Events
Click here to view the SAMFSN CFC Flyer
SAMFSN team members have organized/participated in numerous programs, cultural and inter faith events. A listing of our events are given below
All the events, programs were organized, conducted with sponsor donations and dedicated volunteer effort. Our sincere thanks to all our volunteers, artists, performers who have given their time and effort to make our programs successful. SAMFSN has approved hundreds of SSL ( Student Service Learning) hours for the middle and high school students who have volunteered and assisted us in our events.
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SAMFSN - 2022 - Events and Announcements
Febraurary 19, 2022: DOD INFO SESSION FOR MILITARY ACADEMIES: SAMFSN and CMWRC jointly organized an INFO session on careers in all the Military Academies. The INFO session had speakers from ARMY, NAVY and AIR FORCE training acadamies. The online ZOOM session was attend by students who were interested to pursue careers in the military academies. Many questions and concerns from the students and parents were resolved in this INFO session. A recording of the full INFO/QA session is available to those who are interested
Link for the Program Info for CAREERS IN DOD MILITARY ACADEMIES
March 16, 2022: WEST POINT WORSHIP SERVICES: SAMFSN and CMRC ( New York ) jointly setup the onsite facility and process to conduct the first HINDU worship servcies at West Point for ARMY cadets. The Chaplain command at West Point gave us immense support to start these services. Worship servcies for incoming HINDU cadets has never been conducted in the history of West Point
May 10, 2022: New Board Members: SAMFSN has inducted two new board members. Naveen Vatsavayi and Lakshmi Mandilla to the SAMFSN board. Mr. Vatsavayi will take over as the TREASURER for SAMFSN for 2022. Ms. Mandilla will replace the board seat of Ms Chetana Neerchal
SAMFSN - 2021 - Events and Announcements
Most of the onsite events for 2021 have been cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions.
October 2021 - SAMFSN conducts onsite Worship Services at USNA for FALL 2021
SAMFSN/CMWRC was given permission by USNA chaplain command to conduct onsite worship services at USNA ( US Naval Academy ) for ALL Hindu cadets for FALL 2021. The SAMFSN team working with CMWRC ( Chinmaya Mission Washington Regional Center) is currently in process to conduct worship services for all Hindu cadets serving at USNA. SAMFSN team is supporting mission of the USNA chaplain command to support the spiritual development of all midshipmen serving at USNA.
May 2021 - SAMFSN conducts onsite Worship Services at USNA
SAMFSN started onsite worship services at USNA ( US Naval Academy ) at Annapolis in summer of 2021. The SAMFSN team working with CMWRC went onsite and conducted Hindu worship services for PLEBE summer cadets and supported the USNA chaplain command.
SAMFSN - 2020 - Events and Announcements
All onsite events for 2020 have been cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions
Jan 2020 - SAMFSN welcomes new members, Ruchir Baskhi, Jay Kalathil to the 2020-2021 SAMFSN board.
July 3 - July 24: SAMFSN was again called to conduct worship services to PLEBE summer cadets at the US Naval Academy, Annapolis. SAMFSN conducted ONLINE worship services for the whole summer
August 7: - SAMFSN/CMWRC conducted ONSITE worship services at USNA for the PLEBE summer cadets. This was the last summer service for the cadets
Sept 4 : SAMFSN has scheduled bi-weekly worship services for all DOD veterans, USNA cadets, active duty service members who have chosen the Hindu faith. ONLINE services will be conducted via GOOGLE Meet.
Dec 5: SAMFSN honored Veterans Day in 2020 by organizing online Zoom meetings between ARMY and AirForce veterans with children from CMWRC. The children interacted with the Veterans and asked numerous questions about military
SAMFSN - 2019 Events and Programs
Dec 15, 2019 - Planned - Annual event to participate in "Wreaths of America" memorial event at Baltimore National Cemetery. This is an annual for SAMFSN youth volunteers to get SSL credit hours.
Oct 26, 2019 - Planned: SAMFSN will celebrate annual DIWALI event at Cedar Lane Unitarian Church, Bethesda, MD
Nov/Dec, 2019 – Planned: SAMFSN volunteers will be participating in multiple CFC awareness events in the NCR region.
