Our Bureau
Chicago, IL
On Saturday, April 12, 2025, the general meeting of Indian Seniors of Chicago was held at the Mahalaxmi Hall of Manav Seva Mandir IL. in which 350 members participated. For an auspicious beginning, members born in the month of April recited Ganesh Stuti and Shri Hanuman Chalisa. The meeting was conducted by Shri Naveen Patel.
Bhupendra Suthar requested the members whose birthday occurs in the month of April to come forward. All those members were greeted with Namaste by Vinubhai Darji and Pallavi Darji while showering rose petals on them. The celebration was made special by the members who sang the birthday song ‘Baar Baar Ye Din Aaye, Happy Birthday To You’ and poured wishes for a long and healthy life to them.
Afterwards, Umaben Desai demonstrated exercises and yoga asanas suitable for seniors and all the members followed her.
The treasurer of the organization, Hemant Modi, presented the income and expenditure account for the month of March and announced the names of the donors who provided financial assistance to the organization. Further, Dilip Patel thanked donors for the donation with which they bought a pair of TVs for the organization.
Then, Naveen Patel introduced volunteers of Vidya Jyoti Sanstha namely Ashok Potdar and Pratibha Jairath. Pratibha provided information about the various activities of Vidya Jyoti Sanstha and invited the members to attend the program being organized on 27th April 2025. Yash Desai provided detailed information about the Vatslya Gram project of Padma Vibhushan Sadhvi Ritumbhara, Pujya Didima, and appealed to the members to donate for that project. Members were encouraged to take advantage of the planned lecture at Shri Hanuman Temple from 18th April to 22nd April 2025. A video presentation about the Vatslya Gram scheme was shown to the members.
Kantibhai Patel, Vice President of the organization, asked the members to exhibit their paintings on Mother’s Day celebration in May. Then, President Dilip Patel invited the members to join in the annual entertainment program of the organization being held in October 2025.
Later, Bhupendra Suthar, Geeta Suthar, Panna Shah and Vinubhai Darji conducted the Ram Navami and Hanuman Janmotsav celebrations planned for the day. Bhupendra Suthar gave a beautiful lecture about Shri Ram Bhagavan and gave a commentary on the entire Ram Rath Yatra. The celebration included twelve sisters performing a welcome dance with lamps in their hands while singing along the ‘Ram Ayenge’ Bhajan. Moments later, the sisters in saffron clothes entered the hall while dancing in front of the procession of Shri Ram Rath.
The religious fervor reached its peak as participants dressed in beautiful saffron clothes with a paghdi on their heads brought Ramji’s chariot to the auditorium while singing the bhajan, ‘Ramjiki Nikali Savari Ramji ki Leela Hai Nyari.’ All the members welcomed the Ram Shobhayatra and sought Lord Ram’s blessings. The entire hall was echoing with the chants of Jai Shri Ram. The celebration continued with members performing Garba. After this, aarti of Shri Ram Bhagwan and Shri Hanumanji was performed and all the members were given Peda as Prasad.
President Dilip Patel thanked the organizers of the event and press photographer Jayanti Oza. In the end, all the members present enjoyed a delicious South Indian lunch.
