally spectacular play, ‘Krishna-Sudama’ performed by the children of the Vaisanava Academy. This play is a celebration of the ‘Divine Friendship’ between Lord Krishna and his friend, Sudama. Krishna and Sudama are childhood friends receiving an education at their gurus’ ashram. Krishna is a prince while Sudama comes from a family of modest means. As they grow older, they grow out of touch, but Sudama remains devoted to Krishna. Sudama’s wife persuades him to go to Krishna and ask for alms. As Sudama meets Krishna, he is so happy with the reunion that he forgets to ask Krishna for anything. He makes the trip home, fearing the wrath of his wife. When he does reach his street, he finds his abode transformed from a hut to a palace. His wife is dressed in the splendorous of garments. Both Sudama and his wife are dumbstruck in awe and pray to the Lord in gratitude.

This play showcased great talents from the child actors Kanika Rajiv, Preeti Sharma, Uma Sharma, Ritika and Renuka Rajiv, Sridhar Singh, Nikhil Singh, Neel Singh, Kruti Nathan, Sankya Gadipalli and featured Havisha Gadipalli as the narrator. As the play ended, the cast led the audience into the school auditorium where the celebration continued with traditional smearing of Holi colors. The event ended with a sumptuous meal from VPS’s own Sachi Matha’s Kitchen. It was indeed a memorable evening for everyone present.

VPS has planned several great events for the rest of the year. Most notable are a Yogathon for the 21st of May and its 3rd annual Cricket tournament in June-July. Please visit www.vps-international.org for updates.
The same article also appears on Lokvani.

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Third Annual Cricket Tournament

Press Release by Rajiv Ramaratnam
The Vrindavana Preservation Society will usher in this summer with its Third Annual Cricket Tournament, the most prestigious Cricket tournament in the New England area. This tournament has roused widespread interest in the New England area and has been covered in several newspapers and online magazines in its previous years. Last year, the highlights of the games were shown on Quincy Access TV. This year’s tournament promises to be bigger and better.

All matches will be played at the Joy Hanlon Fields on Mount Street in Quincy. The tournament will be spread across four weekends from June 18th through July 25th. (There will be no matches played on the 4th of July weekend.) Each team must have 11 players.

All matches will be limited to 12 overs until the quarterfinals. Each game will be played with a hard tennis ball. We will provide the balls and stumps. Participating Teams must bring their own bats and other equipment. The entry fee is $108 per team. As VPS is a non-profit organization, the entry fee is 100% tax deductible.

Interested individuals and teams are encouraged to contact Nikhil Wadwa, Keshav Shukla or Rajiv Ramaratnam either by phone or email at as soon as possible to book your slot as the number of slots for participating teams is limited, and will be filled on a first come, first served basis. Their numbers are listed below. We try to keep down the number of teams to focus on the quality of the tournament. Last year, Team UMass Lowell beat Team Baba in the finals to win the coveted championship trophy. Who will it be this time? May the best team win. There may also be women’s and children’s tournaments if there is adequate interest.

The venue is a picturesque ground overlooking a pristine beach and makes for an excellent picnic spot. Bring your friends and family to this fun filled event. Last year we had a carnival on the final day of the tournament. We expect to do the same this year.

Tournament Details

Deadline for team Enrollment: June 7th
Tournament Venue: Joy Hanlon Fields, Mound Street in Quincy
Entry Fee: $108 per team (100 % tax deductible.)
Lunch and beverages: Last year a few neighborhood restaurants provided food and beverages at the tournament for a nominal fee. We expect the same this year. Alcoholic beverages are strictly prohibited at the venue.

Tournament Dates: June 18th, 19th, 25th, 26th, July 9th 10th 16th 17th


For more information, please visit www.vps-international.org or contact:
Nikhil Wadhwa by phone at 781-608-0879 or by email (nikpriya@hotmail.com)
Keshav Shukla at 617-471-0129 or by email keshav@vps-international.org.

Rajiv Ramaratnam by phone at 781-466-3325 or by email at RajivRamaratnam@yahoo.com

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VPS 2005 Holi Bonanza

The Vrindavana Preservation Society(VPS) will usher in 2005 with a colorful Holi Celebration at Broad Meadows School Auditorium 50 Calvin Road, Quincy, MA 02169.
We invite you, your family and friends to celebrate Holi with us. The event will feature several programs such as a South Indian Dance recital, a play performed by the children, Hungamma(a stick dance) and a presentation outlining VPS relief efforts for victims of the Tsunami that ravaged South Asia. It will end with traditional smearing of colors in the school gymnasium. PLEASE WEAR OLD CLOTHES THAT CAN GET STAINED.

Also, please note:
This event is ADMISSION FREE and we also you offer a COMPLEMENTARY DINNER.
However, we do welcome your generous donations.


Holi is the Indian Festival of Colors and is celebrated in Spring. It marks two events in Vedic History. Prahalad a young devotee was saved from being burnt by his evil aunt, thanks to his faith in Lord Vishnu. Another reason to celebrate is because divine couple, Sri Sri Radha Krishna cebrated Holi in Vrindavana by smearing colors on each other centuries ago.

VPS is a South Shore non-profit organization dedicated to promoting Indian Culture in the South Shore and to doing charity work in India. For directions to the venue, more information, VPS and forthcoming VPS events, visit the VPS website at www.vps-international.org. You can also contact Keshav Shukla by phone at 617-471-0129.

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VPS 2005 Radhastami Festival

The 2005 VPS Radhastami Festival

By Rajiv Ramaratnam

The same review appears on Lokvani.

On Saturday, the 17^th of September the Vrindavana Preservation Society(VPS) presented a colossal evening of devotional songs and dance to celebrate Radhastami. Radhastami celebrates the birth of Radharani, the object of Lord Krishna’s divine and ecstatic love and the Queen of the spiritual realm. She was born a few weeks after the birth of Lord Krishna. The Radhastami event has held at the Quincy High School in Quincy.

Rajiv Ramaratnam and his nine-year-old daughter Kanika Rajiv served as MCs of the event. An event of this kind was new to VPS in that it had the audience join in and actively participate with the performers who were on stage. Several audience members joined the performers by either singing along or clapping. Many in the audience had brought their own musical instruments and used them during the program.

Mohan Samlal set the devotional tone of the evening by performing several melodious Bhajans. Nikunj Priya Dasi, the secretary of VPS then presented a talk about VPS and its motto, ‘Service is the freedom of the Soul’. More melodious Bhajans followed this presentation. The performers were Jeff Forti, Celia Chadwick, Viryavan Dasa and Daru Krishna.