Nov 11, 2019 – Planned: SAMFSN will be honoring Veterans at multiple locations in the NCR region as part of the Veterans Day celebrations in November
Sept 5, 2019 - SAMFSN volunteers organized DIWALI "Festival of Lights" celebration at Fort Belvoir, VA
SAMFSN team members, Hitul Thaker, Dr Ram Bhat organized DIWALI celebrations at Fort Belvoir in 2019. This year was the first DIWALI celebration at Fort Belvoir. There were several invited active duty soldiers present for this event. This event was sponsored by the Pentagon chaplain command. Dr. Rao was the key note speaker and Anita Wadhwani was the master of ceremonies. There were several cultural performances to celebrate the spirit of DIWALI – Festival of Lights.
July 5 - Aug 29 - SAMFSN conducts Worship services for Plebe Summer cadets at USNA, Annapolis
SAMFSN was contacted by the USNA ( United States Naval Academy), Annapolis chaplain team for Hindu Chaplaincy services. Since there are no Hindu chaplains currently employed by the DOD, SAMFSN offered to help USNA. For the full Plebe summer 2019 SAMFSN in partnership with Chinmaya Mission Washington Regional Center (CMWRC) conducted Hindu Worship services for cadets at the USNA Annapolis, MD. This was the very first time in the history of USNA that Hindu worship services were conducted on premises. SAMFSN now plans to continue this effort every year at the naval academy. The cadets loved the worship services and have requested for a continuation of the fellowship services on a monthly basis. USNA chaplain team recognized the volunteer efforts. SAMFSN lead was Raj Rajendran and the CMWRC worship leaders were Chetana Neerchal, Jay Kalathil and Sitaram Kowtha. SAMFSN/CMWRC volunteers drove long distances to help out in these weekday services. SAMFSN is now actively looking at other DOD cadet training centers where we can provide similar support services.
July 5, 2019 - SAMFSN invited to conduct Hindu worship services at United States Naval Academy, Annapolis for Plebe Summer Cadets
May 22, 2019 - SAMFSN supports the annual AAPI cultural heritage event at the NAVY Yard.
SAMFSN supports AAPI heritage month every year at the NAVY Yard, DC. The annual event is hosted by major commands (NAVFAC, NAVSEA and CNIC) at the yard. This is a recurring annual event for SAMFSN. SAMFSN team provides event programming, event refreshments, financial and logistics support to conduct the event. The event is attended by senior leaders from the NAVY yard and a typical audience of about 200 people. This year SAMFSN volunteer students performed two cultural events and several volunteers helped out in tasks to conduct the event. Nrityamala school of dance supported SAMFSN in the cultural performances. This year also SAMFSN obtained the contract with NAVSEA to coordinate with other vendors for this event. SAMFSN is a registered with SAM.GOV to accept federal contracts.
Feb 5, 2019 - SAMFSN provides support for memorial service for Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent who was killed in bomb blast in Syria
SAMFSN was contacted by the NAVY folks around Feb 5 requesting Hindu Chaplain services. NAVY had a memorial prayer request for Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent who was killed in the bomb blast in Syria. It seems Ms. Kent had left specific instructions in her will that she wanted Hindu prayers to be recited in her memorial. Therefore the family was looking for a Hindu chaplain or priest who could help. SAMFSN was able to quickly take help from Ms. Pratima Dharm Retd US Army chaplain who was able to draft the opening and closing Hindu prayers for the memorial that was being held on Friday Feb 8th at the NAVAL Academy in Annapolis. We were very glad to provide quick and timely help and support as required
SAMFSN - 2018 Events and Programs
Dec 19, 2018 - SAMFSN participates as an invited CFC chartiy in the CFC event at US Patent Office, Washington D.C
Dec 15, 2018 - SAMFSN participates in the annual "Wreaths for America" memorial event at Baltimore National Cemetery. This is a recurring annual event for SAMFSN student volunteers. Each student who participates gets SSL ( Student Service Learning) credit.
December 8, 2018 - SAMFSN Member Major Swati Purohit recognized for her efforts with WTB ( Warrior Transition Battalion )
SAMFSN member Major Swati Rajpurohit who works at Warrior Transition Battalion (WTB) Fort Belvoir VA, received a coin for outstanding services provided to wounded warriors, by Vice President Michael Richard Pence. Vice President Pence attended the 08 December 2018 Christmas party organized in collaboration with the Cape Cod Cares for Our Troops (This is a non-profit 501(c)(3) all volunteer organization started in 2005 by 12 year old Dylan DeSilva), at Fort Belvoir Community Center.
