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Onam Mela - Utsav 2011 - from the desk of President, Mr Anil NairDear Friends,  Thank you all for attending the Onam Mela, UTSAV 2011 on September 10, 2011. I hope you all enjoyed the Onam Sadya catered by Mr.Suku Nair, Aditi Restaurant and cultural events directed by our entertainment team. I was so thrilled to see you all filling the Laurel high school auditorium even after hurricane Irene moved our Onam celebration scheduled on August 27th. Once again thank you for your support. Beyond a shadow of a doubt this year's Onam Mela was one of the best. From the beautiful decorations, delicious Onam Sadya , beautiful Athapookkalam, excellent Vartha and best cultural programs, it was obvious to all who attended that we put great time and effort into making this event a big success. I would like to personally thank all KCSMW committee members for their contributions to UTSAV2011. This event could not have been a success without the help of you and many other volunteers who donated their time and energy. Without you, I would never have dreamed of such a great Onam Mela. Your belief in me enabled me to believe in myself again. You have my unending gratitude. Thanks again. Congratulations to all subcommittee members including front desk, hospitality, entertainment, editorial, decorations, sound, light, costume and graphic team for job well done. I would also like to thank lots of individuals who were not in the KCS committee who helped us to create memories to last forever. It would be injustice if I don't mention few names they are not in the committee; those helped us for the Onam Mela. They are choreographers, parent coordinators, Rajeev Nair for videos, Unni Nair for photographs, Sapna Nair, Beena Tomy, Mini Kurup, Renju Gopan, Sani Binoy, Sreenaja Sanjay, Bindu Rajeev, Manju Teji, Lekha Nair, Arun Surendranath for back stage help and Renjina Sreeram Punnackal for script. Thanks a Million Anil Nair |
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Onam Mela 2011 Videos : Click Here Onam Mela 2011 Photos: Click Here |
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Onam Mela - Utsav 2011 - message from Entertainment Team |
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We would like to take this opportunity to extend our heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you for helping us to make the 'Utsav 2011-Onam Mela' a great success. Once again, we worked together as a team from the choreographers, participants and parents to the volunteers and proved that with hard work and dedication, nothing is impossible.
Exceptional choreographies, mind blowing performances, eye catching costumes and excellent stage management. Thank you for helping us in presenting a well organized, culturally rich grand Onam program, 'The Utsav 2011' for you and with you". Stay tuned for "Jingle bells 2011"... |
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Choreographers |
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Onam Mela - Utsav 2011 - 'VARTHA 2011' magazine release |
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Vartha 2011, the 27th issue of Vartha magazine was released by chief guest Mr. V. S. Senthil - Minister of Economic Affairs, Embassy of India, presenting the first copy to Mrs. Arathi Krishna - Community Development Officer, Embassy of India during the Onam mela inauguration. The editor Mr. Jayan Variyam, and the President Mr. Anil Nair were present at the occasion. "We wish you a happy and prosperous Onam. With much pleasure, we bring you this annual publication of the Kerala Cultural Society of Metropolitan Washington, Vartha 2011. We hope you enjoy reading the varied contributions from community members- essays, short stories, poems, news, and works of art. Pictures from KCS's recent activitues are included, notable among them our highly successful KCS Kalari / Malayalam classes being held at three locations in Virginia and Maryland. A word of appreciation for the many that made possible the successful publication of this year's Vartha. We are deeply grateful to the authors for their contributions, the ad sponsors for their generous financial backing, KCS committee members for their support and effort in canvassing articles and sponsorships, and the publishers for their diligence in helping us bring out this 27th issue of Vartha on schedule" -KCS Editorial Team |
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Jingle Bells 2011- Christmas and New Year celebrations! |
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KCS Kalari - Malayalam and Cultural awareness class - October dates |