Nick Cavallo, a volunteer of VPS presented a session on VPS activities in India. VPS has made great strides in the preservation of the holy city of Vrindavana which is situated close to New Delhi, India. VPS efforts in the area include preservation of the Historic temples of Vrindavana, preserving the simple lifestyle of its local residents and a massive reforestation effort. Most recently, some members of VPS visited Oyali Kuppam, a village in South India badly affected by the Tsunami. VPS has adopted this village and has made great progress in its restoration.

Idella Payne an employee of Channel 2, PBS was deeply moved by the Tsunami’s devastation of South Asia that she wrote a song about it. Idella sang this song to the audience after Nick’s talk. The next event was a colorful and well-choreographed Oddissi dance performance by the students of Mauli Paul.

One subsidiary of VPS is the Vaisnava Academy, a South Shore school, that teaches Indian culture, particularly to the younger generation. Havisha Gaddipalli a student of the Academy then presented a talk on her experiences in the school. Kalindi Mehta, one of the Program Directors of the Academy followed Havisha with a speech outlining the agenda of the Academy for the current year.

MCs Rajiv and Kanika then honored the sponsors of the event for their generosity. Rajiv spoke briefly about the 3^rd Annual Cricket VPS Tournament played in June- July. This was, by far, the most successful Cricket Tournament for VPS. The Boston Globe ran a two-page article on the event. The University of Massachusetts, Lowell won this tournament for the second straight year. Two key organizers who were the prime movers of the tournament, Nikhil Wadhwa, the games committee chairman and ‘tireless’ umpire Chetan Sharma were honored during this segment of the program.

Two other programs that VPS conducts are the adult Yoga class and the monthly Bhajan programs. The former is conducted every Sunday at 10:30 AM at the Clifford Marshall School in Quincy, concurrently with the Vaisnava Academy, which conducts classes at the same venue, at the same time. The Bhajan program is held on a monthly basis at the residence of interested parties.

Siddanta Dasa, a Yoga instructor presented a talk on the adult Yoga sessions conducted by VPS and Jill Jardine a VPS member, presented a session on the VPS Bhajan program

The final Bhajan of program came from the honorary Keshav Shukla, who then led the audience to the cafeteria as part of a ‘Dol Lila’ (deity procession). At the cafeteria the audience received a complementary meal from VPS’ own Sachi Matha’s Kitchen.

The enchanting and eclectic event of song and celebration was an immensely successful event for VPS. Kanika Rajiv, the Co-MC of the event received accolades from the audience for her performance and for surpassing the other co-host, her proud father. For more VPS activities, please visit www.vps-international.org.

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Nandotsav in the Quincy Sun

Sept. 30th 2004

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Rajiv's press Releases 2003-2005

I am associated with the Vrindavana Preservation Society, a non profit organization seeking to preserve the holy city of Vrindavana India and promoting Indian culture. Here are press release I wrote for VPS.

2005
Our January Yoga retreat on Lokvani
Our press release on VPS Tsunami efforts on Hindu Relief Blogspot

2004
Deepavali on Lokvani
Nandotsava on Lokvani
Holi Mahotsava on Lokvani
2004 VPS Cricket Tournament on Lokvani
2004 Cricket Tournament Press Release on Lokvani
2003
Dipavali on Lokvani
Nandotsava Pooja on Lokvani
Holi Mahotsava on Lokvani
Finals of Inaugural VPS Cricket Tournament on Lokvani

An exclusive on the Vasinava Academy on Lokvani
VPS Yoga Retreat 2005
Rajiv Ramaratnam

On Saturday, the 15^th of January, 2005 the Vrindavana Preservation Society presented a day-long Yoga retreat at the Clifford Marshall School in Quincy. The free event, a glorious success surpassed all expectations. It was energizing, entertaining and educational.

Yoga is one of the greatest gifts India has given to world. There are infinite paths to enlightenment and Yoga encompasses many of them. This event gave the participants a panoramic view of several of these paths.

After vibrant compeer Jyothi Setty began proceedings, Ajay Gupta, Celia Markey and Siddanta Dasa let the participants through the entire morning session with Yogic warm-ups, Asanas from Hatha Yoga and Pranayama. Hatha Yoga is the most well known branch oh yoga that covers stretches and strength exercises. Pranayama is a unique part of yoga that teaches deep breathing that promotes mental, physical and spiritual harmony. All three of the teachers , Ajay, Celia and Siddanta have been Yoga practitioners for more than a decade.

Following this morning session was a �silent� lunch session where all participants were instructed to enjoy their meal by paying �conscious attention� to the process of mastication. The lunch exclusively contained vegetable salads, sprouts and nuts One of the participants remarked on how little thought she had given her lunch and how she had always taken it for granted. This session, she said helped open her eyes.

After lunch, Siddanta Dasa conducted a workshop on Asrang Yoga. This aspect of Yoga deals with the eight-fold path and goes to the core of material existence and raises questions about the body, mind and soul. The participants were divided into groups and discussed concepts like Ahimsa, Truth, Non-pocessiveness and what these terms meant to each of them. Until this session the children enjoyed a parallel session comprising of games and Hatha Yoga.

It was then time for the fun part of the program. The power of laughter to boost the immune system, lower blood pressure and relieve stress and depression is well known. Dr Madan Kataria a physician from India pioneered the technique of Hasta(laughter) yoga. Thomas Varkey an expert on this therapy conducted a laughter workshop aided by two able assistants in this segment of the day. Adults and children surrounded the trio. Using neither jokes nor humor of any type the instructors had the participants laughing uncontrollably for half an hour with a series of simulated laughter techniques. The whole room thundered with the sound of children and adult laughter. For more information, visit www.laughterforlife.org

Refreshed and rejuvenated by this session, the participants then enjoyed a light snack of fruits with hot milk. Jill Jardin an expert on Counseling Psychology and Astrology then gave an enlightening talk on how planets control our lives and affect events that happen on Earth. She also epitomized the use of gemstones to change our destinies.

In the final session, Keshav Shukla presented a talk on Bhakti Yoga and how one could develop a loving relationship of God, regardless of the religion one belonged to. Then as he, Daru Krishna and Celia Markey sang devotional Bhajans, the audience, both children and adults danced to the music. It was a long day but the high spirits, love and devotion in the air was contagious. �I could feel the energy in the air� said Preeti Nath, one of the participants. Almost everyone was rejuvenated by the activities of the day.