Nov 20, 2018 - SAMFSN team members celebrate annual DIWALI event at the Pentagon. The event was attended by an inter faith audience and was conducted at the Pentagon.
Nov 18, 2018 - SAMFSN supports interfaith DIWALI - Festival of Lights at the Cedar Lane Unitarian Church, Bethesda, MD. SAMFSN conducts several cultural diversity events every year in collaboration with Cedar Lane Unitarian Church (CLUC), Bethesda. CLUC is an interfaith congregation (www.cedarlane.org). SAMFSN team members volunteered and helped conduct HOLI - Festival of Colors and DIWALI - Festival of Lights with CLUC. SAMFSN team member provide programming and logistics support to conduct the event. The interfaith audience is typically about 250 people.
Nov 1, 2018 - SAMFSN participates as an approved CFC charity in the CFC kick off event at NAVAL AUDIT SERVICE at NAVY Yard, Washington. SAMFSN was approved as a 2018 CFC charity. SAMFSN team members paricipate in the CFC kick off events at several defense agencies to promote the CFC cause and also to communicate the SAMFSN objectives and goals. We typically participate in about 3-4 CFC events each year.
Oct 23, 2018 - SAMFSN team supported the memorial service for veteran Sergeant MajorChaturbuj Gidwani which was conducted at Arlington Cemetery. Mr. Gidwani had served for 25 years. During his service and after his retirement Mr. Gidwani also volunteered as a Hindu Lay Leader and supported the Hindu Chaplaincy efforts in the U.S Army and played a key role in many interfaith and cultural diversity events and efforts in the NCR region and abroad. The link for this memorial page is below. SAMFSN team members provided significant moral and logistics support to the Gidwani family when Mr. Gidwani was battling several ailments in his last few years.
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/chaturbhuj-gidwani-obituary?pid=187238426
Oct 11, 2018 - SAMFSN participates as an approved CFC charity in the CFC kick off event at NAVFAC at NAVY Yard, Washington
Sept 29, 2018 - SAMFSN gets approval with TAP (Transition Assistance Program) at Bethesda Naval Hospital to offer USAJobs online training. SAMFSN is offering a online web based USAJobs training session to any veteran or active duty participant. Details for the SAMFSN USAJobs training is given in the attached link. SAMFSN USAJobs Training Flyer
May 2018 - SAMFSN supports AAPI heritage month annual event at the NAVY Yard, DC. Event is hosted by major commands ( NAVFAC, NAVSEA) at the yard. This is a recurring annual event for SAMFSN. SAMFSN team provides event programming , financial and logistics support to conduct the event. The event is attended by senior leaders from the NAVY yard and a typical audience of about 150 people. This year SAMFSN volunteer students Payal Dharm, Chandralekha Mekala and Esha Garud were the star peformers at the event.
December 16, 2017: SAMFSN participates in Wreaths of America event at Baltimore National Cemetery
SAMFSN members participated in the annual Wreaths of America event at the Baltimore National Cemetery to honor our fallen soldiers. We placed Wreaths on the tomb stones and when the Wreaths ran out we placed Roses we had purchased on the tomb stones. Student volunteers who participated received SSL credit for 4 hours. The SAMFSN team met and pledged continued support to Major Sherry McManus who coordinates this annual event at Baltimore National Cemetery.
December 5th, 6th, 2017: SAMFSN supports Operation Home front
SAMFSN volunteer ( Dr. R.K. Bhat) particpated in Operation Homefront (operationhomefront.org) event at Andrews AFB in MD. Volunteers helped prepare about 200 gift packages on Dec 5th 2017. Volunteers then distributed the gifts on 6th Dec 17 to about 200 Military families. The team received truckloadsof different gifts and toys from Vendors like Walmart etc to prepare the gift packages.
November 11, 2017 - SAMFSN supports "Share and Practice Light" interfaith cultural event at Goodloe Memorial Church, MD
SAMFSN team members helped to organize and conduct a "Share and Practice Light" interfaith cultural event at the Goodloe Memorial Unitarian Church , Maryland. Rev. Pratima Dharm and Raj Rajendran helped to organize and support the event. The event also recognized and honored all service members and veterans present in the audience on the occasion of Veterans Day. Messages on the signficance of light and common practices across faiths were conveyed by representatives from six religious traditions ( Hindu, Catholic, Jewish, Islam, Unitarian, and Native American).
