Savra (twin) Mandap Mahotsav organised by Mr Kanabhia Godhania from Leicester, UK.
The event was held in village of Khambhodar, Porbandar, Gujarat, India from 29-03-2009 til 07-04-2009.
More parts coming soon…
Ramapir Mandap
Maher Raas Mandal performs on Zee TV show "Dance India Dance"
Maher Raas Mandal performs on Zee TV show “Dance India Dance”
;
Maher Centre is closed for Refurbishment
Centre is closed for Refurbishment – Re-opens in July/August 2011
 Maher Centre Leicester |
The Maher Centre is under going it’s first major refurbishment since it was opened. The centre, first of it’s kind in UK for Maher Community was opened in the Aug 1996, with a grand ceremony that attracted thousands of people from all parts of the world.
This major development will take up to 8 months and when completed it will have state of the art facilities for weddings, parties, exhibitions and all major events, including separate Sports Hall.
This is a grand project and will take considerable amount of time, money and effort to complete. This project is managed by Mr Nagajanbhai Bapodra (Leicester), and architects are Multi Creation London.
Architects Plans of Maher Community Centre – View detailed PDF
{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=128|limitstart=0|limitcount=7|detail=3|displayname=0|displaydetail=0|imageshadow=shadow1}
Architects Plans of Maher Sports Hall – View detailed PDF
{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=128|limitstart=7|limitcount=10|detail=3|displayname=0|displaydetail=0|imageshadow=shadow1}
Latest Pictures of Construction Work
{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=129|limitstart=0|limitcount=10|detail=3|displayname=0|displaydetail=0|imageshadow=shadow1}
For further information about this development please contact:
Mr Nagajanbhai Bapodra
email: Nagajanbhai
Tel: 07866493221
Aakash Odedra a rising star of British South Asian dance
Aakash Odedra is a rising star of British South Asian dance. He began his beloved vocation of at the age of 8 with Smt. Nilima Devi at the Centre of Indian Classical Dance (CICD) in Leicester. Training initially in Kathak, he later studied other dance styles including Bharat Natyam, Indo-Jazz and Contemporary.
He has trained with acclaimed dancers such as Chitraleka Bolar in the UK and Asha Joglekar and Chhaya Kanvateh in India. Over the years Aakash has performed with many companies and artists including Pagrav Dance Company, Nilimadevi Dance Company and Raju Mali. He performed in Recipies for Curry, a co-production between sampad South Asian Arts (Birmingham) and indance (Toronto); Asian Spring an annual event of South Asian youth dance produced by sampad; and Daredevas 2008, Akademi’s showcase for young British and international talent at the the Southbank Centre.
Desi Masti and Curve (Leicester) asked Aakash to choreograph a piece for the opening of Curve’s new theatre in November 2008. He titled this piece Flight. So impressed were Curve, Aakash’s piece was the only one invited to perform for HRH The Queen on her visit to the Theatre in December 2008. In 2008, Aakash was awarded a development grant by Arts Council England where Aakash attended workshops at Alvin Ailey, New York, Impulz Tanz, Vienna and trained at Kadamb with Kumudini Lakhia, Ahmedabad. He was also awarded a 2-year choreographic bursary by Akademi to develop his choreographic skills and will begin in December 2009.
In November 2009, Aakash was invited by Akram Khan to perform at the Svapngata Festival at Sadler’s Wells. This 30 minute solo titled Mati Re was choreographed by Smt. Kumudini Lakhia.
AAKASH ODEDRA
Dance Artist
+44 (0)116 319 0733
aakash@aakashodedra.com
aakash@aakashodedra.com
Article credit: http://www.bde2010.co.uk/contributor/aakash-odedra
Navratri 2010 Video Clips
Navratri Festival 2010 @ Maher Community Centre, Leicester, UK
Navratri Festival Day 3 – Sunday 10-10-10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37kcOyBQPtU
Navratri Festival Day 3 – Sunday 10-10-10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G06Ah6MlVvA
Navratri Festival Day 3 – Sunday 10-10-10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n8shzNa1Ck
more video clips coming soon…
View Photo Gallery
{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=119|limitstart=1|limitcount=10|detail=3|displayname=0|displaydetail=0|imageshadow=shadow1}
Santoshi Mata
 Santoshi Mataji |
Santoshi Mata Pooja is usually performed for a period of 16 Weeks on Friday.
