Hindu Temple of The Woodlands Annual Fundraiser Features Musical Night

By Suveena Guglani

The Woodlands: The Hindu Temple of The Woodlands’ annual fundraiser, Kashish – A musical night, was a sold-out, standing room only event. Over 300 people enjoyd the music and participated in the festivities at Beth Shalom of the Woodlands on Sunday, Nov 11,, 2017.

The evening began with a welcome speech by Chairman Jagan Allam. The goal of the event was to make the temple debt free and by the end of the night, President Mukesh Mittal announced that the goal had not only been met but also exceeded.

CG Anupam Ray graced the event and remarked on the continuing partnership between The Woodlands community and its Houston counterpart. Dr. Ray went on to mention that success of the recent International Yoga Day, jointly conducted by the HTW Yoga team led by Dr. Neeta Shukla, and the Consul General of India and the positive synergy between the two entities.

HTW executive secretary, Sudharsan Arunachalam, along with Religious Chair Srinivas Vedala and Youth Activity Coordinator Ajitha Anand, then gave a brief synopsis on the state of the HTW and its activities. Ram and Vani Desabhotla emceed the event. Ram is an outstanding senior at The John Cooper High school and recently gave a TED talk on the “Historical Distortion of Ancient India.”

Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Contestant Salil Bhadekar, now a Houston resident, opened the show to a rousing rendition of Shri Ganesha Deva.

The highlight of the evening was a live auction conducted by Dr. Subodh Bhuchar, who divided up the auction into Woodlands vs. Sugarland, and in so doing raised the competitive spirit of the live auction. The live auction netted HTW at least 10% of the fundraiser’s collections.

The guest of honor, Latha Ramchand, Dean at the C.T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston gave an inspirational speech on the spirit that it takes to succeed and build a Hindu community with Hindu values in a foreign land.

The guests enjoyed a sumptuous dinner catered by Mogul Restaurant and enjoyed the evening’s entertainment with Salil Bhadekar and his troupe. He kept the audience entertained with his melodious voice and old and new melodies.

The Hindu Temple of the Woodlands (HTW) was envisioned in 2005 by Hindu residents of The Woodlands. Today, HTW is a fully functioning Hindu temple, fulfilling religious needs, promoting service in the community, involving youth and bringing together myriad of cultures. Following the motto, ‘We live here, we give here,’ HTW enthusiastically participates in serving the Montgomery County Food Bank and Montgomery County Women’s Center.

With the rapid growth in the Indian community in the area, there is an urgent need for the temple to expand its infrastructure and activities. Future projects include construction of a community hall, classrooms to facilitate education, parking lot extension, Indianization of the temple, and building a Rajagopuram.  

For more information about the Hindu Temple and its activities please visit www.woodlandshindutemple.org