Gracie, one of the children was upset that the event was coming to an end. Jill Jardin gave the event 5 stars. Virginia Peck, another participant said that she had learnt how to bring more joy into her life. Participant Ajay Singh promised to practice all he had learnt that day.

Thanks to devoted volunteers, instructors and participants, this program was a glorious success. Two individuals who deserve special mention are Ajay Gupta and Jyoti Setty. Both wore several hats, conducting parts of the program, coordinating activities and ensured the smooth flow of events. Jyoti was ably assisted by her husband Uday.

At the end of the program, all present held a minute of silence for all the unfortunate victims and their families who were affected by the Tsunami. Some members of VPS will visit the affected areas near Chennai, India early next month. For more information on VPS and VPS activities and events, please visit www.vps-international.org

VPS Efforts for Tsunami Relief

By Rajiv Ramaratnam


The impact of the Tsunami and its aftermath has left behind a trail of carnage, death and destruction on several countries across the globe. The members of Vrindavana Preservation Society are committed to doing everything in their power to alleviate the grief of the victims of this disaster.



Some of us have lost loved ones. Some among us are missing friends or relatives. Many of our brothers or sisters have suffered major injuries. In fact this catastrophe has impacted some members of VPS personally.



It has always been our goal to extend help, support and comfort to everyone we can. As firm believers in the power of prayer, VPS has organized several Bhajans, chanting sessions and readings from the Bhagavat Gita to pray for the victims and comfort their families.



VPS plans to conduct more of these sessions in the forthcoming weeks. These sessions are open to all interested parties. Please visit www.vps-international.org and visit the Tsunami relief page for more information on the Bhajan sessions.



Prayers alone will not be enough. In the spirit of Karma Yoga, a few VPS members, Dennis Kelley, Charran Mahadeo, Nick Cavallo and Keshav Shukla, have decided to visit Chennai and help with the Tsunami Relief efforts. VPS President Keshav Shukla and the others will join Venkata Dayanandan a member of VPS who relocated to Chennai two years ago. Venkata is presently volunteering to help those affected by the Tsunami



Their efforts will include
Supporting schools, which were destroyed by the Tsunami.
Supporting centers for those rendered homeless by the disaster
Distribution soap, water, food, clothing etc.
Organizing and conducting Bhajan programs in the local temples.
Helping with cleaning projects.
Distribution of fliers containing information on healthiest

If you have not yet donated to any organization then please consider donating a check payable to VPS. VPS will be working with the local people and 100% of your donation will be used for the cause. Your donations are tax deductible.

Please send your donation to
Vrindavan Preservation Society, 226 Billings Street, Quincy

Please write “Tsunami Relief Donation” on the memo section of the check.

We thank you in advance for your generosity.

It is in times like these that our resolve is tested. Let us stay united as one family and aid the victims and the grief-stricken in every possible way. Even if we reduce this ocean of suffering by a drop, it will not be wasted effort. Please keep us in your prayers so that we may continue to do this selfless service. For more information on VPS, visit us online at www.vps-international.org.

Put your faith in Him and have no other thought; By his grace you shall have peace

-Bhagavad Gita
Deepavali 2004 - VPS
Rajiv Ramaratnam

The Vrindavana Preservation Society (VPS) concluded its final cultural event for the year, a mammoth Deepavali and Goverdhan Puja celebration, on Saturday the 20th of November. The show was held at the Broad Meadows School in Quincy MA and featured a deluge of programs.

Deepavali, the festival of lights, is arguably the most widely celebrated of all festivals in the Indian subcontinent. It marks several great happening in Vedic history. In North India, Deepavali commemorates the return of King Rama, to His kingdom of Ayodhya after an exile of fourteen years. In Southern India, it is the celebration of Lord Krishna vanquishing the evil demon Narakasura. Goverdhan Puja celebrates the saving grace of Lord Krishna, who as a child of just seven, protected His devotees from the fury of Indra, the king of demigods.

Dynamic compeers, Jyotji Setti and Rajiv Ramaratnam opened the program to an enthusiastic audience. The first act featured melodious Bhajans from VPS members, Celia Markey, Jeff Forti, Kodi and Daru Krishna.

Following this, the Triveni School of Dance, a well-known dance school presented two Bharatnatyam dance performances. Bharatnatyam, a popular traditional dance, has its roots in Southern India. Young girls decked in fine jewelry and colorful costumes performed graceful movements to music in this segment of the program.

Next Geeta and Sanjeev Sharma, two dedicated VPS members conducted a costume contest. Several children of varying ages filled the stage. Each one sported a different costume and personified an individual from ancient India. It was a joyous sight that showcased the glorious past of Indian culture.

It was then time for the climax of the evening�s festivities. Ramayana is one of the world�s most well known epics. It is the story of king Rama who was unfairly banished to fourteen years of exile in the forest. After serving this term and saving his wife Sita from the clutches of Ravana, the demon king, Rama returned to Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana.

The children of the Vaisnava Academy, a subsidiary of VPS, presented an abridged version of the Ramayana. The play featured outstanding performances from Radha Madav Shukla, Gracie Chadwick, Abay Shukla, Saurav Kumar, Sridhar Singh, Kanika Rajiv, Uma Sharma and numerous other children. It ended with a huge ovation from the audience.

The evening ended with a sumptuous meal from Sachi Matha�s kitchen followed by more devotional Bhajans and traditional Garba or stick dancing. It was a fitting finale to the VPS cultural agenda for 2004. This was another glorious year for VPS that continues to present excellent Indian programs to the public, instill in its youth, the glorious Braj culture. To find out more about VPS, please visit us on the web at www.vps-international.org.


Nandotsava - 2004
Rajiv Ramaratnam

On Saturday, the 11th of September the Vrindavana Preservation Society(VPS) a Quincy based Indian non-profit organization celebrated the festival of �Nandotsava�. Nandotsava commemorates the birthday of Lord Krishna and is celebrated fervently all over India. The VPS event held at the Broad Meadows High School in Quincy was a grand success and was attended by more than 300 people.

Neelam Kumar and Rajiv Ramaratnam, both members of VPS, hosted the event. The opening act featured melodious devotional music from Bairavesh Dasa, a Yugoslavian national who presently resides in Maine.

This event was followed by two Bharatnatyam performances. The first performance was presented by the Triveni School of Dance. Dressed in colorful traditional costumes and decked with jewelry, the young performers put on a wonderful show. In the second event Sachi Pheny from the Eastern School of Rhythms presented another wonderful performance.