You will be required to have a Santoshi Matt Photo, the Pooja book which contains the story and for prasad you will need roasted chana, jaggery and green banana.
“You are not supposed to eat or touch anything which is sour like Curd, Lemon Etc”
On a Friday morning have head bath and place the photo in a clean Pooja area and put a small Kalash. Place Santhoshimatha’s photo and decorate it with flowers. Keep channa (soaked in water for 6 hours in water) or puffed bengal gram along with jaggery piece and bananas as prasadam. Light diya before the Goddess. Chant the mantras and read the story and give aarti to the Goddess and have prasadam. You can do fasting the entire day or can have food only once in a day (may be supper or dinner). You are not supposed to eat anything sour on the day of the Pooja…
You need to do this for 16 weeks on Friday, and after you finish the 16 weeks you will be required to do Udyapan, i.e. you will be required to offer food to kids and remember not to feed them anything sour and not to give them any cash, as they might use the cash to buy something sour.
First gather the things required and then start the Pooja.
Requirements for the Pooja:
- 1 kalash
- Betel leaves
- Flowers
- Dry whole channa and jaggery for prasad
- Camphor for aarti
- Agarbatti
- Diyas
- Turmeric
- Kumkum
- Photo of Santoshima
- Coconut for kalash (have to continue with the same coconut till you complete the Pooja)
- A wooden stool for placing the moorti
- Rice mixed with turmeric
Shree Ganesh, father of Santoshi Mataji
|
Prayer to Santoshi mata’s father Ganesh, mother Riddhi Siddhi. Prayer to wealth, gold, silver, pearl, and other gems. Prayer to Ganapati to fulfill all our wishes. To have success in business, to remove poverty, destruction of evil. Let there be peace and happiness and light. Let there be a house full of children, profit in business and huge earnings, fulfillment of one’s desires destruction of evil, removal of sorrow and worry. The name of Santoshi mata gets all the work done smoothly.
Jai Santoshi Mata.
During this katha one should hold jaggery [gur] and roasted gram [channa] in their hand. The listeners should keep saying “Santoshi Mata ki Jai” “Santoshi Mata ki Jai” “Santoshi Mata ki Jai” all the time. At the end of the story the jaggery and gram, which is held in their hand, should be collected and given to the mother cow to eat.
The jaggery and gram kept in the vessel should be distributed as prasad to one and all.
Before starting the narration of the story, fill water in the vessel [kalash], and on top of the kalash keep a small bowl filled with gram and jaggery. After the katha finishes that is after the aarti, the water in the vessel should be sprinkled in every corner of the house and the remaining water should be poured into the Tulsi [basil] plant. One should buy jaggery and gram worth Rs. 1.25np and do the fasting. There is no problem if one does it with only 25 paise. If there is jaggery in the house, take that, do not worry because the mother sees to the sentiments, more or less does not concern her. Therefore as per your capacity with devotion you can make the prasad and offer with love and do the fasting.
On the Udayapan [last day] you distribute 2-½ kg. Khaja [cashews], poori, kheer, gram curry, sweets. Light the lamp of ghee and keep saying “Santoshi Mata ki Jai” and break the coconut. On this day there should not be any sour item in the house. Do not eat any sour item yourself nor offer anyone. On this day, feed eight boys food. If the children are there in the immediate close family – elder or younger brother-in-law’s children, then do not call from outside. If there are fewer children from close family, you can call children from the Brahmins, relatives or neighbor’s children. Do not give them any sour item and as per one’s capacity give them gifts. Do not give money but give them any item. The person doing the fast after listening to the story should have the prasad and only one time meal. This way the Mother is very happy, and sorrow, poverty will be removed and wishes will be fulfilled.