Gujarati Matrimonial Convention Builds on Previous Success
Atlanta, August 4 & 5th, 2006: The second two-day "All Gujarati Hindu Matrimonial Convention – 2006" was held at the Sardar Patel Bhavan. All the participants of the matrimonial convention received a mask to attend a masquerade party following registration on Friday August 4th. The icebreakers were designed for all the participants to freely mingle and chat. Soft drinks and food added flavor to the relaxed milieu of the event.
"The overwhelming response from the previous year encouraged us to organize a two-day event this year", said Amit Shah, President of Gujarati Samaj, Atlanta. He added that the Sardar Patel Bhavan, home of Gujarati Samaj, had renovation work completed just a few days prior to this convention.
"All the volunteers met regularly and prepared for this event", Shah said. They had divided all the participants into small groups and assigned a group leader to each group. Each group leader was in touch with his/ her group, prior to their arriving at the convention. The group leader knew all participants by name and little bit about them too! There was hence more time to focus on what the participants wanted in a life partner.
The candidates arrived Saturday morning and dispersed into their groups to start their activities. They had a chance to introduce themselves, and pick an opposite candidate for more in-depth interview in the afternoon session. All the participants indicated who they liked most and expressed their willingness to explore more, which dictated the afternoon event.
Just as last year, the evening musical program was free for all the participants and their guardians. The Gujarati Samaj was able to sell few hundred tickets to their members. A music group from Mumbai along with tasty food prepared by Gujarati Samaj volunteers made the evening memorable.
"Marriages are made in heaven and celebrated on earth is a thought shared by a large number of people in our community," said Shah. It is, therefore, imperative to facilitate such celebrations. The Gujarati Samaj proudly provided such a forum to young adults and acted as a catalyst in the complex and difficult process of finding a suitable life partner.
Accompanying guardians, parents or both were also very cooperative and encouraging. Mr. and Mrs. Kirit Patel came from UK to accompany their son. Mrs. Asha Shukla came with her daughter from Florida. Both parents appreciated the efforts that went into organizing this event.
Mr. Amit Shah felicitated corporate sponsors, Mr. Kaushik Dave of K.B. Zaveree, Mrs. Rita Patel of Ribha event planners, Mr. Sanjaybhai Patel and Mr. Bhasker Prema of Gulf State Laundry Machines for their generous donation towards the convention.
The Gujarati Samaj thanked the enthusiastic volunteers, participants and helpful organizations that extended their help in spreading the word around to encourage participation. l.
-Sanjay Pandya
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