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Please see the date and time for Malayalam and Cultural Awareness Program (KCS Kalari) for the Month of September Germantown, MD Classes will be held at Germantown Community Center, 18905 Kingsview Rd. Germantown, MD. 20874, on Saturday October 1, 2011, from 2.00 PM to 4.00 PM. Columbia, MD Classes will be held at Longfellow Nursery School, 5267 Eliots Oak Road, Columbia, MD 21044, on Saturday October 8 ,2011 from 10.00 AM to 12.00 Noon. |
Centreville, VA Classes will be held at Centreville Public Library, 14200 St. Germain Drive, Centreville, VA, 20121, on Sunday, October 2, 2011 from 3.30 PM to 5.30 PM. Please contact Teji Manalel at kcskalariofva@gmail.com Prior registration is required for Germantown and Centerville location since there are only few seats available. To register for this class or get further details, please send an email education@kcsmw.org or contact the following team members: Anil Nair- (443) 822 4828; snairanil@gmail.com, Beena Tomy- (301) 801 6698; beenatomy@gmail.com, Teji Manalel- (240) 997 9444; kcskalariofva@gmail.com |
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Syro Malabar Catholic Mission, Greater Washington - Car Raffle inauguration |
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Charismatic Renewal Retreat - Oct 15th and Oct 16th |
 When :October 15th and October 16th (9 AM to 6 PM) When :St. Mary's School Gym, 7207 Annapolis Road, Landover Hills, MD 20784 Please join the CHARISMATIC RENEWAL RETREAT (Malayalam) led by Rev. Fr. Mathew Naickomparambil, VC, Rev. Fr. Antony Thekkanath, VC & Sr. TereseVarekkulam, FCC. Organized by Servants for Jesus. All are welcome! Come and Experience the Powerful Anointing of Holy Spirit! Spiritual Directors: Fr. Mathew Punchayil Fr. MathaiMannoorvadakkethil Fr. James Nirappel Fr. Joseph Elamparayil Contact Persons:
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Vidyarambham 2011 - October 8th |
 When :October 8th 9 AM onwards When :Murugan Temple, 6300 Princess Garden Parken, Lanham, MD 20706 KHNA, NSGW, SNMC, SDS and Namboodiri Sabha jointly announces the Vidyarambham 2011 on Oct 8th, Saturday at Murugan Temple, starting at 9 AM. Built on the morale boosting, tremendous success of last year's Vidyarambham, and based on the great enthusiasm, participation, support and feedback received from the community, we can't wait for Vidyrambham 2011! Like last year, we will cover both aspects of Vidyrambham this year. 1. Ezhuthiniruthu - A day of initiation into the world of learning for the youngest kids in our family 2. Saraswati Puja - A day for worshipping and reaffirming faith in our books of learning, weapons and tools for all kids and adults in the family. |
Hollywood Celebrities: Basic Things you've always wanted to know - book by SatianAchath |
From the publisher's following website you can order the book at a cheaper price. (There the price is only $15.31, where as at Amazon.Com, Barnes & Noble, other on-line stores, and physical book stores, the price is $23.88). http://bookstore.authorhouse.com/AdvancedSearch/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=sati+achath From the following link you can read the press release of the book, released by PR Newswire: http://www.kalb.com/story/15314307/55-hollywood-celebrities-take-center-stage-in-authors-new-book You can watch a 2-minute video on the book at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq-vd3J5iis Artist-author Sati Achath shares biographical info and hand-drawn caricatures of everyone's favorite Hollywood icons of this generation NBC's 2008 America's Got Talent quarter-finalist Sati Achath has just released a Hollywood fan's would-be favorite collection with Hollywood Celebrities: Basic Things You've Always Wanted to Know, Vol. 1. He provides biographical snapshots of 55 popular Hollywood celebrities who are currently active in the film industry, including some basic things fans have always wanted to know about them. Written especially for fans of Hollywood celebrities and movie buffs, who want to quench that thirst for information about these loved celebrities, this book is going to be a sure treat and a collector's item. What makes this even more fascinating and fun are the author's personally hand-drawn caricatures of these famed stars. The author shares his research on these popular celebs, from basic personal information and biographical details to interesting factoids - all in one book. It includes details about Angelina Jolie's childhood dream of becoming a funeral director; Daniel Day-Lewis's skills as a carpenter and cobbler; Whoopi Goldberg's work in a mortuary as a make-up artist for the dead; Pierce Brosnan's fire-eating circus profession; Brad Pitt's fast food job as a chicken mascot; Bruce Willis' jobs as security guard, bartender, and private investigator; George Clooney's several jobs, such as selling women's shoes and men's suits and cutting tobacco; Johnny Depp's variety of odd jobs, including being a telemarketer for