There was also a children�s performance featuring young children from the Vaisnava Academy a subsidiary of VPS. The Academy is a South Shore School dedicated to promoting Indian Culture, particularly in the younger generation.

The climax of the evening was �Krishna Lila� a play based on the life of Lord Krishna. In a time of anarchy on earth, all beings on earth approach Lord Vishnu, the Creator to rid the earth of this evil. Vishnu informs them that He will be born as Sri Krishna and solve this problem. Thus Krishna is born on earth to King Vasudeva and Queen Devaki. The rest of the play centers on how Kamsa, Devaki�s evil brother tries to kill Krishna and how Krishna prevails and finally kills Kamsa when He, Krishna is a teenager.

In the summer, VPS organized a very successful Cricket Tournament. Cricket, a British game once reserved for only the elite is today the most popular sport there. The Tournament brought together several Indian and Pakistani communities in a spirit of friendship and Camaraderie. There was a special award ceremony at the end of the program to honor the outstanding performers and teams in the Tournament. Mustafa Taj hosted this part of the program. The event ended with a sumptuous meal from VPS�s own Sachi Matha�s Kitchen.

This festival is part of the Society�s ongoing efforts to raise funds towards the purchase of a building in the Quincy area. This building will be a dedicated VPS center and a permanent home of the Vaisnava Academy. Some of the proceeds of the Nandotsava Celebration will go towards the preservation of the holy city of Vrindavana, in India. Vrindavan is the birthplace of Lord Krishna. VPS will celebrate Dipavali, the Indian Festival of Lights on the 20th of November. For more information on VPS and VPS events please visit us online at www.vps-international.org.

VPS Holi
Rajiv Ramaratnam

Spring finally arrived in Massachusetts. Well, at least in spirit. The Vrindavana Preservation Society (VPS) and the Vaisnava Academy celebrated their 2nd annual Holi Mahotsava on the 20th of March, the first official day of spring. Attended by about 500 people, the event took place at the Broad Meadows School Auditorium in Quincy Massachusetts.

Holi, the festival of colors, is a celebration of faith. Prahalad, a young devotee was rescued from a fire thanks to the grace of Lord Vishnu on this day. Holi is a celebration of love. Sri Sri Radha Krishna, the divine couple and their cohorts joyfully played with Holi colors at Vrindavana on this day. For many Indians who attended the Holi Mahotsava, it was a D�j� vu to a time of celebration and festivity with friends and family in India.

The program was opened by the able duo, Mrs. Anju Singh and Mrs. Jyothi Shetty. The opening act featured melodious Bhajans from special guest performer Neelima Chaturvedi. She was accompanied by Jeery Leake on Tabla, Priyasha Chaturvedi, Mohini Bhakata, Anil Tandon, Parul Bhakata and some of her students.

Next Celia Markey, a long time VPS member and Yoga instructor led a Bhajan of devotional songs. Sanjay Dasa, Viryavan Dasa, Rick Chadwick and Kate Roper accompanied her. Celia was an instant crowd pleaser. The auditorium reverberated with the sound of clapping hands and chants of �Radhe Shyam�. A group of colorfully attired young performers from the Triveni School of Classical Dance artistically presented three dance performances in the next section of the program.

Following the dance, Nick Cavallo, Acting Director of the Vaisnava Academy presented a slide presentation on the accomplishments of VPS in India and the United States. The presentation highlighted a recent trip to Vrindavana, India made by several members of VPS, USA. The significant accomplishments of this trip include donation of clothes to needy residents of Vrindavana and establishing a joint venture with the Indian Department of Archeology to preserve an old Madan Mohan temple in Vrindavana.

The finale of the program was a play presented by the children of Vaisnava Academy, a South Shore school seeking to promote Indian culture in Massachusetts. The school is a subsidiary of VPS. The play centered on the Divine Loving couple, Sri Sri Radha Krisha. Lord Krishna and His clique of pranksters collude to visit Sri Radha Rani and Her Gopis to celebrate Holi with them. The hostile Gopis attack Krishna�s friends with sticks. However, festivity and Divine Love are in the air and the Gopis and Krishna�s friends soon join together with the Divine Couple in a colorful, joyous celebration. All children who took part in the play received numerous accolades from an enthusiastic audience for their outstanding performances.

Activities were then moved to the school gymnasium where everyone present joined in the traditional celebration of smearing Holi colors and Garba. A sumptuous meal from Sachi Matha�s Kitchen ended the evening�s festivities.

This enormously successful program is the forerunner for several cultural programs VPS has planned for this year. These events include the 2nd Annual VPS Cricket tournament, to be played in June-July and the Nandotsava festival, which VPS will present in fall, this year. For more information on VPS events please visit the newly updated VPS website at www.vps-international.org.
2004 VPS Cricket Tournament
Rajiv Ramaratnam

The Vrindavana Preservation Society (VPS) conducted its 2nd annual Cricket Tournament between June 26th and July 18th at the Joy Hanlon field in Quincy, Massachusetts. In the finals, played on Sunday the 18th, the University of Lowell (UML) emerged as the champions of the Tournament by beating Team Baba.

As promised, the Tournament was much bigger and better than that of last year. 12 Teams participated in the Tournament. While most teams were from the Quincy area, some came from Lowell, Worcester and Waltham and even from as far as Connecticut to participate in the event. Spread across 5 weekends this tournament was a roaring success and a �fun raiser� particularly in the South Asian Community.

The Joy Hanlon Field in Quincy is situated in a scenic locale, next to the Fore River. Boats where Yachts grace the waters. Children play and adults relax on the shores of the small beach. While players battled for the coveted championship trophy, their families and friends either cheered them on or explored the surrounding greenery and the beach.

One could not help but notice the meticulous planning and organization that has gone into preparing for this event. Several members of VPS worked in a variety of roles like commentators, umpires and scorers to make this tournament a memorable experience for players and fans. Tournament proceedings always commenced with the players and spectators standing in attention to the national anthems of India, Pakistan and the United States.

The Tournament was played with red, hard tennis balls, specially imported from India. The matches were limited to fifteen overs per side. There were 11 players per team. Each participating team wore its very own custom T-shirts. There was commentary for every game and Hindi music was played during game breaks.

During the lunch breaks, children of VPS families danced to the beats of popular Indian songs. Thanks to the generous contributions of Quincy restaurants India Delight, Punjab Caf�, Classic India and VPS�s own Sacci Matha�s Kitchen delicious vegetarian food was served for lunch.

