Diwali Mathur Function 2005

December 12, 2005 on 4:19 am | In mathur association | No Comments

The Diwali Mathur Function at NJ

It’s usually a much looked forward to affair, each time around this year – and many long losts, or new ‘let’s meet’ers’ appear in their gala regalia to hang out, hobnob and hog!!

12th of November it was, this year at the church in Lincoln Park, NJ, a cozy hall decorated colourfully by our team before anyone else can get there. Table decorations for this year too were the clever crafts of Ritu Mathur, beautiful festive diyas perched on decorated thaalis, to brighten it up even more!

Since the time we began our events, in NJ, we have started with a little pooja, and some obliging soul turns up with thaalis of mitthai for Prasad, this time the duo being Geeta/Arvind – who also led the aarti. Then, immediately after, just like true Mathurs, we splash the bar open. Along with sumptuous snacks for every palate. This kind of treat gives everyone time to meet and greet, and get to know the ones they don’t or hail fellows that they meet after long!

The MC this time was our radiant and charming Parul Raizada, (Rahul’s wife) who steered the events with her sparkling speech – first things first, so Bob Mathur opened with a welcome and had newcomers/first timers introduce themselves. This is a nice theme, because it acquaints one another right away and first timers feel they have fallen in step with everyone else!

The entertainment programme that followed, had many variations——
This year’s highlights were a small, and cute ballet style production of Ramlila, set to the song from Pardes, with Neil, Nikhil, (Deep and Anjana Narain’s children), and Arpita and Arnesh (Arnov and Devika’s children), enacting it to everyone’s delight, under the able direction of Anjana.

The other was the team of Yo Brothers – Krishna (Tilak and Yamini Lal’s son), along with his rapping buddies, Tyler, Reece, and Teah (Kanchi and Mark Bordick’s children), jigging to their Diwali rap – with conductors Yamini and Vikrant directing from the wings.

A felicitation was read out by Shri Tej Narain, for Bob, who was the recipient of the ‘Vishwa Kayastha Ratna’ award, early this year, awarded by the Kayastha Mahasabha in Lucknow – and Arvind and his party had arranged for a surprise cake for the occasion – Bob was ‘speechless for once’, he said.

Devika and Vincent Milner, had sent out an appeal for donations to the Pakistani Earthquake Relief Drive, and we are happy and proud to say that many many benevolent folks brought in a lot of wonderful warm and useful clothes for the drive, which have now been successfully dispatched directly to Pakistan by air.

Ashish Mathur, of the website designing team comprising Yamini Lal, Praful Mathur (17, son of Ritu and Praveen), Rahul Srivastava, Rahul Raizada, and Nitin Srivastava – gave a quick presentation of the highlights of the website – initiated by Bob Mathur, backed up by a group of willing and wanting individuals including an able team of editors, like Ms Uma Lal, and Manjulika Mathur is now growing and hoping to span the seven seas, to let everyone be aware of local talents, enthusiasts, our regional Holi/Diwali do’s, other get togethers and keep everyone connected! We are inviting articles and photos with your interests, that enable everyone outside of India feel that the community is connected worldwide, so please continue to send them via email or floppies to prettyartiste@hotmail.com or mathurdevteam@yahoo.com. We look forward to hearing from everyone!

Next was Bob and Preeti’s ‘radio play’ style skit – a dialogue between a not-exactly-timorous but just a placating husband and a frazzled-Frau-style wife, with a message to society at large. This time the theme was interracial marriages and how we should open ourselves to the idea, especially since we live in the West and learn to embrace society at large. It was well received.

And then we had Anjana’s casually devised ‘walkabout the hall fashion show’ featuring anyone from 8 yrs (or months!) to 88 – so we had the skidding kiddies, to oldie Daddies – names from tiny tykes upwards,—Rishi, Siddharth, Neil, Nikhil, Tyler, TJ, Teah, Krishna, Melanie, Aarti, Sonal, Praful-Rishi, Devika and Vince, Kajal and Nitin the newly weds, Deep, and Mr Prakash Narain. Performances that need special mention came from funky man Nitin, carelessly cute Kajal, and the dashing Deep! You will be able to spot some familiar faces in the photo gallery of our website.

Dinner brought the function to a nice long close, as everyone got a chance to have a little sit down and exchange ideas, news and thoughts. And hopefully we shall see more of you and your extended families next time around too!

Check out the pictures!

Preeti Mathur