April 3 :
Observing "International Women's Month" in Bensenville, Illinois, on Sunday, March 31, 2024, the Hindu Women's Network of Chicago-Manav Seva Mandir chapter hosted activities. According to a news release from HWN, over 130 members attended the event, which focused on the Shakti, Seva, and Sadhana missions. According to the organisers, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad is the inspiration for HWN.
During the deep Prajwalan, or lamp lighting ritual, esteemed guest speaker Kruti Pandya was joined by Sushma Patel, who welcomed everyone and performed shlokas. Seema Verma outlined the numerous achievements of the HWN squad in the past. Dr. Mohini Verma, a youth volunteer for the second generation, and Meera Limbachia, a student at Bartlett High School, served as the event's emcees.
During her speech during Women's Month, Kruti Pandya remarked that her mother, Rajshree Pandya, and her daughter, Kaira, are living embodiments of the multi-generational Shakti.
The topic of unselfish service and volunteerism was discussed by Bhamini Makwana. Seva is a central principle in Hindu philosophy, which has its origins in the holy texts and is summed up in the idea of Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam, the belief that all people are members of the same family. The globe is our family, and we should love and serve one another as our own," Makwana remarked. Further, she elaborated by saying that "the concept of Seva is deeply embedded in the principle of 'Nishkama Karma' - performing one's duties without attachment to the results" in Hindu Dharma.
"That Hindutva(ism) reveres women like no other religion, ideology, philosophy, or civilization that I am aware of," stated Purnima Nath of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who founded and is president of Spindle India, Inc. and who also created the well-attended India Fest Wisconsin. Having awe and admiration for women is not enough. Women are sacred because they embody the feminine principle. Devotees of these goddesses respect them as equals, and sometimes even more so, than humans. The mother goddess takes several forms, including Maa Durga, Maa Tara, Maa Kali, Maa Laksmi, and many more. Sacred feminine power, or "SHAKTI" — the fundamental force behind all three phases of life: creation, maintenance, and decay. When it comes to progress and continuity, women are the original energy. According to Republican Nath, "nothing manifests" in the absence of women.
The event's second half highlighted the varied skills possessed by women. Kala Rasa dance school's artistic director Rasika Bendekar of Buffalo Grove, Illinois, gave the first performance. She was a Bharatnatyam dancer who performed the goddess's shakti, or power, on Mahishasur Mardini. The Lake Zurich Kathak Visharad, Sonali Shani, gave a sensational performance in a variety of Kasturi Tilkam and Sargam configurations.