The finals set to 16 overs per side, were played between two outstanding teams, Team UML and Team Baba. Both these teams were undefeated in all their previous matches and had displayed outstanding fielding in this match and throughout the tournament.

An excellent bowling spell from UML Skipper Rohit Shinde restricted the talented Team Baba to 72 for 8 in 15 overs. Dhawal was the top scorer with 16. UML started with a six of the second ball by Sonu. However, Sameer, Team Baba�s Captain put the breaks on Team UML (4 for 15). This effort turned futile as UML finally proceeded to win the match with only two balls to spare. This was a fitting finale to the glorious tournament. In the first semifinals, UML packed off the defending champions Lagaan. Sabeeh and Babar of UML first dismissed Lagaan for a modest 53. When Lagaan struck back by taking four early UML wickets, Sabeeh(16) and Viral(15) ensured a 6 wicket UML win in 9 overs.

In the second semifinals, Baba edged out last year�s runners up, the Blue Sox. Aided by Nitin(21) and Premal(22) Baba batting first finished at 88 for 9. Nirav from Blue Sox took 3 wickets. Harsha(22) and Nirav(14) of Blue Sox initially gave the Blue Sox a strong start of 33 for no loss. However Hiren�s excellent bowling ensured the Baba win dismissing Team blue Sox for 69.

While the rain played spoilsport on some days, it did little to dampen the spirit of the players, fans and organizers in the tournament. During the finals weekend, VPS organized a �Cricket Carnival� at the venue. While Team UML played Team Baba on the field, there were games for children, Mehandi and eyebrow shaping for women and numerous activities for spectators of the match. On the last day VPS also organized a special six over Women�s match between VPS A Team and VPS B Team. This game was another thriller and as Team B emerged as a winner beating Team A by one run in the last ball of the match. The VPS Sports committee will add a Women�s Tournament to its summer agenda in the forthcoming years.

The delightful Cricket Tournament finally came to an end on Sunday the 18th of July after Team UML beat Team Baba. No activity brings the South Asian Community together more than this glorious game, which was reserved only for the elite during the days of the Raj. This tournament is a giant step towards promoting Cricket in the United States. Nikhil Wadhwa chairperson of the VPS games committee, Keshav Shukla, President of VPS and �tireless� umpire Chetan Anand deserve special kudos for their Herculean efforts in creating a tournament of this scale. VPS will conduct an even bigger tournament next summer. Please visit www.vps-international.org regularly for updates.

VPS Cricket Tournament 2004 Press Release
Rajiv Ramaratnam

The Vrindavana Preservation Society(VPS) will usher in the summer this year with its Second Annual Cricket Tournament. The tournament is expected to be held at the Fore River Club in Quincy MA. (Venues of matches are subject to change.) The matches are scheduled to begin on the 26th of June 2004. The deadline for teams to enroll is 30th of May 2004.

Last year, the inaugural VPS Cricket Tournament was a grand success and roused widespread interest in the New England area. (See attached photo(s).) This year�s tournament promises to be bigger and better. The organizers of the event plan to add a Women�s tournament and Children�s tournament this year if there is adequate interest.

Mr. William Phelan, the honorable mayor of Quincy, will grace the Tournament. Beautiful Awards await the outstanding performers and teams in the tournament. (See attached photo.) There will be adequate media for the event.

Individuals and teams interested in participating in the tournament can visit our newly updated website, www.vps-international.org. Please click on the �VPS Cricket� link.
You may click on the �application form� link on this page, print out, fill and mail the form with the appropriate payment to
Vrindavana Preservation Society
226 Billings Street, North Quincy, MA 02171

Please click on the �official rules� link on the �VPS Cricket� page to review the rules for the tournament. The website also includes directions to the Fore River Club in Quincy, MA.

For more information please contact:
Nikhil Wadhwa, chairman, VPS games committee, by phone at 781-608-0879 or 508-559-2071 or email nikpriya@hotmail.com.
Or
Keshav Shukla, President, VPS by email at keshav_vps@yahoo.com or by phone at 617-471-0129.

DIWALI Round-up


Dipavali /Goverdhan Celebration by Vrindavan Preservation Society

By Rajiv Ramaratnam

The Vrindavana Preservation Society (VPS) concluded its cultural agenda for the year with a magnificent Dipavali extravaganza. The event was held at the Quincy High School on the 1st of November and featured a deluge of programs.

The celebration was presided by Mrs. Anju Singh. The opening act featured melodious Bhajans by veteran singer Smt. Kiran Nath. She was accompanied by Subhankar Chowdary on Tabla, Kodi on the flute, and Celia Markey with the keyboard. Jeff Forti played drums and guitar.

A festival of this magnitude is never possible without the support of generous sponsors. All sponsors of the event were honored in the next segment of the evening. Following this was an impressive Bhartnatyam recital from the Triveni School of dance.

Next, Rohit Kumar gave a slide presentation, describing the role of VPS and its achievements both, in the United States and in India. Kalindi Mehta, an active member of VPS then conducted a colorful costume contest. Children dressed as Sita, Krishna and other personalities crowded the stage to the cheers of an enthusiastic audience.

The following item featured Dennis Kelley, who assumed the role of an animated Hanuman. Kelley narrated the tale of Ramayana to the audienceAt the end of the story, Kelley with Keshav Shukla, the president of VPS and several others conducted a glorious Bhajan.

The finale of the event was �Goverdhan Hill� a play performed by members of the Vaisnava Academy, a subsidiary of VPS. Mrs. Rupa Shukla, the program director of the Vaisnava Academy, directed the play.

The play featured an event from Lord Krishna�s life when he curbs the haughtiness of the Indra, the lord of thunder. Eight-year-old Kanika Rajiv who held the audience mesmerized with her acting and singing brilliantly enacted the role of Krishna. (A biased opinion from a proud parent.) Other noteworthy performers included Akshad Shekar as Indra and Radha Madhav Shukla as Brihaspati. Yakshagana artiste Raghuram Shetty, with his son Teja, made a special appearance and performed a notable dance sequence in the play.

As in all other VPS events, the celebration ended with a delightful dinner from Sachi Matha�s kitchen. In less than a year VPS has achieved numerous milestones. These include the presentation of several cultural events throughout the year, the organization of a highly successful Cricket tournament and the establishment of the Vaisnava Academy, a school in Quincy dedicated to promote Indian culture.