pens; Morgan Freeman's life as a mechanic in the USAF; and so much more. This is one mini-encyclopedia of Hollywood idols that fans should have. This book can be purchased at http://www.authorhouse.com at $15.31. It is also available at http://www.Amazon.com ,http://www.BarnesandNoble.com, and other online stores at $23.88. You can watch a 2-minute video on the book at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq-vd3J5iis. Sati Achath lives in Bowie, Maryland. His first book was Fun with Hand Shadows and Hollywood Celebrities: Basic Things You've Always Wanted to Know, Vol. 1 is his second publication. He is a cartoonist, caricaturist, author, hand shadow puppeteer, ventriloquist, and magician. His caricatures have been published in more than 25 U.S. national newspapers. He has been featured on The Late Show with David Letterman, CNN, ABC, CBS, and many other television channels in the U.S. and abroad. He is working as a Project Evaluation Specialist for the World Bank inWashington, D.C. He has four master's degrees: English Literature, International Relations, MBA, and Finance, and speaks six languages. Hollywood Celebrities: Basic Things You've Always Wanted to Know, Vol. 1 by Sati Achath Publication Date: June 23, 2011 64 pages; ISBN 978-1463411572 |
Swamiji Bhoomanada Tirtha and Ma Gurupriyaji visit- Oct 26th- Oct 30th
Where :8611 McHenry Street, Vienna, VA We are delighted to inform that Swamiji along with Ma Gurupriyaji will visit the US from October 10 to 31, 2011. Programs will be held in the Washington DC area, New Jersey, and Southern California. Dakshina presents "Leela Samson's" Bharatanatyam - on Oct 7th and Oct 8thWhen : October 7th 2011, 7:30 PM and October 8th 2011 When : Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U Street NW, Washington DC  Join us for our 8th Annual Fall Festival of Indian Arts. Leela Samson opens the festival on Friday October 7 at 7:30 pm with a Bharata Natyam performance. Samson is among India's most dynamic and technically brilliant dancers, an outstanding representative of Kalakshetra, the famed institute for the classical arts founded by the late Rukmini Devi Arundale on the Chennai ocean front. She joined Kalakshetra as a young child and her formative years were spent in imbibing the nuances of Bharata Natyam and related arts at the feet of celebrated gurus. Kalakshetra performs Samson's Spanda "The take over TOUR" by Manishi Sood of INTENSE on Oct 7thWhen : October 7th 2011, 10 PM When: IBIZA , 1222,1st Street Northeast ,Washington D.C 20002  KCS Editorial TeamHelp us keep the Masika current. Send in noteworthy news and happenings in your life, family, and the community for inclusion in the future releases of this newsletter. Send your articles to editor@kcsmw.org and add "Masika" in subject or visit http://kcsmw.org/contact-us For previous editions of news letter / masika, please visit http://kcsmw.org/masika To see the PAST EVENTS, please visit http://kcsmw.org/past-events ~ The KCS Editorial team ObituaryWith profound grief and sadness, we announce the demise Smt. Dr. Vimala Nair (wife of late Sri. Col. Keshavan Unni Nair). She was the mother of Dr. Parvathy Mohan and mother-in-law of Dr. Madan Mohan (Silver Spring, MD), both very active members in our community. Dr. Vimala Nair passed away on Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 5 am in the morning at her residence in Trissur, Kerala. Dr. Parvathy Mohan is currently in India. We convey our heartfelt condolence to all family members. We are praying for the eternal peace of the soul and for the strength of the bereaved family. It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing away of Annamma Cherian (93) mother of Binny Cherian and wife of late Mr. PV Cherian, Kunnummel House, Mannathur, Muvattupuzha. Binny Cherian is a Fairfax VA resident and an active member of the community. Annamma Cherian passed away on Sept 10th Saturday. Funeral was held earlier today (Sept 14) in India. Please remember Annamma Cherian in your prayers. |
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Grand Navratri Dandia and Raas Garba- Oct 1st, Oct 8th and Oct 15thWhen : Saturday October 1, Oct 8, Oc 15th 8 PM - 12:15 am Where :Meadowbrook Athletic complex, Meadowbrook Lane, Ellicott City, MD 21043 We have planned an exciting Navratri program for this year. We are very pleased to inform you that for all three nights we have secured Meadowbrook Athletic Complex in Ellicott City. We have also arranged onsite catering by Woodlands Restaurant at nominal cost for all three nights. Please come early to enjoy the food. We encourage you to come in time to use Complex parking facilities. For overflow parking, please use the Park and Ride parking lot adjacent to the Complex. Masti Fest 2011 - Bollywood dance dandiya dhamaka - Oct 1stWhen : Saturday October 1st 