November 11, 2017: SAMFSN observes Veterans Day
SAMFSN observes Veterans day at mulitple locations in the MD/VA/DC region. We invite veterans and active duty members to visit locations where children are given religious education classes. We explain the significance of Veterans days, conduct prayers honoring our veterans and then allow the students to ask any questions they want from the veterans and active duty soldiers present. The resulting exchanges between the students and the veterans is very fulfilling for both the students and the veterans. Dr. Bhat organized Veterans day at Chinmaya Somnath this year on November 11, 12th. The saturday session had about 100 students and 50 parents and each of the Sunday sessions had 200 students and about 100 parents. First the veterans were honored in the auditorium for about 10 minutes. Then the veterans went to each class and spent about 10 to 15 minutes with the students. Below is a picture of Dr. R.K. Bhat along with the Veterans.
L to R: Mrs. Lehman ( Veterinarian working at FDA, Lt Col Lehman US Air Force ( Veterinarian), Dr. Bhat,SAMFSN, Lt Col Zbir Bio- environmental engineer US Air Force.
May 25, 2017 - SAMFSN supports and organizes the AAPIHM event at the NAVY Yard
SAMFSN team members helped to organize and conduct the annual AAPI HM ( Asian American and Pacific Islander ) Heritage Month at the NAVY Yard. SAMFSN team members Raj Rajendran and Tapan Mazumdar were the leads for the event. The event was attended by personnel from all NAVAL commands at the NAVY Yard. NAVFAC, NAVSEA and CNIC commands participated. RDML James P Downey, NAVSEA and Ms. Jennifer LaTorre, Executive Director, NAVFAC gave the opening remarks. SAMFSN team members helped organize the program content, entertainment, execution and sponsorship for partial expenses for the event.
Brochure for NAVY Yard AAPIHM event on May 25, 2017
November , 2016 - SAMFSN celebrates Veterans Day in the DC/VA/MD region
November 3, 2016 - SAMFSN hosts AAPI "Festival of Lights" at Washington NAVY Yard
SAMFSN organized and conducted the first ever AAPI "Festival of Lights" cultural event for all personnel at the NAVY Yard. The event was a big success with participation from personnel from all major commands ( NAVFAC, NAVSEA and CNIC) from the NAVY Yard. CAPT Kathyrn Donovan, Chief of Staff of NAVFAC was the honorary guest of honor who spoke about the need for cultural diversity and to create awareness for AAPI heritages and cultures. The event comprised of a brief on how the "Festival of Lights" is celebrated in various AAPI cultures across the world, followed by cultural performances from AAPI groups. The event also promoted CFC Awareness. CFC representatives from several commands were present to answer questions and receive CFC pledges. Raj Rajendran from SAMFSN was the lead organizer for the event.
May 5, 2016 - AAPI Event at Washington Navy Yard (WNYD) - "Walk Together, Embrace Differences , Build Legacies"
SAMFSN particiapted in conducting the AAPI ( Asian American and Pacific Islander ) event at the Washington NAVY Yard in D.C. Raj Rajendran took the lead in coordinating with the AAPI volunteers at the WNYD. The event was attended by about 300 people from all units at the NAVY yard. The guiding theme for this event was "Walk Together, Embrace Differences , Build Legacies". The AAPI event was a opportunity to show case diveristy in ethnic cultures and practices. Lakshmi Swaminathan and her student Nisha Ramamurthy from Natanjali School of Dance represented SAMFSN. Nisha Ramamurthy performed a superb Bharat Natyam dance for the audience. SAMFSN also provided Indian snacks to add to the collection of asian food sampling at the event. The event was attended by senior leaders from all branches of the NAVY who work at the yard.
April 17, 2016: Honoring Veterans and First Responders - SAMFSN in partnership with Greater Baltimore Temple
SAMFSN teamed up with GBT ( Greater Baltimore Temple) to conduct an event to honor our veterans and first reponders on April 17, 2016. The event was held at Greater Baltimore Hindu-Jain Temple, Finksburg, MD. LT Col Varun Puri, LT Col Aarti Puri, SSGT Seanna N Hawley were some of the veterans who participated. First responders from the local Finksburg police and fire department also participated in the event. Dr. Ram Bhat from SAMFSN took the lead and planned logistics for the event with help from the adult Bala Vihar volunteers from GBT. There were numerous questions from the assembled children to the active duty and first responders about the day to day life and responsibilties. LT COL Varun Puri conducted an excellent short show and tell session with the children with the aid of demonstraton equipment and airplane models. A few pictures from the event are below. SAMFSN gave out certificates for the active duty, first responders and volunteers for the event.
