Ekta Dance Academy in collaboration with ISW is performing at the Celtics game on March 18th 2024 Monday at TD Garden. 45 students will take the floor to show off the magic of Bollywood dance, choreographed by Ekta Jain. Practices are in full swing and we are all excited for the big day. We are hoping to be able to offer  FB live from ISW FB page.  Tune in before game starts at 7.30 pm  It will not be televised on regular TV

Boston Celtics vs. Detroit Pistons: Monday March 18 2024

Tickets at the box office start at $82 

By Swara Gurav.
On February 10th, 2024, an enchanting conversation with the most talented women in our community took place. Diving into one of the essential topics of our time, the event showcased a conversation between women leaders who are passionate about classical and Fusion dance. The esteemed panelists have devoted their lives to advancing and disseminating the rich cultural heritage embedded in this ancient art form to the global platform. The panelists all brought out their beautiful understanding of the art form, along with providing the audience with their experience of how they dedicated their lives to nurturing and showcasing this ancient art form. Embracing the true essence and passion they have about their respective dance forms, each panelist’s goal is to pass on this strength to generations and to preserve the heritage. Thank you to our outstanding panelists, Darshana ji, Kalai ji, Devika ji, Shridevi ji, and Jasmine Ji, for enlightening us with your knowledge of the artistic reflection of our cultural diaspora.

by Ragoo Raghunathan

If you’ve seen a hall pack fast for a popular concert, the sight on this day at the India Center was no less. Over 150 people registered and showed up well before curtain time. Well, the event was our ISW-PEN program, the topic was Tax related and the speaker was The Guru Tax-fame Dr Satya Mitra himself, who also happens to be a best seller author of the book The 5 C’s, a book talking about tips to success for entrepreneurs and leaders.

This event was held on Saturday 17th Feb, 2024 as always at the India center at 11am. Dr Mitra started his presentation covering various topics including latest updates in tax laws, tax saving tips, how to report and deal with gifts and inheritance from abroad and tips for entrepreneurs and rental property owners. The topic was timely and the presentation was clear, concise and flawless. After the 45 min presentation Dr Mitra answered audience questions for around 1 hr as the audience kept asking question over question to the extent that the organizers Ragoo and Kelly (co-chairs of ISW-PEN) had to restrict each person to 2 questions.

Dr Mitra tirelessly answered all the questions while saying it gives him the greatest pleasure to answer questions from the audience. He also shared his business card and encouraged people to reach out with more questions. What started off as a one hour session happened to run for 2.5 hrs. This proved to be one of the best sessions we have had so far as part of ISW-PEN.

The event was live cast on the ISW Facebook page and can be seen for 30 day at this link:

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/ac6QLXbFXdYLbaXA

ISW Annual General Body Meeting 2024

We held a successful ISW Annual General Body meeting on Feb 4th 2024. In addition to the President's and committee reports the new Nomination Committee for 2024-26 was unanimously elected. Also made few amendments to ISW bylaws by the governance committee.

Please check out the Annual report and updated bylaws here.

The India Society Executive Board is proud to welcome the following members for the Committee on Nominations. They were elected during the Annual General Body meeting on Feb 4 2024. 

Term :  Jan 2024 - Jan 2026. 

Members: 

• Shaimin Melville
• Sahdev Passey
• Sarita Deshpande
• Ragoo Raghunathan
• Poonam Hingorany

The ISW EB  would also like to thank the outgoing members of this committee for their stellar contributions to the society.

Brain is the crown jewel of our body. Brain controls our motor and sensory functions, our behavior and intelligence, memory and emotions and so on and so forth. But as an inevitable part of aging, we start to experience slowing of brain functioning including cognitive impairment.

Every individual goes through this process at different pace with some feeling the effects sooner than others. There has been a vast majority of scientific.

research going on all across the globe trying to figure out ways on how to preserve the brain functioning and slow down the age-related decline in memory.

ISW Humrahee team had their monthly meeting on 27th January 2024. Mr. Jagan Srinivasan, professor at WPI conducted a seminar on how we can improve our memory and brain function with modern day tools and Ayurveda. With more than 2 decades of experience as professor, Mr. Srinivasan elaborated on different factors that affect our brain function and how everyday exercise and social interactions can improve physical mental and emotional wellbeing.

