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Brihan Maharashtra Mandal 2013 Convention – By Sneha Korgaonkar (CTMM EC member ) and Nitin Korgaonkar ( CTMM Mararthi Shala coordinator, former VP of CTMM )
The 16th biennial Brihan Maharashtra Mandal (BMM) convention was celebrated with great fanfare from July 5 – 7 at Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence. The spectacular three day event was hosted by New England Maharashtra Mandal (NEMM). There were over 3000 attendees from at least 10 nations in North America, Europe and Asia. The monumental success of the convention was a testament to the tremendous efforts put in by the organizing committee of over 200 volunteers under the leadership of BMM President, Mr. Ashish Chaughule and convener Mr. Bal Mahale.
The event was inaugurated by Providence Mayor, Mr. Angel Taveras. The Chief Guest of Honor, Mr. Mahesh Manjrekar, a renowned film director and artist, in a heartfelt speech applauded the Maharashtrian community abroad on preserving the Marathi culture. The keynote speaker was Dr. Bal Phondke, a scientist and science fiction writer. Both Mr. Ashish Chaughule and Mr. Bal Mahale spoke about the contributions of the Marathi community in North America and across the globe.
The opening ceremony was choreographed and presented by talented artists from NEMM. The program showcased the evolution of Marathi culture through the generations, right from the times of revered saints like Sant Namdev and Sant Dyaneshwar to the present day folk culture. One of the highlights of the convention was the musical play, “Sangeet Manapman” with riveting performances by Rahul Deshpande and Priyanka Barve. This brought back nostalgic memories of the traditional Natyasangeet. Another featured item that brought forth great applause from the audiences was “Family Drama” by Ajit Bhure and Sukanya Kulkarni. The eagerly anticipated finale of singing competition, “SaReGaMa” North America was judged by Padmaja Phenani-Joglekar and Rahul Deshpande. The show was anchored by Prashant Damle and Priya Bapat. Ravi Datar, a young artist from Toronto, Canada won the competition.
The “Ajay-Atul Show” was compeered by Mahesh Manjrekar and his wife Medha, and featured songs by popular artists from India, Hrishikesh Ranade and Savani Ravindra. The other well-liked items included interviews with personalities such as cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar, comedian and film star Prashant Damle, and actress–singer Ashwini Bhave. In addition to the professional artists, local talent from North America also captivated the audiences with spell-binding performances.
The BMM Awards and book release function was held at Dunkin Center. The recipients were awarded for their contributions in the fields of Arts and Culture, Business, Community Service, Marathi Shala, Science and Technology and Youth. One of the proud moments for Connecticut Maharashtra Mandal (CTMM) was when Sunita Dhumale received the community service award for her noteworthy service over the years.
Other activities included workshops such as educators’ summit, business conference, college conference for youth and continuing medical education for physicians and healthcare personnel. The BMM Expo hosted more than 50 vendors from US and India and featured products such as jewelry, clothing, books, food items and services such as community work, insurance and real estate.
The closing ceremony included “Yuvankur” a multi-dimensional program that was enjoyed by all ages. It was compeered by Abhijit Khandekar, a likable young artist from India. The show included performances by popular dancers such as Sonali Kulkarni, Priya Bapat and Bhargavi Chirmule. The comedians Vaibhav Mangle and Atisha Naik had everybody in splits.
The noteworthy contributions towards this convention by our very own CTMM members included those by Sunil Suryawanshi, the next BMM President, Ashish Soman, Rohini Moholkar, Satish Ghatpande, Sanket Oak, Radhika Kanaskar and Uday Khire. Congratulations on a fabulous event!
By Sunil Narkar ( Hollywood and Bollywood actor…) – I have missed very few BMM conventions in last 25 years. Rhode Island was one of the most memorable BMM convention! Very well planned with lots of volunteers helping make this convention a big success. Nice program distribution of Local talent and India talent. All programs started on time and there were not much of overlapping of parallel events. More food stations and less lines for food. Tea and coffee was always available throughout the convention.
To view Pictures from BMM-2013.. Please visit Home page