5 -10 pm Where :Stone Bridge High School, 43100 Hay Road , Ashburn ,VA 20147 An evening full of unforgettable fun, entertainment and music. Come along with your family and friends to make this fest momentous! We are proud to announce as well as cordially invite you and your family to our Fifth Annual Dandiya and Bollywood Dance extravaganza -- MastiFest2011 to be celebrated on Saturday Oct 1, 2011 in Ashburn, VA. MastiFest2011 as in the past is once again a complete cross-cultural friends & family entertainment event where we provide dedicated enjoyment even to kids, the young and the young at heart. If not done so already, please register today for the not-for-profit event MastiFest2011 Kutumba live in DC on October 16thWhen : October 16th, 6:00 PM- 9:00 PM When:Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall, 3001 North Beauregard Street , ALEXANDRIA, VA 22311 Kutumba is a folk instrumental ensemble, group of six professionals from Kathmandu. Having come together for the preservation of their culture and art, Kutumba wishes to spread love and joy of Nepali folk music throughout the world. Self motivated and self driven, Kutumba is a group with their own unique sound and vision.The six members have different roots and backgrounds in music. Kutumba is the harmony of traditional roots, culture and new sounds. Part of the proceeds will go to the construction of MODEL GREEN SCHOOL in Nepal. Desi Beats 2-Hariuda Nan-group from Jaya TV- Oct 22ndWhen: Oct 22nd - 5 pm to 9 pm Where: Eleanor Roosevelt High School, 7601 Hanover Pkwy, Greenbelt, MD 20770  To raise enough funds for our activities we are arranging a Multi Lingual Light Music concert by "Hariudan Nan" Group from Jaya TV on October 22, 2011. Flyer for the program is attached. Just like last year, we will be releasing a souvenir on this occasion. We request your support and advertisement. Although HACSI has been in existence for just two and a half years, it has achieved impressive progress in respect of its three core programs, as you will see from the following: A : Food for Homeless Program is HACSI's flagship program, which has gathered momentum. With HACSI acting as the umbrella, fifteen organizations - temples, social and community associations - are preparing meals in the large modern facility of DC Central Kitchen, Washington DC which has a capacity to prepare 4,500 meals at a time. More than 600 volunteers including 150 youngsters now regularly participate in this program to prepare meals half of which is served on site and the remaining distributed through homeless shelters in DC and nearby jurisdictions. India Student Association from Maryland is joining us in volunteering in DC Central kitchen on October 1, 2011. On special occasions, such as Gandhi Jayanti, cooking is done by HACSI volunteers in other shelters in Montgomery County, Baltimore County, and Prince Georges County. Volunteers of SSVT have also started a program to supply canned food through community food banks in the area. Our estimate is that through these efforts, more than 250,000 meals have been served by the Hindu community since the inception of the program in June 2007; of this, close to 70,000 meals were served in the last twelve months alone. For this program we need to raise $50,000 every year. B . Benevolent Fund is a charitable activity to help the poor/disadvantaged members of the Hindu community who face calamities like death or protracted illness etc. and the family does not have sufficient assets to cope with such situations. In August this year when two Bhutanese youngsters were shot in down-town Baltimore in a robbery incident in which one of them died. HACSI immediately donated $5,000 to take care of the necessary expenses. Previously HACSI provided a donation of $5.000 to cover emergency expenditure to the families with two disabled children and whose only breadwinner suddenly passed away. HACSI would like to build up at least $100,000 in the Benevolent Fund, because need for such emergency assistance cannot be predicted in advance.
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KCS Kalari students performed traditional Onam songs at Onam Mela - Utsav 2011 along with Hari Kappiyoor. None of these students are singers, but they delivered it very well. This was coordinated by Beena Tomy and Thomas Alexander.
Ticket sales for the car raffle, organized by Syro Malabar Catholic mission of Greater Washington, for the purpose of having its own church, have started officially. Mr. Teji Manalel is the platinum sponsor. There are four other gold sponsors as well as ten silver sponsors. Raffle winner will be presented a 2012 model Mercedes Benz E 350 at this church on a special function held on December 18th. For details, please contact mission director Father Mathew Punchayil (301 873 7006)
When :Oct 6th - Oct 30th.