ISW, recently participated in a Republic Day celebration organized by IAGB in Burlington. The performance was a vibrant showcase of the rich cultural heritage of Marathi Regional Cinema. The Symphony team of ISW took the stage and mesmerized the audience with their captivating performance of the traditional Marathi folk dance style, Lavani.

Dressed in exquisite Maharashtrian 9 yards sarees, the talented dancers gracefully spun and twirled to the rhythmic beats of the dholaki, perfectly synchronized with the enchanting song 'Chandra'. Their energetic and skillful movements brought the essence of Marathi folk culture to life, leaving the audience in awe.

Adding to the immersive experience, the music team of singers presented a live medley of folk songs from the popular Marathi movie 'Jait Re Jait'. Their soulful renditions were beautifully complemented by live dancing, which vividly portrayed the stories behind the songs. This unique combination of live singing and dancing created a fascinating atmosphere, drawing the hearts of all those in attendance.

The grand finale of the performance was marked by a spectacular Dhol Tasha Lezim display. More than 15 performers took the stage, showcasing two distinctive patterns, Wembley and Nagpur Dhol. The thunderous beats of the dhol, accompanied by the rhythmic movements of the performers, filled the auditorium with an electrifying energy. The audience couldn't help but join in, expressing their appreciation through whistles and hoots, further fueling the enthusiasm in the room.

Overall, ISW's participation in the Republic Day celebration was a testament to their dedication in promoting and preserving the cultural heritage. Through their charming performances, they successfully transported the audience into the vibrant world of Marathi folk traditions, leaving a lasting impression on all those fortunate enough to witness it.

Video Link - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17i4YiSLlylpILv0rVeQ74uw-yp1XWmX2?usp=drive_link

What a fun way to spend an evening! ISW Sports Team had another successful game night event with 60 plus registrants at India Center on January 19^th. Participants with families enjoyed entertaining evening with games like table tennis, carrom, bridge and chess along with light snacks and tea.

India Society of Worcester has encouraged and given women a voice through the platform Women Empowering Women (WEW). WEW celebrated 3rd anniversary on January 13^th with Key Note Speaker Anu Chitrapu and Priya Asthana's student performances. Awards for December Walk & Run Competition were also distributed.

2023 Event Recap:

By Swara Gurao

In 2023, WEW had seven outstanding events motivating and inspiring other women within the community.

1. ISW WEW Turns Two Keynote speaker Dr. Manju Sheth

2. Mental Well-Being Discussion Panel: A Positive way to enlightening a healthy life Panelists: Dr. Kalyani Krishnan, Dr. Pooja Saraf and Dr. Ami Popat-Jain.

3. Selfless Community Service Event: Panelists:Shefali Kalyani Desai, Usha Verma, Nagasri Chakka and Sarita Deshpande

4. Rising Up the Professional Ladder: Panelists: Mrs. Anjali Arora, Mrs. Preeti Shah Tandon, Mrs. Anjali Paranjape and Dr. Poornima Tekumalla.

5. Lets Celebrate “HER”: Invited guests were Jaya Pandey, and Zharna Madan and 90s Indian Beatles singing performed by Mrs. Neha Maheshwari Rathi and Mrs. Padma Shenoy.

6. Next Generation Speaks, Life Beyond Academics: Moderated by Trishna Nikte, the panelists were: Ninad Vaidya, Karisma Lavana, Kiara Lavana, Aashi Gupta, and Dhruv Jagan.

ISW-WEW through its core values created a creative environment to encourage meaningful conversations, while inspiring and spreading confidence within the community. Read more on our website

The India Society Executive Board is proud to announce the slate for ISW's  Committee on Nominations : 

Term :  Jan 2024 - Jan 2026. 

Nominees : 

• Shaimin Melville
• Sahdev Passey
• Sarita Deshpande
• Ragoo Raghunathan
• Poonam Hingorany

Members of the ISW General Body will vote to confirm the slate during the next Annual General body meeting. 

The ISW EB  would also like to thank the outgoing members of this committee for their stellar contributions to the society.