Chicago IL:

The Sankranthi and Republic Day celebrations of the Tri State Telugu Association (TTA), Chicago, January 24, was a feast to the eyes and kept the audience glued to the seats from start to the end.

The spirit of Sankranthi and patriotism was brought forth in vibrant colors with a 7 hour cultural program by more than 320 performers, which showcased thematic presentations, fashion show, music and dance.

The Sama Rathi Auditorium at the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago, Lemont, was packed. Marking the tradition of Sankranthi and Bhogi the TTA board organized â€˜Bhogi Pallu,â€™ a special ritual, where 45 little children dressed in colorful clothes were given Aarthi and Bhogi pallu (a special mixture of berries, flower and rice) are showered on the heads of children to protect them from evil forces.

The cultural show started at 3 pm with prayers by emcees Mrs Pranathi Kaligotla and Varun Vasireddy. Ganapathy and Vishnu shlokas were rendered by kids from Chicago Bala Dutta group. The high quality of Sanskrit sholas of Rudhra Laghunyasum by students of Dr. Hemalatha Burra was highly commended. This was followed by excellent classical dances by students of Acharya Performing Arts Academy. Students of Mr. Praveen Jaligama sang their rendition of â€œSruthi Neevuâ€ and the Musunuri Sisterâ€™s serenaded the crowds with some classic Telugu movie songs. One of the themes of the eveningâ€™s celebrations was the life and works of one of the most celebrated individuals in the Telugu Literary, Arts and Entertainment fields and known famously by the name of â€œBapuâ€.

The students of Mana Andari Badi did a great job depicting this theme with their homage to his lifeâ€™s works. Presentations of Annamacharya compositions in the classical dance forms of Kuchipudi, and Bharatanatyam, were performed by the students of Mrs. Aruna Chandra, Mrs. Hema Rajagopalan of Natya Dance, Mrs. Vijayalakshmi Shetty, Mrs, Lakhsmi Warrier and Mrs. Sobha Tammana.

The uniquely choreographed classical fusion dances by Mrs. Sheetal Dhanani of Tarana Khatak mesmerized the audiences.

The festive spirit of harvest season and patriotism was well captured by several folk dances and modern interpretations by Moksha School of Dance. Aananda Dance Theater presented - \"East Meets East - The Meeting of Buddha and Mohini\". This experimental piece attempted the marriage of two different frontiers in dance and music. While the lilting Carnatic raaga intertwined with the soulful notes of Oriental music, the dance movements attempted to embrace this fusion with Mohiniyattam inspired body language. The original concept and choreography was by Janaki Anandavalli Nair, founder of Aananda Dance Theater and a dedicated dance artist.

Aananda Dance Theater offers students a positive space to explore Indian art and culture through the aesthetics of dance movements. \"East Meets East\" was performed by Janaki Anandavalli Nair, Elizabeth Nellamattathil, Sri Angara, Swathi Karri, Divya Pariti and Shania Nediayakalayil.

The up tempo and high energy performances of students of Mrs. Bhagya Nagesh - Bollywood Rhythms along with Srilakshmi Duvvapu, Rina Thakur, Anita Rotiwar, Tarun Yandamuri, and Sushmitha Kilaru were received with great excitement. The performance of Vande Maataram string quartet coordinated by Mrs. Aparna Ayyalaraju and Mr. Vijay Balantrapu were applauded.

After a scrumptious dinner the second half of the cultural event was packed with vibrant performances and thematic productions.

Along with the dances and shloka recitals some of the highlights of the evening program were the national anthems of both United States and India were sung by Dr. Narayan Tata and Mrs. Ananda Erramilli. It was followed by patriotic songs by students of Mrs. Rajeswari Pariti of Rajaveena School of Music.

The interactive game of Anthyakshari coordinated and executed by Mrs. Pranathi Kaligotla, Mr. Praveen Jaligama and Mrs. Chandini Duvvuri with impromptu teams of audience members was a huge hit. The show was closed with a stylish fashion show Trend & Tradition coordinated by Ms. Padmaja Sonti and Krishna Boutique of Hyderabad, India.

The emcees did a marvelous job compeering the entire show and kept the interest of the audience sustained throughout. Stage dÃ©cor and traditional Bommala Koluvu by Mr. Bhaskar Reddy Karri & Dr. Roopa Karri, Mr. Gowri Addanki, Mrs. Radhika Garimella and Mrs. Usha Pariti added to the charm and set the mood for the evening.

Video coverage was provided by Mr. Mallikarjuna Rao Bodepudi, photography by Mr. Gopi Vadlamudi and Media coverage from Suresh Bodiwala Asian Media USA.

Event was sponsored in part by Krishnaâ€™s Boutique (Hyderabad) Events Unlimited (Palatine, IL), PMPEasy.com and Innovative Consulting Solutions, LLC.

The relentless efforts of the TTA Board and the Cultural committee, Food, Registration and Volunteers committees, were appreciated in the vote of thanks delivered by the event cultural coordinator, Mrs. Padmaja Sonti. Board of Directors are Bhaskara Reddy Karri, Chandini Duvvuri, Harish Kolasani, Jagadish Kanuru, Srilakshmi Duvvapu, Neelu Mylavarapu, Padma Sonti, Pranathi Kaligotla, Prasad Jasti, Raghu Moturi, Rajani Akurati, Ramakrishna Korrapolu, Ravi Tammana, Sai Yandamuri, Srinath Vasireddy, Swapna Pula, Usha Pariti, Vaidehi Sriram, and Veeraswamy Achanta

visit: www.telugu.org

Tri-State Telugu Association celebrates Sankranthi and Republic Day