December 12, 2015: Wreaths of America
SAMFSN team members participated in the Wreaths of America event at the Baltimore National Cemetery. This was the first time we participated at Baltimore rather than Arlington cemetery. Team members placed Wreaths and Roses on the tomb stones of our fallen soldiers. Next year we plan to get many more volunteer families and student involved. Since wreaths are always in shortage, many tomb stones do not get wreaths. This year SAMFSN donated Roses to place on tomb stones. Our goal for 2016 is to donate Roses for at least 1000 tomb stones in 2016
November 2015: Veterans Day Celebrations
SAMFSN Team members organized prayer service to honor our veterans in multiple DC area locations and continued this annual tradition and recurring event in 2015 also. Dr Ram Bhat was the lead organizer for this event. Mr Hitul Thaker, LT COL Varun Puri and several others also helped to conduct these events. In a few locations the local first responders (Fire Brigade and Police) were also invited to participate. This year the Veterans day prayers were conducted at Chinmaya Misssion, Chantilly, VA, Rajdhani Mandir, Chantilly, VA , Durga Temple, VA locations and Baltimore temple.
November 19, 2015: DIWALI celebration at the Pentagon
SAMFSN team members, Hitul Thaker, Dr Ram Bhat, LT COL Ravi Chaudhary (Retd) helped to celebrate DIWALI at the Pentagon for the 4th year in sucession. Hitul Thaker was the program lead. LT COL Ravi Chaudhary (Retd) gave an inspiring speech on the need for cultural diversity and tolerance within the U.S Armed Forces. Mr Ramani Venkatraman from HACSI was the invited chief guest. A recording of the full program is below. This event was telecast LIVE all across the DOD network. There were several invited active duty Hindu soldiers present for this event from far off base locations. This event was sponsored by the Pentagon chaplain command.
Watch Pentagan DIWALI video- https://www.dvidshub.net/
November 15, 2015: SAMFSN DIWALI celebration at Cedar Lane Unitarian Church, Bethesda, Maryland
SAMFSN team members worked with the Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church to organize and celebrate the FIRST DIWALI at this UU congregation. Rev Abhi Jananmanchi the senior minister of the church gave a brief overview of the mission goals of SAMFSN and requested an offering from the audience to support our efforts. The audience resonated with support for SAMFSN. Maryland delegate Kumar Barve was the invited chief guest.
November 12, 2015: FIRST DIWALI celebration at Fort Meade, Maryland
SAMFSN team members worked with the Chaplain command at Fort Meade to organize a historical FIRST DIWALI celebration at Fort Meade, Maryland. SAMFSN also received a citation from MD Congressman Chris Van Hollen for our efforts to advance cultural diversity within in the armed forces community. The event was jointly organized by SAMFSN and Chinmaya Mission West (CMW). Acharya Vilasini Ji was the invited chief guest for the event.
Please refer to the link below for the U.S Army news article on this event.
http://www.ftmeadesoundoff.
July 22, 2015: SAMFSN Online Forum - Resume Coaching
SAMFSN conducted its first civilian transition program to help veterans. The purpose of this online event was to reach out to a larger audience and enable them to attend the session from the convenience of their home. The details of the program that was conducted is given below. An international toll free call # was provided to enable participants to call in from various locations.
Agenda for OnlineForum – July 22 ( Wednesday ) @ 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm:
1) USA Jobs Website – Useful tips to apply for Federal Jobs – Anirudh Garud – 15 minutes
2) Resume Writing Tips by Resume Coach - Ellen Law – 30 + 5 minutes ( Q/A )
3) Any personal support requests from deployed service members and veterans - 5 minutes.
We were fortunate to get help from a very talented and skilled Resume Coach, Ms Ellen Law for this session. Ellen is an active volunteer at AAGEN. ( Asian American Government Executive Network). Ellen has conducted numerous resume coaching sessions at SES ( Senior Executive Service ) level for AAGEN. SAMFSN plans to host more such online events for veterans to transition to civilian careers. The topics will be based on the feedback received from our members.
