Maha Shivratri
2019-03-10 08:00 - 17:00 UTC
Press Release

Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America Holds Grand Maha Shivratri Puja with Nearly 150 Attendees
Kendall Park, NJ, Sunday, March 10, 2018—The New Jersey chapter of theVishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA) held a “Maha Shivratri Puja” on March 10 that was greeted with an overwhelming response by the community. It was held at the Bharat Sevashram Sangha Temple in Kendall Park, NJ, from 3 – 7 PM, and nearly 150 people took part. It was open to all community members and completely free for everyone.
What sets this event apart in the community’s eyes is the child-centric focus of the puja. Almost every family brought their kids to the event, and the youthful energy brought the mandir to life! Directed by the Smt. Tejal Shah, the kids were engaged in performing Rudra Abhishek. The literal and symbolic meaning of every step of the ritual was explained by Tejal Shah Ji, and under their parents’ guidance, the children took the lead in performing the puja. The puja was followed by Aarti and homecooked Prasad made lovingly by the VHPA volunteer team.
The full puja thali, including all puja samigri (paraphernalia like puja supari, panchamrita, and naivedaya), was provided to each family free of cost. In the 3-hour puja, Shivalingas were first offered a seat of flowers, than fragrant water, followed by a bath of milk and panchamarita, among many other offerings. Shivalingas, as well as small murtis of Ganeshji, were brought especially from India. In fact, the number of attendees was almost double the number that came last year, and after giving everyone a thali, VHPA volunteers found that even the surplus items they had kept were running out!
The event was a smashing success. All families really enjoyed the experience, and the little ones were attentive and observant throughout the program. Everyone enjoyed the delicious prasad that was offered after the Aarti as well. Participants were eager to come back next year. Many were also planning to attend VHPA’s Hindu Heritage Day program, a summer celebration of Hindu culture with an expected 2,000 people from all over New Jersey partaking in the festivities.
“VHPA wants to provide today’s youth with the opportunity to connect with their heritage and feel proud of the rich history and culture of India. Offering this program free of cost to the community is just a small way in which we hope to bring pride to the vibrant Hindu community in New Jersey. Also, we have the chance to invite other members outside of the Hindu community for a fun and meaningful experience. Truly, the event surpassed everyone’s highest expectations and we could not be happier with the results.” says Brahm Sharma, President of the NJ Chapter.
Arun Joshi, Secretary of the NJ Chapter, adds, “The Maha Shivratri Puja only grows more and more popular every year—this year, we had twice the number of families as last year!”. In the future, the organizers of this event look forward to expanding the event to involve even more youth and community members.
“This program is a sincere labor of love and one of the ways VHPA hopes to give back to the wider community. We are thrilled by the enthusiastic support of our events,” says Jai Bansal, Treasurer of the NJ Chapter.
About the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America/ World Hindu Council (VHPA):
VHPA is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit and volunteer-based charitable organization, founded to address the needs of the Hindu society and support humanitarian causes worldwide. For more information, please contact NJ Media Coordinator Rohan Sharma at (609)-937-3034 or at rohanwcb@gmail.com.
Comments from One Parent…

Thank you all for the excellent event. I feel kids can learn a lot and understand our culture with these events. The Priest was very nice and explained the importance of puja to kids , the encouragement was excellent. Events for kids is valuable. The center was very impressive with all the god murtis…(Pallavi).

Listen to What Many Participants had to say about the Event
https://youtu.be/ZfByui0rh3Ehttps://youtu.be/VkSWEeQ5NN8https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnf3n7mkF38https://youtu.be/cps1nJcaY94https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SSW_k6uqkQ

4th Hindu Heritage Day
2019-06-15 08:00 - 17:00
A Grand Success!

New Jersey chapter of the VHPA held their 4th Annual Hindu Heritage Day 2019 to celebrate the rich and diverse culture of the Hindus in America. The family friendly festivals was themed “ Contribution of the Hindu American”. The event consisted of fusion of music, dance, arts and crafts, poster competition, college student panel and, of course, delicious food cooked on site by the VHPA volunteers.
First the first time in the history of the Hindus in NJ, the State of New Jersey issued a proclamation to recognize June 15, 2019 as the official Hindu Heritage Day. A letter from Governor Phil Murphy congratulated the organizers and participants for celebrating their rich culture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_zbBPDCINs
Highlights :-

Full day cultural fair – Hindu Heritage Day (HHD)
Cultural program consisting of songs, dances and musical plays
Poster competition on “Contribution of Hindus to America”
Panel of college students to discuss what it takes to get admission to ivy league schools
Photo booths with regional themes
Exhibits and programs to disseminate Indian heritage in entertaining manner
NJ Proclamation of June 15, 2019 as the official HIndu Heritage Day
Governor Phil Murphy’s letter of congratulation

