Confluence NGO Holds Bharat Mahotsav event, bestows awards

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A large number of Beverly Hills Indian Americans and mainstream personalities recently enjoyed the Bharat Mahotsav, Festival of India organized by the Delhi based Confluence NGO. Present at the festival were host Dame Dr. Munnirone, Confluence founder and chair person Smita Shrivastav, Confluence mentor and curator Dr. Amitabh Shrivastav, chairman of the Confluence governing council and CMD of Taurus Sarovar Portico Hotel Kanwarjeet Singh Kocchar, CEO of Live Technician USA and director of EZ International Traders and World Peace Health Origination Pramod Bhagat and other dignitaries and special invitees. And via zoom, the special guest of honor was Padmashri recipient and chairman of Parikh Worldwide Media and ITV Gold Dr. Sudhir Parikh.

Dr. Parikh received a special honor award, Bharat Gaurav Sanman by Confluence and also unveiled  the Bharat Mahotsav 2022 magazine. Accepting his award, Parikh said it was close to his heart as it promoted his passion about strengthening U.S.-India relations and of letting the world know that India had arrived on the world stage. Appreciating the efforts of Confluence NGO to bring India’s culture and heritage to the world, Parikh also spoke of India coming a long way under the leadership of prime minister Modi. He assured the Bharat Mahotsav team of the continued support of Parikh Worlwide Media, ITV Gold and print media in their future efforts. Parikh was also presented with a key of Hollywood on the occasion.

Bharat Mahotsav is a celebratory festival under the government of India’s ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ program in different countries where Indians reside. The festival is an initiative of Confluence NGO which undertakes various activities and cultural programs to promote India’s culture and heritage to the world. There have been many activities in Beverly Hills as part of the Bharat Mahotsav, such as a film screening of the webseries ‘Mission Kashi’, a global peace tree planting, and a wellness discourse by the director of Ayush Haryana Dr. Sangeeta Nehra.

As part of Bharat Mahotsav, Confluence also undertakes other activities such as Bharat Gaurav Sanman, Swadeshi Parade, Swadeshi Manch, Swadeshi Mart, Swadeshi Connect, and Swadeshi Wellness. Founded by chair person Smt Smita Shrivastav, Confluence aims to bridge the gap between the artisans and the buyer, thus preserving the rich art and culture. Its mentor and curator Dr. Amitabh Shrivastav is a visual artist, Bionic Art expert, mixed-media artist, art consultant, and the Art Kommune Visiting Professor School of Planning & Architecture-Delhi.

Bharat Mahotsav organizers Smita Shrivastav, Dr. Amitabh Shrivastav, Pramod Bhagat, Kanwarjeet Singh Kocchar, and advisor and special guest Dr. Sudhir Parikh were recently at the ITV Gold Studios for a chat with host Ashok Vyas.

Smita Shrivastav said they were hopeful of holding successful festivals in other countries in the world. Describing the festival as a ‘vichar dhara’, Dr. Shrivastav called it a source of strength for Indians. Kochhar expressed his pleasure at participating in the festival and Bhagat said the festival on such a grand scale had been one of its kind in Beverly Hills.

Dr. Shrivastav said the initiative of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav which promotes India’s cultural heritage in the world was very important in bringing back the past glory and the golden age of India. He spoke of India’s initiatives like ‘Make In India’ and ‘One District One Product’ which help artists and craftsmen revive dying crafts and showcase them in the world. Bhagat said it was heartening to see the involvement of many important organizations and the mainstream community in India’s vision of peace and progress for the whole world.

Speaking about Confluence, Smita Shrivastav said the organization was focused on women empowerment and had been teaching skills and promoting talent of women from Madhya Pradesh, in Chhattisgarh and Benaras. Benaras was described as the center of Indian culture by Dr. Shrivastav who pointed out the musical heritage of ‘Benaras Gharana’, of performing arts and of the Benarasi Sari. In this context he also mentioned the revival of the temple architecture’s revival with the creation of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor.

Bhagat informed about the wellness discourse with discussions about the government of India’s Ayushman Project, holistic yoga, and quantum healing. India’s healthcare system had been improving for the last 8 years, according to Dr. Parikh who said it was now on par with the world healthcare systems. Parikh also referred to the Ayushman scheme which makes affordable healthcare available to the underprivileged and less privileged people. Physicians in the U.S. were aware of the benefits of alternative medicine but there was a need for clinical double blind studies to prove its usefulness.