April 12, 2015: Online Forum - April 12th, Sunday 3 pm - 4 pm
SAMFSN conducted its first online forum to reach out to our deployed soldiers serving in remote base locations. The agenda for the online forum is given below. The purpose was to establish contact with remote base locations. A international toll free call # was provided along with screen sharing webex capability. Dr DC Rao and Anirudh Garud volunteered to conduct the topics for this session.
1. Brief introductions of SAMFSN team, online participants
2. Basic Facts About Hinduism - Dr D.C Rao - 20 minutes
3. USAJobs Website – Introduction to website; Useful Tips for applying to federal jobs - 10 minutes - Anirudh Garud
4. Q/A - Any requests for care packages; Personal or community support requests;
Dec 13, 2014: "Wreaths Across America"
Washington D.C - SAMFSN team members participated in the Wreath Across America event at Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday, December 13, 2014. We joined volunteers around the country in laying wreaths on the graves of our fallen heroes, honoring and remembering the efforts of American soldiers past and present. Wreaths Across America is an annual event, and the SAMFSN looks forward to participating in the event again in the future. This event was approved by MCPS ( Montgomery County Public Schools) for SSL hours. Several students from MCPS joined the SAMFSN team to participate in this event.
November 2014: Veterans Day Celebrations
SAMFSN team members celebrated Veterans Day all through November in multiple locations in the NCR ( National Capital Region). Dr Ram Bhat took the lead and organized the events in about 10 locations in the DC area. Veterans were invited to worship places and prayers were offered to honor all veterans. In several locations the local police and fire chiefs were also invited and participated in the event. Volunteer veterans went to classrooms and answered questions that children had about the work done by soldiers, life in the U.S Army and career paths in the U.S Army. Some of the locations which celebrated Veterans day were Chinmaya Mission ( Silver Spring, Virginia and Frederick Chapters), Durga Temple, VA, BAPS Temple, Baltimore Temple. A few pictures from the celebrations are below. The key organizers for this event were Dr Ram Bhat who was the lead and was helped by Hitul Thakker, Chaplain Pratima Dharm and other dedicated volunteers.
4th October, 2014: SAMFSN Fundraiser To Support Military Families and Veterans
The SAMFSN team conducted its first fundraiser after obtaining its IRS approval for 501 3c status. The event was held at Veterans Place in Silver Spring, MD. Invited guests were MD Congresman Chris Van Hollen, Majority Leader Kumar Barve, MD Veterans Secy Edward Chow and LT Col Ravi Chaudhary. Chaplain CPT Pratima Dharm was the MC. The program consisted of inter faith cultural events and prayer services. The event was supported by dedicated volunteers and sponsors. Mr Devang Shah presented a citation to SAMFSN from the Maryland Governor in recognition for SAMFSN's efforts to help Veterans and Military Families.
2014 Diwali Celebrations at Pentagon and Walter Reed Naval Hospital:
We celebrated Diwali at the Pentagon on October 22nd at the Pentagon. Acharya Vilasini Ji from CMWRC was the keynote speaker along with other distinguished guests. Hitul Thaker was the lead organizer for this event at the Pentagon.
We celebrated Diwali at the Walter Reed Naval Hospital on October 17. LT Col Ravi Chaudhary was the keynote speaker at this event. Nitin Shinde and Piragash Swargaloganathan were the lead organizers for this event.
June 1, 2014: ”Hinduism – Know your facts and Educate Others”
With blessings of Swami Dheerananda and help from CMWRC leadership SAMFSN team members organized a session on “Hinduism – Know your facts and Educate Others”. Dr D.C Rao was very gracious to help us conduct this class. We sincerely thank Dr Rao for his dedicated efforts to these initiatives.
The session was very informative for parents and students who attended. There was a very interactive Q/A session for about 40 minutes in which many questions and concerns were discussed. Chaplain Dharm moderated the Q/A session. Session handouts are available in this website in the “Resources for Hinduism” page. Follow up actions were discussed and are being implemented. We are planning to conduct similar sessions for parents at additional Virginia and Maryland locations
May 29, 2014: AAPI celebration at DHS/TSA HQ in Alexandria, VA
SAMFSN team members Raj Rajendran and Chaplain Pratima Dharm teamed up to celebrate AAPI ( Asian American and Pacific Islanders ) cultural heritage month at the TSA HQ in Alexandria, VA. The keynote speaker for the event was Mr Stephen Yim from the White House AAPI initiative. Mr Yim gave a good speech on his early childhood experiences and the importance of the AAPI initiative. The SAMFSN team organized several dance performances show casing Indian culture and heritage. All the dance performances were given by Indian American kids from local dance schools in Virgina. We sincerely thank the dance teachers and the kids for their volunteer support for this AAPI event.