The Academy plans to add more courses and activities to its curriculum in the coming year. The forthcoming year will also feature more cultural and sporting events from VPS. Included among them are festivals for Holi, Janmastami and Dipavali and the second annual VPS Cricket tournament. For more information, please contact Keshav Shukla at keshav_vps@yahoo.com

The Nandotsava Festival
Rajiv Ramaratnam

Following in the wake of its inaugural Cricket tournament, the Vrindavana Preservation Society (VPS) presented yet another masterpiece, the Nandotsava Festival Celebration. The festival was held at the Quincy High School in Quincy, MA on 24th of August 2003. It displayed a wide variety of Indian culture including a Bharatia dance recital, a Kathak performance and a Krishna Lila play.

Nandotsava is the day after Janmastami, which is the day Lord Krishna was born. Nandotsava commemorates the celebration of the birth of Krishna performed by Nanda Maharaj. The common theme of the entire function was Lord Krishna and the events surrounding His life.

Mrs. Neelam Kumar, an active member of VPS commenced the event as the master of ceremonies. The opening act featured a series of Bharata and Kutchipudi dances, performed by the Triveni School of dance. Mrs. Neena Gulati, director of the Triveni School presided over this part of the program. The stage was a torrent of hues with all dance performers wearing traditional dance costumes. A noteworthy part of this section was an enactment of a wondrous episode from Sri Krishna�s life.

After receiving complaints from Krishna�s sister that Krishna has been eating sand, His mother Yashoda forces Krishna to open His mouth. As Krishna reluctantly obeys her, Yashoda sees the whole Universe housed inside His mouth.

The next program item was a Kathak Recital from another talented guest performer Sanjeevani Kukreja. Kathak is an amalgamation of Jaipur and Lucknow Gharana. The dance was performed with a Bhajan titled Bansi Bata Jamuna Tat Nirata ta Banawari.

Numerous sponsors helped fund this event. They were all honored in the next part of the program. This was followed by a slick and informative slide presentation on the VPS by Mr. Rohit Kumar and Mrs. Anju Singh. The presentation outlined several achievements by VPS in India and in the United States. In India VPS has made great strides in its efforts towards preserving the holy land of Braj Mandal. These efforts include reforestation of the area, an establishment of a plant nursery and the building of a cultural center.

The US chapter of VPS has raised $25,000.00 towards the purchase of a 5-acre farmland in Braj. It also helped the founding of the Vaisnava Academy in Quincy, MA. The Vaisnava Academy is a school in the South Shore that promotes Braj Culture, particularly in the youth.

The most recent accomplishment of VPS was the inauguration of very popular Cricket tournament in Quincy in June and July of this year. All the star performers of this tournament, and the winning teams were honored in the next segment of the festival. Awards were handed out to the winning team Lagaan and the runner up team, the Boston Blue Sox.

The next event was the first of a magnificent two-part play, Kamsa Vadha performed by several members of VPS and the Vaisnava Academy. The play was centered on events surrounding Lord Krishna�s birth. It was directed and written by Raghuram Shetty. This part of the play depicted the birth of Lord Krishna to Devaki and Vasudev. Devaki�s wicked brother Kamsa tries desparately to kill the Divine Child but all his murderous attempts are annulled by the divine grace of Lord Vishnu.

The performers included Dennis Kelly as the evil king Kamsa, Nick Cavallo as Narada, Celia Markey as Devaki and Lakshminarayan as Vasudev. The caste also included Vidya Mahadev as river Yamuna, Radhika Garland as Yogmaya, Saurabh Sharma as Vishnu and Mukesh Sharma as Brahma.

Keshav Shukla, President of VPS, then lead a �gala� Bhajan that featured a Braj dance celebration of the birth of Lord Krishna. It was a wondrous sight as many people in the audience participated in the dancing and chanting.

Next came the second part of Kamsa Vadha. This was the climax of the play and was performed in traditional Yakshagana style. In this segment Raghuram Shetty himself, performed as Kamsa with his dexterous son Tejas playing the part of young Lord Krishna. The audience was mesmerized by the bright colored costumes and flamboyant acrobatic jumps from skilled artistes. In this part of the play, the evil king Kamsa meets his end at the hands of Lord Krishna.

The event finally concluded with a sumptuous vegetarian meal presented by Sachi Mata, an active member of VPS. This festival marks the beginning of the new school year of the Vaisnava Academy. The fall session of this subsidiary of VPS includes courses Hindi, Sanskrit , arts and crafts, Yoga and music lessons. Classes are scheduled to begin on Sunday the 7th of September, 2003.

VPS and the Vaisnava Academy have planned yet another event for this year. They will be hosting a Deepavali celebration in early November at the same venue. For more information please contact Keshav Shukla at keshav_vps@yahoo.com.

Holi Mahotsava Celebration
Rajeev Ramaratnam

Holi, the "Festival of Colors", is one of the most popular of Indian Festivals. In a country with more cultural diversity than all of Europe, Holi is a day when family, friends and community come together in a spirit of love, friendship, faith and festivity by smearing colors on one another. Holi is always celebrated in the Spring (Phalgun) season. Several significant events took place in Vedic history during this period. Two of these stand out as the most popular ones.

The first event was the survival of the young boy, Prahalad by the saving grace of Lord Vishnu. Prahalad's evil aunt, Holika who tried to burn him in a fire was consumed by the flames while he escaped unhurt. This is a celebration of the victory of good over evil and the triumph of unshakable faith in the divine Lord. The second event of significance was that Sri Sri Radha Krishna (the Divine Couple) and Their cohorts played together in Braj Mandal, Bharat, by smearing everyone with colors.

Thanks to a Herculean effort Mrs Rupa Shukla and other members of the Vaishnava Academy, a subsidiary of the Vrindavana Preservation Society (VPS), the Holi Mahotsava Festival at the Quincy High School on Saturday, March 15, 2003 was a roaring success. It showcased several facets of Indian culture including devotional songs, a traditional Indian folk dance and a play. The finale of the show was the 'ceremonial Holi play' where all attendees of the show smeared colors on each other, in a festive and gala celebration. Another highlight of the program was the delicious free vegetarian dinner, a contribution from the families that are part of VPS.

Mrs. Anju Singh was the master of ceremonies for the event. The opening act of the program featured Bhajans from the rich voices of Mrs. Madhuri Kulkarni and her husband, Mr. Narendra Kulkarni. They were accompanied on Tabla, by Mr. Bharat Patel, and Subhankar Choudhury.

