GEETHA PATIL
LOWELL, Massachusetts: The Gujarati Association of New England, Gurjar, organized its third fun-filled cultural festival September 7 at the Heritage Park, Lowell, Massachusetts, with over 5,000 members and guests participating.
The festival kicked off at noon, with the arrival of Rep Lori Trahan and Mayor William Samaras of Lowell. Rep Trahan addressed the gathering recognizing the impact and involvement of the Gujarati association for over 40 years and said, “You may be a first generation dreamer or came to a generation ago to plant your roots. This district is rich and contributes so much to our community. Your impact and your contribution is such an asset not only to our community but also our country. This is what makes our country great.”
Mayor Samaras in his address observed: “I want to thank Gurjar association for bringing Gujarati culture to the city of Lowell and also the great work is done in hurricane relief, and education. This is an organization that thinks of other people and makes us so proud.”
In the core session, various dances from classical and semi-classical to Bollywood were presented Soulful singing by Juhi Lalwani and Sarju Patel, yoga demonstration by Smita Apte, Bhangra by Sonal Bali, Inderpreet Singh and group entertained the audience.
More than 45 retailers’ booths exhibited colorful clothing, accessories, and glittering jewelry. Women and youngsters made the retailers happy by their generous shopping. Many charitable organizations like Indian Circle of Caring, Shishu Bharati, Akshay Patra and Ekal Vidhiyalay participated in the event. Young volunteers worked tirelessly to raise funds for their high schools. A few lucky ones went home with Airpod, 50 inch TV, Vitamix as winners of a raffle draw.
The president of the organization, Saroj Madhani, thanked everyone for coming and making the event a grand success. She recognized the generous sponsorships received from grand sponsor Tufts Healthcare, and silver sponsors Laer Realty, DCU, Leader Bank, Desai Foundation and Tanna Insurance.