May 28, 2014: Hindu Mandir Executives Conference (HMEC), Virginia
SAMFSN Board member Sant Gupta organized the HMEC 2014 conference at Durga Temple , VA on May 28 & 29. The conference was attended by temple priests from across the country. The main purpose of conference was to discuss the current and evolving future role of temple priests. It was also an opportunity for priests, temple management, community members to network, share thoughts and ideas to help serve the community better.
March 28, 2014: Holi celebrations at WRNMMC, Bethesda , MD
The SAMFSN team organized the 2014 celebrated Holi at WRNMMC ( Walter Reed National Military Medical Center ) for military service members on March 28, 2014.
WRNMMC Hindu congregation leaders Piragash Swargaloganathan and Nitin Shinde took the lead and conducted the event. The chaplains office at WRNMMC sponsored and supported the event. Colonel Powers from the chaplains office was the chief guest and gave out certificates to all the performers.
Jan 24, 2014: International Night at William Farquar Middle School (WFMS), Silver Spring, MD
SAMFSN team members ( Chaplain Pratima Dharm) helped to plan and organize the International Night event at WFMS. This was the first time that such an event was celebrated in the history of WFMS. About 10 countries ( India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Eucador, Bolivia, Columbia, Egypt,Nigeria, El Salvador ) participated in the event. WFMS school authorities were thrilled with the success of the concept and the event and are now planning to make it into an annual event on a larger scale from next year. Each country show cased their primary religions, heritage, culture, popular food items at the event. There were traditional dances from several countries. It was a very educational event for parents, students and teachers. The event promoted understanding and healthy exchanges for students across different cultures.
Participants from the International night at WFMS
Dr Shuba Maruvada with students from her class who gave a performance of traditional kuchipudi indian dance at the event.
Indian traditional dance performance
Jan 19, 2014: Renewing The Dream, An Interfaith, Multicultural Celebration of Dr. King’s Birthday
SAMFSN team members organized/participated in the MLK celebrations at Cedar Lane Unitarian church, Bethesda, MD. The program was an inter faith event organized by the Cedar Lane church with participation from religious leaders from multiple faiths. The event celebrated the lives of Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. The program was well attended by a diverse, multicultural audience. The audience was more than 250. The full program details, pictures and details of the event are below
Program Flyer : MLK Interfaith Service – Jan 19
Rev Abhi Janamanchi seen in picture is the Senior Minister of Cedar Lane Unitarian Church and was the lead organizer of the MLK celebration event.
Audience at the MLK event at Cedar Lane Unitarian church
SAMFSN team membes who attended and participated in the event.
Chaplain Dharm gave a reflection on Mahatma Gandhi.
Interfaith Religious leaders who attended the event.
Dec 14, 2013: Wreaths Across America:
SAMFSN team members Mr Hitul Thaker and Dr Ram Bhat participated in the “Wreaths Across America” event at the Arlington cemetery, D.C. This event is organized by Columbia Falls-based nonprofit Wreaths Across America which ships about 500,000 wreaths to be placed on veterans graves all across America. The President of Worcester Wreath Company, based in Harrington, Maine, started this annual event in 1992 to honor our nation’s fallen heroes. We request and encourage our south-asian community ( adult and youth) members to participate in this annual event. Details and pictures of this event are below.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/12/14/wreaths-arlington-national-cemetery/4025217/
http://dc.about.com/od/christmasevents/a/WreathsAcrossAm.htm
Dr Ram Bhat participated in the “Wreaths Across America” program
Nov 15, 2013: Diwali at Bethesda Naval Hospital: The SAMFSN team worked with the Hindu congregation at the Walter Reed Naval Hospital at Bethesda to celebrate Diwali. The celebration was a big success. The team received several compliments for the organization and quality of the program. Please refer to the press article and pictures for details and coverage of the event.
Bethesda Diwali Celebrations 2013- Program Flyer
News articles on Diwali celebrations at Bethesda
Bethesda Diwali: Raj Rajendran, Hitul Thaker, Shilpa Thaker, Piragash Swargalogathan, Chaplain Pratima Dharm, Tulsi Pandey, Nitin Shinde, Sunil Sudigula.
