Ekal Vidyalaya Show Dazzles The Woodlands

By Smita Centala

THE WOODLANDS: A caravan rolls into town, and with it comes the deep reverberation of the tabla, the piercing tone of the violin, the drift of sweet melodies through the air, and the sharp strike of feet spelling out hypnotic patterns on the stage. We are immediately transported; we tangle with strands of music, our bodies shift in time to the dancers, our souls push and pull in time to the beat of the drums. Welcome to Kaafila.

On Saturday, March 17 The Woodlands proudly hosted the Adithi Bhagwat Group for “Kaafila – A Bollywood Caravan,” a show beautifully coordinated in support of Ekal Vidyalaya – a charity with the main goal of bringing education to every child in India and promoting equality and inclusiveness throughout the country.

Musicians Shruti Bhave on violin, Kantha Das on percussion, and Suranjan Khandalkar on vocals plucked beautiful rhythms out of thin air and worked with the mesmerizing dancers Adithi Bhagwat and Kunal Om to showcase a performance filled with joyous passion. The Adithi Bhagwat Group spun us into a journey through time, the swish of colorful skirts and the straining notes of familiar melodies invoking both the nostalgia of classical Bollywood and the adrenaline of modern Bollywood.

We were spirited across the world, from Rajasthan to Spain, and were treated to delightfully playful rhythms and invigorating movements.
There is nothing quite like seeing a community uniting and working together for a good cause, and this past Saturday, The Woodlands truly came together – Ragini and Harish Gandhi and Snehal and Smita Mehta deserve special thanks as the driving force behind putting the show together. The Houston Ekal Vidyalaya team worked tirelessly to bring this to the Woodlands, setting up sound and stage to ensure the performance ran smoothly.

Youth volunteers and emcees, Ashray Gurugunti, Vaishnav Kuruvanka, Vijay Margan, and Maya Kuruvanka brought a new voice and perspective to the event and local talent, Maya Poduval, showcased her skills and generously put up her beautiful artwork for auction in support of Ekal Vidalaya. Many flocked to the event, and the hall was overflowing with generous people eager to contribute to this amazing cause.
A caravan rolls out of town, and we eagerly await its return.