East-West Times…Information you desire

T
It was a cold and windy Valentines weekend on Feb. 13th & 14th in Melbourne, FL but that did not stop thousands of loyal enthusiasts who flocked to the 14th Annual Indiafest. The festival featured about 50 vendors selling everything from tantalizing Indian cuisines, to vibrant attires, jewelry, CD’s & DVD’s, arts & crafts and much more. Dozens of Indiafest sponsors came out to show their goods and services as the younger crowd indulged in the Youth Activity Booth which featured a Trivia game, Chess with a Chess Master, a Theater, and lots of hands on activities. The grown-ups treated themselves to henna, cooking demonstrations, sari wrapping and most importantly - the shopping. The enticing aroma of various flavors of curries and tandooris was the main course of the day for many of the attendees. As always, the Discover India booth which featured the theme of this year’s event, “Destination India”, took visitors on a tour through India from the exotic, to religious, to scenic. For those who maybe contemplating a trip to India, the folks did a great job in educating, informing and provided helpful information about India, what to expect, anticipating sites to visit, and what is needed before you even board the plane. A job well done and well presented indeed!!
Audience packed the pavilion as the entertainment featured local artistes playing tunes on the santoor and tabla, singing their favorite movie songs, to all-day stage performances. Groups from across Florida came to show off their dances, from classical to the more contemporary Indian dances. Dance performances took up most of both days’ stage events as the audience was treated to dances from the various regions of India. Of course the energetic and popular “Jai Ho” was the thumping tune of the weekend and the audience was only too eager to chime in. The much anticipated Fashion show gave everyone a glimpse of the many exotic Indian attire as children, as young as 5, to adults brought the stage to life, full of excitement and exuberance.
While Indiafest is known for its celebration of the Indian culture the organization also assists many local charities and aid in disaster recovery nationally and internationally. This year the committee chose to raise funds, thru 2 special raffles - a return trip to India and a 6 day Caribbean Cruise - for an orphanage in Haiti called “Ruuska Village” which is a “Reach out to Haiti” project. Dr. Silas Charles pledged to match up to $100,000 of all funds raised by the raffles for this project. The highlight of the festival was on Sunday as the drawing of the raffles brought a whole new excitement to the grounds. All proceeds from these raffles plus Dr. Charles pledge were donated to “Ruuska Village” and the founder, Barbara Walker, was there to accept a generous donation of $215,222. It was a tremendously awesome effort taken by the committee to do this project in such a short time but it just goes to show, charity knows no boundary - “where there’s a will there’s a way”. The chairperson, Nina Gadodia, believes that, “as Indiafest gives people a better understanding of the philosophy of the Indian culture, ultimately mutual understanding, respect for each other, and helping our fellow brothers and sisters, no matter what race, religion, or creed, is what makes us better human beings”.
Organizers, and volunteers, of Indiafest deserve a huge “Kudos” for a job well done. Word has it that they’re already planning next year’s itinerary. With every year being bigger and better than the last, we can only wait to see what they have in store for us. Anyone interested in finding out more about this organization can visit their website at: www.indiafestbrevard.org.