Piragash Swargaloganathna conducting the Bethesda Diwali celebration
Nov 9, 10 , 17 2013: Veterans Day: SAMFSN honored veterans at multiple venues and locations in the National Capital Region. Veterans day was observed at Chinmaya Mission local chapters and local DC area temples. The veterans day efforts were led by Chaplain Dharm, Dr Ram Bhat, Mr Hitul Thaker and several active duty volunteers. Veterans and active duty soldiers were invited to the temples and honored for their service. About 17 D.C area temples participated in this event. Mr Sant Gupta helped coordinate the effort in the D.C area temples. Dr Ram Bhat coordinated the logistics across the various D.C area temples. Children at Chinmaya mission centers were educated on the purpose of Veterans day. We are very thankful to Chinmaya mission and the DC area temples for helping us organize these events. The invited active duty soldiers answered many questions that the children asked them about serving in the U.S Army. A few of the event pictures are below.
Bethesda core team volunteers at a temple ceremony for Veterans Day 2013
Veterans Day 2013 – Lt Col Swaminathan Iyer, Hitul Thaker , Shilpa Thaker at Rajdhani Mandir
Veterans Day 2013 – Bethesda Volunteers Sunil Sudigula, Piragash Swargaloganathan, Tulsi Pandey
Swami Dheerananda and Chaplain Pratima Dharm conducting veterans day prayers at CMWRC, Silver Spring, MD
Lt Col Amar Kosaraju, Piragash Swargaloganathan conducting veterans day prayers at CMWRC, Virginia chapter with Balavihar students
Guda (Former Military), Capt Rajpurohit, Piragash, Swami Dheeranandji, Mr. Golla the director of Chinmaya Somanath during the veterans day prayers at CMWRC, Virginia chapter
Oct 24, 2013: Diwali 2013 at Pentagon: The SAMFSN team celebrated Diwali at the Pentagon for the second consecutive year in the history of the Pentagon. Mr Hitul Thaker , Shilpa Thaker and Dr Ram Bhat led the effort to conduct the event successfully. Please review the news articles below for pictures and video of the celebration.
Press articles on the pentagon 2013 Diwali event
http://www.army.mil/article/114500/Diwali_celebration_shines_light_on_oneness_and_unity/
Video coverage of the pentagon 2013 Diwali event http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtBsv4nBwBs
Oct 23, 2013 – Diwali celebrations at Trinidad, Tobago:
US Army Captain Pratima Dharm was invited by Swami Prakashananda, Head of Chinmaya Mission Trinidad & Tobago to participate in the 2013 Diwali celebrations
News articles and pictures of the celebrations are provided below.
US Army Captain Pratima Dharm seen here with .Swami Prakashananda of Chinmaya Mission, Trinidad & Tobago.
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,185611.html
Oct 20 – Local Community Efforts on World Peace: SAMFSN team members participated in an inter faith event on World Peace. Many faiths expressed their struggle to achieve world peace and outlined efforts they were taking at the local community level to reach out and create inter faith understanding and dialogue. The program was at Bait-ur-Rehman Mosque, Silver Spring, MD. Mr Sant Gupta and Mr Raj Rajendran participated in the event. Mr Gupta was an invited panel speaker who spoke on behalf of Hinduism. The program was organized by the Ahmadiya muslim community and the moderator was Mr Daniel Koroma, Community outreach manager from Montgomery county. Panel speakers were from from the Unitarian Church, Latter Day Saints, Mormon community, Ahmadiya muslim community, Hinduism, Buddhism and Interfaith groups.
Sept 29, 2013 - Navy Yard Memorial Service: SAMFSN team helped to organize and conduct an interfaith service at the SSVT auditorium in honor of the fallen heroes from the NAVY yard shooting. Interfaith clergy leaders from several faiths ( Hinduism, Islam, Latter Day Saints, Bahai, Buddhist, Zoroastrianism, ISKON, Sikhism ) participated in the service. Family friends of Late Mr Vishnu Pandit ( one of the shooting victims ) also attended the service. Chaplain Pratima Dharm, Lt Col Ravi Chaudhary were invited speakers for the service. Team members Chaplain Pratima Dharm , Mythili Bachu, Sant Gupta, Dr Rahul Jindal , Raj Rajendran, Prof B.N. Hebbar helped to organize and conduct the service. The team worked closely with several organizations to plan and conduct this event within a very short lead time. Program details for Inter-faith event: Flyer Inter-faith Service 29Sept2013