Vaisakhi celebrated with Enthusiasm at the Indian Consulate in New York

V 1 — Organizers and guests with Acting Consul General Dr. Varun Jeph

The Indian Panorama documentary on Vaisakhi and Surati Arts Bhangra earned wows of the gathering

April 20, 2024

NEW YORK CITY (TIP): The 100 plus gathering in the ornate Ball Room of the Indian Consulate in New York enjoyed every moment of their presence at the Vaisakhi celebrations organized by The Indian Panorama with the support of the Consulate General of India.

Prof. Indrajit Singh Saluja welcomes guests

What engrossed the gathering the most was a documentary on Vaisakhi which traced the glorious history of Punjab from the times of the Vedas, Punjabis, and the creation of Khalsa by the Tenth Master of the Sikhs, Shri Guru Gobind Singh ji on the day of Vaisakhi in 1699 at Shri Anandpur Sahib, one of the Five Holy seats of Sikhism.

Acting Consul General Dr. Varun Jeph gives his remarks

The documentary focused on the contribution of the Punjabis, in particular the Sikhs, in various spheres from arts to sports and battlefield. The rich Punjabi culture depicted in the documentary filled the Punjabis in the gathering with nostalgia and pride. And, to top it all was a thrilling Bhangra performance by Surati For Performing Arts dancers Jeevika Bhat and Bineet Kaur. They literally set the gathering on fire. The thrill of Bhangra impelled the gathering to take to the dance floor and join the dancers in Bhangra, which probably is the most popular form of dance worldwide.

They spoke on the occasion:
Clockwise: Master Mohinder Singh, Purnima Desai, Vikas Singh Dhall, Dr. VK Raju, Ravi Batra, Rimli Roy

The Founder and Artistic Director of Surati For Performing Arts, Rimli Roy, who is a recipient of the 2024 Individual Artist Fellowship Award from the New Jersey State Council in the Arts, spoke about the forthcoming Holi celebrations being organized by her institution , extended an invitation to all. She thanked the Acting Consul General Dr. Varun Jeph and Prof. Indrajit Saluja, publisher of The Indian Panorama for inviting her over to perform at the Vaisakhi celebrations.

Earlier, Prof. Indrajit S Saluja welcomed the Acting Consul General Dr. Varun Jeph who in his address, described the creation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh ji as a historic development which changed the course of history of India. He dwelt on the core values of Sikhism and praised the tradition of valor, courage and bravery of the Sikhs. He also mentioned some Sikhs who made significant contribution in various fields from arts to literature to social life, to professional life , to sports and the battlefield.
Dr. Jeph called upon the gathering to view the Consulate as their home where they are always welcome and assured them that the Consulate was committed to providing the most efficient consular services.

Jeevika Bhat and Bineet Kaur giving a Bhangra performance

He also applauded the Indian American community for their great contribution to both their motherland and their country of adoption. He thanked them for being a strong bridge between India and the US.

A number of guests spoke on the occasion. Master Mohinder Singh, a former President of the Sikh Cultural Society, Richmond Hill, New York which manages Gurdwara Sikh Cultural Society – the largest gurdwara on the East Coast, and one of the founders and a former President of Gurdwara Baba Makhan Shah Lobana Sikh Center, Richmond Hill, NY, spoke about the great Sikh tradition from Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the First Master of the Sikhs.

Prof. Indrajit S Saluja felicitated the Actg. Consul General Dr. Varun Jeph with a replica of Golden Temple and a shawl.

Others who addressed included Dr. Sudhir Parikh, an eminent allergist, Chairman of Parikh Worldwide and owner of ITV; Harpreet Singh Toor, a former Chairman of the Sikh Cultural Society, and a candidate for New York State Assembly; Ravi Batra, an eminent attorney and chair of the National Advisory Council on South Asian Affairs; Vikas Singh Dhall, a former Chairman of Gurdwara Guru Gobind Singh, Plainview; Dr. VK Raju, a world renowned ophthalmologist and President of the Eye Foundation of America which is working to prevent childhood blindness, and has come up with a slogan “A World Without Childhood Blindness”, and Smt. Purnima Desai, President of Shikshayatan and Sriniketan- institutions to promote Indian music, dances and other art forms and Sanskrit language.

Dr. Varun Jeph felicitated speakers and artists on behalf of The Indian Panorama.

Each of the 100 plus guests was a distinguished person.
The Media in full force graced the occasion. Those present included Dr. Sudhir Parikh, publisher, Parikh Worldwide and owner of ITV; Rajeev Bhambri, publisher of India Abroad group of papers; Sunil Hali, publisher of The Indian Eye and owner of a Radio station and a TV channel; Sharanjit Singh Thind, owner and publisher of the South Asian Insider and a TV channel; Baldev Grewal, a senior journalist and publisher of Sher-e-Panjab; Jay Jasbir Singh , owner and publisher of Hum Hindustani, a Hindi language newspaper, Parveen Chopra, a senior journalist and publisher of ALotusintheMud.com, a lifestyle publication, Preetpal Kaur, owner and publisher of a newspaper -Preetnama- and a TV channel.

Consul, Community Affairs AK Vijayakrishnan who coordinated the event thanked the guests.

Others from the media world included Harvenderpal Singh (HP Singh) from Parikh Worldwide, Kripa Ranjan Prasad from ITV , and Mohammed Zahid from TV Asia.

Consul , Community Affairs, AK Vijayakrishnan coordinated the event, and was ably assisted by his team of dedicated workers , in particular, Anurag. Mr. Vijayakrishnan proposed a vote of thanks.
The guests were treated to snacks and beverages during social hour, and later after the event, to a delicious dinner, catered by the Royal Indian Palace, 118-06 Richmond Hill, NY 11419 (Phone 718-846-7600).