Read More about HHD-2019

State of NJ Proclamation & Governor’s Letter

PROCLAMATION LETTER

GOVERNOR’S LETTER

Selected Posters form HHD

Student Panel
https://youtu.be/ZBWYGWKujXQ
Part 1
https://youtu.be/JVuoQF2j2q0
Part 2
https://youtu.be/XDLR7cJORZs
Part 3
https://youtu.be/-auTYumXwVA
Part 4
https://youtu.be/bQBLXMkTlzI
Part 5
Event Sponsors

Platinum Sponsor

Gold Sponsor
Photo Gallery

VHPC Picnic 2019
2019-08-10 08:00 - 17:00

India Day Parade 2019
2019-08-18 12:00 - 18:00 | Madison Ave (starts at 38th Street, ends at 26th Street), New York City
VHPA Participated in India Day Parade 2019

FIA (Federation of Indian Associations) organizes a grand parade in New York City every year to celebrate August 15, the Independence Day of India.
This year the VHPA will be participating in the parade. Come join us and celebrate this wonderful occasion with us and the Indian community at large.

Go to the FIA site for more details…

VHPA Participated in India Day Parade 2019
Contacts
Brahm Om Sharma (609) 371-7174
Arun Joshi
(732) 820-0170Jai Bansal (856) 322-2920Sanjay Gupta (646) 228-1002Amit Kumar (609) 865-6456Archna Kumar (732) 372-1911Madan Margabandhu (732) 305-0541Tejal Shah (201) 757-8491Tushar Sukhadia (609) 424-2618

Malvikagnimitram by SUPPORT-A-CHILD (Play by Mahakavi Kalidas)
2019-08-23 19:00 - 22:00 | Vadtal Dham Temple, 1667 Amwell Road, Somerset, New Jersay 08875
The Program

World Hindu Council of America (VHPA) presented MALAVIKAGNIMITRAM, a Broadway style romantic musical performance based on the epic drama by Mahakavi Kalidas. The play was presented by Dhaatu Puppet Theatre and directed by Anupma Hoskere. The play used an interesting combination of live performers and puppetry. For non-Hindi audience, commentary in English will be provided.
This event was organized to raise funds for the “SUPPORT A CHILD” project.
Malvikaagnimitram is believed to be Kalidas’s very first lyrical drama. It tells the story of the love of Agnimitra, the Shunga Emperor at Vidisha, for Malavika, the beautiful maiden of his chief queen. He must resort to the help of his jester and playa game of subterfuge merely to look at the girl. When the queen discovers her husband’s passion for this girl, she becomes infuriated and has Malavika imprisoned. But as fate would have it, it is found that Malavika is of royal birth, and is eventually accepted by the queen as her equal.

Highlights :-

Based on Mahakavi Kalidas’s lyrical play by the same name
Interesting combination of live performers and the ancient art of puppetry
Ticket Price: $20 (boxed dinner included). All proceed will go Support A Child project
Funds raiser will be conducted during the evening for Support A Child

https://youtu.be/iftNuglZS4M

More about ‘Support A Child’

Donate

5th Annual Hindu Heritage Day
2023-10-28 12:00 - 16:00 | Vadtal Dham Temple, 1667 Amwell Road, Somerset, New Jersay 08875
The Program
After a hiatus of nearly four years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the New Jersey chapter of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA) will hold their 5th Annual Hindu Heritage Day on Saturday, October 28, 2023 from 12:00 – 4:0PM Eastern.
As the name implies, Hindu Heritage Day celebrates the rich cultural heritage of Hindus in America. This year’s festival has been themed “Contribution of the Hindu American”. The event consisted of fusion of music, dance, poster competition with cash prizes, and a panel of top/Ivy League college student to discuss the college admission process for the benefit of high school students. And, of course, no Hindu Heritage Day will be complete without delicious food!.
Capacity is limited, so please register early to avoid disappointment. Separate registration is required for those who wish to participate in the poster competition.

TICKET: $10 (PER PERSON OF 12 OR MORE)

Buy Tickets

Highlights
Food-Fair-Family-Fun

Poster Competition with Prizes
Cultural Programmes
Panel discussion for College Admission (By students of topnotch/Ivy League colleges)

Poster Competition

Download poster competition rules

Register to enter a Poster competition

Contacts
Archna Kumar (732) 372-1911Arun Joshi
(732) 820-0170Tejal Shah (201) 757-8491Ratna Parashar 609-481-7003Sanjay Gupta 646-228-1002
Jai Bansal908-803-3523

Ram Lala Mandir, Murti Prana Pratistha CAR RALLY, Edison New Jersey
2024-01-14 08:00 - 17:00
Amid ongoing events and celebrations across the globe ahead of the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony at the RamTemple in Ayodhya on January 22, “The Hindu community in New Jersey organized a car rally in Edison, New Jersey. More than 350 cars participated in the rally.

Grand Maha Shivratri Puja By Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America 2024
2024-03-16 08:00 - 17:00
Keeping up with our annual tradition of Maha Shivratri Puja, The New Jersey chapter of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA) announces a Maha Shivratri Puja to be held on March 16th, 2024.

OPEN to ALL community members and completely free for everyone. Details on location and exact timings are to be published soon.
Stay connected with the VHPA NJ chapter for more information.