This event was followed by a very informative slide presentation by Mr. Dennis Kelly, on the Vrindavana Preservation Society (VPS). VPS, a non-profit organization, has chapters in India and in USA. Its main goals are to raise awareness of Vedic culture and tradition, and to preserve the holy city of Vrindavan. Sri Sri Radha Krishna lived in Vrindavan, which is situated 60 miles away from New Delhi on the banks of the river Yamuna. Mr. Kelly presented the issues that confront the preservation of Vrindavan, such as pollution and globalization. The VPS chapter in USA has raised $27,500 in fund towards the preserving of Vrindavan. Mr. Kelly also displayed several slides with photographs from the meetings of Vaisnava Academy at Quincy, MA featuring Bhajans, Yoga and dance classes for adults and children. For more information on VPS, see www.vps-international.org.

Following this was a Bhajan lead by Mr. Keshav Shukla. The stage was a joyous scene with Sri Sri Radha Krishna surrounded by charming children and tiny tots posing as Gopis and Gopikas.

The highlight of the program was a spectacular play based on the origin of the Holi festival. This story of Holi is the story of Prahalad, a young boy and a fervent devotee of the supreme God, Vishnu. Prahalad is the son of the evil tyrannical demon Hiranyakashipu. Hiranyakashipu appoints himself the sole ruler of the universe and commits numerous atrocities on earth and in the heavens. He is ultimately vanquished by Narasingha, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

The driving force behind the play was the director of the program, Mr. Raghuram Shetty (Raghuramji), a veteran of Indian Theater and a master of Yakshagana, a traditional dance from Southern India. Raghuramji himself played the part of Hiranyakashipu, displaying his tremendous acting and dancing abilities. Mr. Dennis Kelly played Narada, the celestial sage. The part of Hiranyakashipu's queen, Kayadu was played excellently by Mrs. Jyothi Shetty. A talented youngster, Nishad Kulkarni played the part of Prahalad. Other noteworthy performances came from Mrs. Jayashree Chandrasekhar, Mr. Arun Chaudhari and several participating children. Mr. Venkata Dayanandan (Venkatji), another versatile member of Vaisnava Academy, played Narasingha. Venkatji also composed and presented spectacular background music for the play, mixing tunes and rolls of the Tabla, appropriate to each situation of the play.

The next event of the evening was a colorful stick dance featuring Sri Sri Radha Krishna and Gopikas, performed by several adults, boys and girls belonging to Vaisnava Academy. Radha Shukla and Kanika Rajiv played the roles of the Lord Krishna and the beautiful Sri Radharani. The event ended in a blaze of Holi colors and festivity. This event was followed by traditional Holi celebration and Garba (Stick dancing) and smearing of colors at the School Gymnasium.

Over five hundred people attended the Holi Mahotsava celebration. Clearly, this is only a preview of more glorious contributions to come from VPS whose members continue to strive to bring about an awareness of the riches of Vedic culture and its timeless spiritual values.

VPS Tournament Finals
Rajiv Ramaratnam

The game of Cricket has been tightly woven into the fabric of Indian life, ever since it was introduced there in the days of the British Raj. This fact was evident at the Fore River Club in Quincy, MA where several teams, spectators and organizers congregated for the inaugural Vrindhavan Preservation Society (VPS) Cricket Tournament. The championship match of this tournament, played on the 19th of July was a fitting climax for this astoundingly successful event.

The proceedings commenced with all present standing in attention to the Indian National anthem. The cloudy morning developed into a hot muggy day with an occasional breeze. While the pitch favored stroke making, the slow outfield made scoring boundaries very difficult.

It was the clash of the Titans when Team Lagaan took on the Boston Blue Sox (BBS) team for the championship match. Both outstanding teams had earned their berths to the finals with impressive wins in previous matches.

The BBS team had stormed into the finals, undefeated in their earlier matches. They had impressive wins over Team Nirvana in their qualifying match and Team Strikers in their semi final match.

Team Lagaan, however had to fight harder battles to get to the finals. After loosing their first qualifying match in a thriller to Team Strikers, the Lagaan team convincingly defeated Team Nirvana in their second qualifier to reserve themselves a semi final berth. In the semi finals, Team Lagaan team defeated the formidable Team Delhi to ensure their place in the finals.

The finals were set to 20 overs per team and like all the other matches in the tournament were played with hard tennis balls. Skipper Mustafa Taj of BBS won the toss and elected to field.

The Lagaan team looked like it was in trouble early in the innings, when Subash of BBS claimed two wickets in the fourth over. Batsmen Kunal (22) and Rajesh (15) steadied the innings taking the Lagaan score to 63. Balaji of Lagaan fortified this score with a quick 23 off 21 balls. However, the BBS team managed to dismiss the entire Lagaan team for 95 in 19.4 overs. For BBS, Subash took two wickets, Satvir claimed 4 wickets and Hari claimed 1 wicket.

The match still seemed evenly poised. The Lagaan team was known for its formidable bowlers while the BBS batsmen had displayed spectacular talents in previous matches. The BBS team had lost a total of just one wicket in their two earlier matches.

The Lagaan restricted their bowling to the offside, making it hard for the BBS team to score runs. This strategy would pay rich dividends. The mounting pressure would prove too much even for the able batsmen of BBS. The BBS team was soon dismissed for 55 in the 15th over. For the Lagaan team, Rohit, Rajat and Balaji claimed 2 wickets each. Rajesh and Kunal claimed a single wicket. For BBS Shaswath scored 12 and Subash scored 11.

With this resounding win, team Lagaan, (reminiscent of the movie of the same name) emerged as the undisputed winner of the VPS tournament. This was followed by the prize distribution ceremony. Sagar Banaso, captain of the winning team, Lagaan and the Mustafa Taj captain of the runner up, BBS were presented trophies. Balaji was aptly christened the �man of the match�.

This event would not have been successful if not for the contributions from numerous volunteers, the participating teams and the spectators. Chetan Anand, one of the umpires deserves special mention for his dedication and for braving the scorching heat for every match of the tournament. Many members of VPS worked untiringly wearing several hats, as commentators, organizers, tournament promoters and makeshift umpires displaying a high level of professionalism. In particular, Nikhil Wadhwa, chairperson of the VPS gaming committee and VPS President, Keshav Shukla were instrumental in organizing and promoting this event. The camaraderie displayed by participating teams and the enthusiasm of the spectators throughout this tournament was contagious. They have proved that Cricket in the New England area is indeed here to stay. The VPS Tournament in particular has attracted more wide spread interest in this area and promises to be even bigger and better next year. Registration for next year�s matches has already begun.

