Shree Siddhivinayak Temple hosts fundraiser for expanding temple premises, serving more devotees

- ADVERTISEMENT -

The Shree Siddhivinayak Temple of Toms River, NJ, held its fifth fundraiser July 13, 2024, to help fund the construction of a new hall and for managing the temple’s daily activities.

The highlight of the event was the concert entitled “Shaam-e-Dhun featuring Dhun Musical Group USA which entertained the audience with popular songs. The group founded by Rajeev Singh, exhibited high professionalism and talent. The event’s success was amplified by the enthusiastic engagement of the audience. The “lead-host” of the event Anubha Raj along with co-host Kalpana incorporated interactive elements and created a memorable experience for everyone, a press release from Dhun said.

The event was covered by ITV Gold of Parikh Worldwide Media.

India’s Consul General in New York Binaya Srikanta Pradhan was the Chief Guest at the event. Ankur Vaidya, chairman of the Federation of Indian Associations-nynjctne, was the Guest of Honor. The Special Guests included Padma Shri recipient Dr. Sudhir Parikh, chairman of Parikh Worldwide Media and ITV Gold, as well as Dr. Avinash Gupta, president of FIA and chairman of the trustees of Siddhivinayak temple, as well as Rajeev Singh.

The event was inaugurated by the chief trustees of the temple Dr Geeta Gupta and Dr Avinash Gupta.

Before the concert began, Consul General Pradhan and Dr. Parikh paid their respects to the temple’s deity as the priest chanted slokas in Sanskrit.

Consul General Pradhan, who was honored at the event, addressing the attendees, said a dual purpose was served by his visiting the temple. “I came here to meet all of you and also to get the blessings of Lord Siddhi Vinayak,” he said, and invited people to feel free to visit the consulate with their problems.

Pradhan also noted that the FIA works as a permanent consulate for the people. “If you have any problems you can reach out to us or you can reach out to our friends at FIA here,” he said. He also assured those gathered that the consulate remains committed to providing services to their satisfaction.

In his address, Dr. Parikh highlighted the Temple’s social and networking opportunities for younger generation and encouraged continued participation.

“I am very lucky and privileged to come to this Siddhi Vinayak Temple with a lot of positive power which I have noticed since the last few times that I have come here,” Parikh said, adding he had always believed that the Indian community in the US should have more temples. He emphasized the importance of temples, adding it is only through the temples that the younger generation can be empowered, and learn about our heritage and our religion. “This is not a temple only for religious purposes. This is a place where our younger generation and our senior citizens can get together, socialize and network,” he said.

FIA Chairman Vaidya said he was blessed to be a small part of the good cause and the very auspicious vibes of the musical celebration. “Thanks to the Siddhivinayak temple – all of the temple’s founding members, supporters, Dhun Musical team, Rajeev ji and all of the volunteers whose efforts stand as a testament to the selfless community dedication and effort shown by all in attendance.”

Dhun Musical Group’s Singh thanked Dr. Parikh for his support and his attendance at all the temple’s meetings and events. He also praised the Indian community, which he noted has great potential and talent which would create magic if combined with a good cause like raising funds for the temple.  The talented singers of the Dhun team- Amrisha, Bhavisha, Vasanti,  Srividhya, Sandeep, Sudhaker, Vidyut, Sonit and Rajeev Singh paired up with live orchestra band led by Shekhar Das . “The audience totally engaged with the energy of the singers, and everyone had an amazing evening with a successful fundraising for the temple,” Singh said, and also thanked Dr. Gupta, and volunteers, Siddhi singers and committee for their exceptional hard work and support towards the success of this event.

Dr. Avinash Gupta, the main organizer of the event, in his speech welcoming the guests, outlined the importance of the temple in that area, saying the community had to travel far to get to a temple. The temple was fulfilling a void which was experienced by the community, he said.

The audience was also reminded about the upcoming India Day Parade on August 18, 2024 featuring a group which would march to commemorate the landmark event of the Ayodhya Ram temple consecration in India earlier this year. People were urged to attend the parade and show their support.

The evening’s celebration continued with the concert, and ended with singing of Siddhi Vinayak Aarati ‘Jay Dev Jay Dev Jay Mangal Murti’.