Dancers of Bharathakala Kutiram, the school of Bharatnatyam depict how to follow Hindu rites and rituals
MILPITAS, CA: March 19 marked the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) commemorated this day with its 4th annual Women’s Conference in Milpitas on the afternoon of March 19. Conference organizer Heena S. Patel said, “BAPS is committed to the enrichment of women, and we feel incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to participate in this global celebration right here in Milpitas.”
International Women’s Day was on March 8, and it was celebrated with several thousand events around the world. As an organization with consultative status with the United Nations, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha is taking an active role in honoring the achievements and contributions of women. The NGO, is commitment to the service of others, has over 160 humanitarian activities including women’s development programs ranging from women’s literacy to health and wellness education to post-disaster safety and support to helping women secure livelihoods for their families.
Themed “Honoring the Past, Envisioning the Future” the conference allowed for a positive and rich collection of dialogues, performances and exchanges. The program highlighted the role of women in India’s history and cultural heritage, the impact of the practices and principles of Hinduism in the life of women, and the opportunities and challenges that face the Indian female Diaspora today.
BAPS brought together 200 women from across the Bay Area community and inspired ideas of the positive development of future generations of women.
Nikshita Patel discussed how we could honor and maintain the values of our history as a woman in today’s society. Using the example of how Sita, Lord Rama’s wife, teaches us how to be strong, unconditionally love, the importance of education, and to have true faith.
Afterwards, in a question-answer session Pratima Patel explored how Hema Patel, a 2nd year law student, Pooja Khacchia, a senior in high school, and Kirtida Patel, a software engineer maintain Hindu identity in North America. Topics discussed included the benefits of mandir, prayer, and vegetarianism. Pooja Kacchia stated how “Being a Hindu woman, I have carried my values with me and these values have allowed me to make my decisions of avoiding drugs and alcohol,” when explaining the benefits of the teachings she learned from the mandir.
Jayanthi Shridharan, director of the Bharathakala Kutiram, a renowned Bay Area school for Bharatanatyam, choreographed a classical dance-drama that depicted the central Hindu rites and rituals of a woman’s life. The dance illuminated the 16 samskaras, or rites of passage, and illustrated key everyday rituals such as aarti and puja through this traditional Indian dance form.
Kalgi Parmar shared how mandir is a contemporary forum for women to connect with their heritage. “Mandir is a place where Vedic teachings come to life,” she said.
“The conference empowered women not just to learn about our culture, but to take pride and apply its eternal teachings in our daily lives,” said conference participant Heli Patel.
The Milpitas BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir has hosted the Women’s Conference annually since 2008. Past conference themes have emphasized the importance of investing in the lives of women and girls, the role of women in their family and community, as well as women’s health, wellness and balanced development.
“It was wonderful to be a part of an event that had so many remarkable women gathered together with the same goal: to build a sustainable future for women.
In the networking hours before and after the event, seeing women engaged in this positive dialogue about our shared values really allows me to visualize our guru, Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s words ‘The Future is Bright,’ said Janki Patel, a BAPS volunteer.
In March 2011, BAPS hosted Women’s Conference in 20 of its North American mandirs, including New York City, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, and Toronto.
India Post News Service
