Christmas celebrations attended by Indians of various faiths
Children depict angels and the three wise men gathered in front of the Holy Family at the IACA Christmas celebration.
India American Cultural Association (IACA), the oldest organization of the Indian community in the Southeast, kicked off the holiday season by celebrating Christmas at the India Cultural and Religious Center (ICRC) in Smyrna, Georgia on 1st Dec 2012.
True to its name, IACA stands for the beautiful culture of India, its people, and the diversity it presents. Over 400 people attended, including leaders from various community organizations such as the Punjabi Society and Sikh American Society of Georgia (SASGA) gurdwara. IACA thanked AMMA and the First Indian Baptist Church of Atlanta for having the heart and sensitivity to mount such a celebration. The holiday season (whether one celebrates Christmas or Diwali or any other holy day) is one of joy, and is the time to celebrate life and family, and to give to charity and to the community. It is the season of hope and rebirth, the return of light, and of the fellowship of humankind.
Happiness and wonder shine in the eyes of adults and children watching IACA's Christmas celebrations.
The event started with showing the birth of Jesus, followed by a play from the Bhagavad Gita. A beautiful medley of Bollywood mix was presented. Over 50 kids from various backgrounds participated. The final item was a touching showing of the video of the Indian National Anthem sung by Kavitha Krishnamurti, Bhimsen Joshi, Jagjit Singh, et al, for which the crowd stood in festive patriotic reverence.
India's holy days are celebrated alongside Christian ones.
The celebration was supported financially by Dr. Mathew Kandithil, Dr. Paddy Sharma, and Mr. Kaushal Tripathi. Special thanks went to volunteers, including Shaji Fernandez, Regi Cherian, Manoj Koottappilly, Pastor Younis Farhat, and Rina Gupta, and to emcee Nivedita Garabadu for engaging the crowd for three hours.
As the days grow dark and cold, we illuminate and warm our community and our lives with events like this.
Below: The India Cultural and Religious Center resounds with a special version of India's national anthem.
Website Bonus Feature
Video:
Jana Gana Mana (Indian National Anthem)- Voices Of India!
with legendary artists - A.R. Rahman, Asha Bhosle, Bhimsen Joshi, Bhupen Hazarika, D.K. Pattamal, Dr. Balamuralikrishna, Ghulam Mushtafa, Hariharan, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Jagjit Singh, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Lata Mangeshkar, Pandit Jasraj, Parveen Sultana, Saddiq Khan Langa, S.P. Balasubramaniam, and others crooning the National Anthem in celebration of India's 60th year of Independence. A treat for the eyes as well as the ears! A Must Watch!
http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebritymicro/videos/id/20275/type/view/videoid/1201009
or https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=272312546215962
Some history of this video:
A R Rahman’s Jana Gana Mana at Fame
Businessofcinema.comTeam
2006/06/25
http://businessofcinema.com/bollywood-news/a-r-rahmans-jana-gana-mana-at-fame/15407
Posted February 1, 2013.
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