For more details, please contact:
Nikhil Wadhwa by phone at 781-608-0879 or 508-559-2071 or Email nikpriya@hotmail.com.

The Vaisnava Academy And The Vrindavana Preservation Society
Rajiv Ramaratnam

The Vaisnava Academy is the only school of its kind in the South Shore. The main goal of the Academy is to promote Indian culture, particularly in the younger generation. To most families in the area, the academy serves as an oasis of Indian tradition, offering a diverse curriculum of courses and activities. These courses include Hindi lessons, drama, music and Yoga.

The Academy�s parent organization, Vrindavana Preservation Society (VPS) is a non-profit volunteer organization that seeks to preserve the sacred city of Vrindavana, which is situated about 60 kilometers from New Delhi, India. The efforts of VPS in Vrindavana include preservation of ancient monuments, supporting the farming community and providing welfare to the needy.

The academy helps in the efforts of VPS by raising money through its course offerings and regularly organized cultural and sporting events. During the spring, winter and fall seasons, its members meet every Sunday at 10 AM at the Clifford Marshall School in Quincy, MA. Each session begins with a prayer and then the children break off into groups for the Academy�s various activities. At the end of each session, the adults and children again reconvene for a prayer. This is followed by a free vegetarian potluck lunch prepared by the members of the academy.

The Academy was founded by the dynamic couple, Rupa, (Program Director Vaisnava Academy) and Keshav Shukla (President VPS) on December 15th 2002. The Shuklas have worked tirelessly in building the membership and organizing the Sunday classes and the cultural events for the Academy. With other members of VPS, they are working towards giving the Academy its own dedicated venue in the next two years.

The Academy�s distinguished faculty includes the noteworthy dramatist and Yakshagana maestro Raghuram Shetty, talented vocalist Madhuri Kulkani and accomplished Hindi and Toddler teachers, Kalindi Mehta and Anju Singh. The faculty also includes Celia Markey, a Yoga specialist with over ten years of instructional experience. For the forthcoming fall session, the Academy plans to add additional courses in crafts, painting and Sanskrit to its curriculum.

Earlier this spring, VPS and the Academy presented a colossal Holi Mahotsava Festival at the Quincy High School. This event featured a spectacular play titled �Bhakta Prahalad�, Garba and traditional smearing of Holi colors.

The academy also offers a homecoming for its adult members. In addition to socializing with other members, the adults often participate in Kabbadi games during the fall, spring and winter. In the summer, VPS promotes another Indian religion, Cricket. The recently organized and highly successful Cricket Tournament is a dream realized by its gaming committee chairman, Nikhil Wadhwa. The tournament has roused widespread interest in the New England area and promises to be of a much grander scale next year. Registration for next year�s tournament has already begun. For more information on the Cricket tournament, please contact Nikhil Wadhwa at nikpriya@hotmail.com

With it's fall session scheduled to begin in September, the members VPS and the academy are hard at work, preparing for a Nandotsava Festival. The festival will feature transcendental music, dance and a Krishna Lila play presented by adults and children of the Academy. Also included in the program are several children�s activities, a free for all Bhangra and a free vegetarian dinner.

The Nandotsava Festival is scheduled for Sunday, the 24th of August at the Quincy High School in Quincy MA. VPS expects a turnout of more than 500 people for the event. While this is a free event, VPS looks to it as a fundraiser towards supporting all its activities and welcomes your generous donations.

For more information about VPS, Vaishnava Academy or the Nandotsava Festival please contact Keshav Shukla at keshav_vps@yahoo.com

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A Tribute to Chitra Parayath, friend and mentor

An open letter to the Editors of Lokvani
Words cannot express how I personally feel to know that Chitra is no longer in our midst. I am, like you all, still coming to terms with her loss. Though I've only known her for a short while, I think of her as a friend, mentor and guide who was always ready to offer advice on my writing, print articles on Lokvani, even if they were sent close to the deadline or even just listen to my stories when we spoke occasionally on the phone. She was always there to encourage me and offered tips on where to get my works published. She always enquired about my family everytime we spoke.

The first time I met Chitra in person was at Nirmala's house at Indu Sunderesan's book reading. She made me feel comfortable almost instantly. Chitra's broad smile, open-mindedness and amiable personality will be missed by all of us. Then, of course there was her sense of humor. She was unafraid to polk fun at herself, a trait she claimed her daughter inherited. She spoke proudly of her son's writing and even claimed that it was better than hers. I cannot imagine how her family can cope with her loss and hope thatGod gives them the strength to do so.

I loved reading her film reviews even on films I knewn nothing about, because she had a way with words that would keep me engrossed and wanting more. Her forthrightness would always cause some hostile reactions from her critics but she knew how to diffuse them with clever repartees. "Bring it On!" was her attitude.

One of my articles on Sulekha said that we must do away with respecting elders just for age. I got a lot of hate mail for it. However, here is Chitra's response:

Great going, Rajiv...and to think that I am slowly turning into the 'elder' (shudder...god forbid) that I rebelled against when I was young(er).Good thing, then that I have two brats who love to put me in my place, gently but firmly.We desis are too 'hung up' on this issue anyway.Keep this up, you have the 'write' stuff, pal!....

Chitra was always eager to know about the VridavanaPreservation Society and always asked very pertient questions about it. Here is another email she sent me on our Tsunami efforts:

Congratulations for all the good work that you folks are doing, here and in India.We at lokvani.com would love to have a write up about your teams' efforts to help the victims in India. Maybe you can also tell us about the service that is being held this evening. Please call if you have any questions....

VPS plans to have a moment of silence in Chitra's honor at the beginning of our Yogathon on the 21st ofMay. On behalf of VPS, I would like to invite all of you to attend the event, atleast the start of the event, so that we can all cherish her memory. All of us at VPS offer our heartfelt condolenses to all of you at Lokvani and her family.

One of the best lessons I've learnt from Chitra is to be true to myself and express my heartfelt opinion, fearlessly. She was unafraid to express her views and ideology. It is an honor that she considered me a colleague, and said so in one of her articles.

The writing world is now missing a versatile author.Her family, friends and well-wishers will miss a great friend. Please convey our condolenses to her family.To put it in her own words, Cheers to you Chitra, we will never forget you.
Sincerely,
Rajiv

On Lokvani
http://www.lokvani.com/lokvani/article.php?article_id=2450

On the Hindu
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200504202128.htm?headline=US-based~scribe~covering~tsunami~devastation~in~Andamans~dies

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