at Chinmaya Mission IACCGH 2025 Gala Photo Collage
Check out the photo collage of the IAACGH 2025 Gala Silver anniversary celebration. -- PAGE 8-9.
Chinmaya Mission Houston celebrated Navaratri with a spiritual, cultural, and social event. -- PAGE 5
Zoroashtrian Association celebrated the milestone with cultural performances. PAGE 4.
Consul General DC Manjunath and Houston Mayor John Whitmire (center) flanked by public officials and dignitaries at the Diwali celebration at Houston City Hall. PAGE 2
Diwali 2025 Celebration with CG Manjunath and Mayor Whitmire at City Hall
CG DC Manjunath (left) lighting the ceremonial diya with Houston Mayor John Whitmire (center) and accompanying public official.
A festive Kathak performance by Sarika Nath
Silver Milestone: Zoroastrian Association Celebrates 25 Years of ZAH Library
By ZuBeen MeHta
Houston: It is with great pride and no small fanfare that the Zoroastrian Association of Houston celebrated 25 years of its flagship Library on October 10 and 11, 2025. The brainchild of its founder, Aban Rustomji, ZAH Library, as it is lovingly known, started with a fierce determination to create a repository of Zoroastrian writings in its fullest sense and a small collection of books. Twenty-five years on, the Library holds more than 1600 books and other materials and is deemed to be the largest collection of its kind in North America. It’s mission: “to provide a comprehensive collection of material on Zoroastrian literature, history, culture and of course the religion, for the benefit of community members and beyond, for today, tomorrow and always.”
The theme of the two-day anniversary celebrations was: From Scroll to Screen: Archiving Zoroastrian Manuscripts in the Digital World. Day 1 opened with a rousing benediction by Darius Dastur, one of our young Ervads (priest), and speeches of welcome by the current President of ZAH: Aderbad Tamboli and by Kayomarz Sidhwa, President of the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America. This was followed by a video montage where committee members offered their thoughts on the significance of the Library to each of them. The evening continued with entertainment and a Gala dinner. Day 2 offered enlightening lectures by two Zoroastrian scholars: Dr. Dan Sheffield of Princeton University and Dr. Afshin Marashi of the University of Oklahoma.
ZAH Library is essentially a family of dedicated committee members, many of whom have been part of the Library since its inception, headed by its visionary Chairperson Aban Rustomji. On October 10, Aban welcomed a large gathering of friends of the Library to the evening’s festivities and thanked the many people, including several generous donors, who made the dream of a library into a splendid reality. As we all know, such projects take a village! Among the dedicated supporters of ZAH Library were Dr. and Mrs. Yazdi Sidhwa whose generous donation spearheaded the construction of the Library in 2000 as part of Phase 2 of the Zarathushti Heritage and Cultural Center located at 8787 W. Airport Boulevard. Sharmeen Mehri, co-Chair of FIRES, then introduced an impressive on-stage presentation, essentially a walk down memory lane, created by ZAH members Vehishta Kaikobad and Edul Chikhliwala, that listed the highlights of all the prestigious events hosted by ZAH Library. These included talks by scholars such as the late Professor Stanley Insler of Yale University, and Professor Al-
mut Hintze of SOAS in London. The presentation also reminded the audience that in 2010 ZAH Library was honored to be chosen as the Home of FIRES (FEZANA Information, Research and Education System), whose mission it is “to serve as a centralized location in North America of books, manuscripts, literature, scholarly materials and collections of artifacts pertaining to the Zarathushti faith, as well as to promote Zarathusthi education and research by disseminating this information to the public.” Vehishta, who is a Docent at the MFAH, also showcased ZAH Library’s close ties to the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston and to Rice University with whom the Library has a very exciting ongoing Oral History Project. No gathering of Zarathushtis can be without music and good food – both were amply provided to entertain and sustain at this joyous event.
Day 2 started with the obligatory tea and batasas, after which Dr. Dan Sheffield took to the podium with his talk entitled: Testimonies of Tradition: An Introduction to Zoroastrian Manuscripts. In his engaging Socratic style, Dr Sheffield posed a series of questions. What constitutes a Zoroastrian manuscript? How many are there? Is a cookbook a manuscript? What are the different types of manuscripts? What are the myths surrounding manuscripts? In answering these questions Dr. Sheffield provided a fascinating insight into the vital role these ‘manuscripts’ play in the world of Zoroastrian academic research. Looking to the future in the best tradition of ZAH Library, he pondered how best to organize the wealth of material generated by this research. Will Artificial Intelligence perhaps prove a valuable asset in the amalgamation of this metadata? Food for thought …
Following a hearty boxed lunch, the program continued with the second invited speaker, Dr. Afshin Marashi, who spoke on Parsis and Iranis: Historical Preservation between Print Culture and the Digital Age. In keeping with the Library’s belief in the importance of preserving Zoroastrian cultural heritage and historical memory, Dr. Marashi spoke of how the Parsis in India, Bombay in particular, played a key role in reviving interest in Zoroastrianism and Iran’s classical heritage among Iranians in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This revival was made possible by the technological advances in the age of steam travel and by Parsi philanthropy in its many forms, including “print philanthropy”. It helped to overcome the obstacles to interaction between Parsis and Iranians, and afforded contemporary Iranians the opportunity to “remember, relearn and reconnect with their ancient history.”
The two excellent presentations offered much to pique the audience’s interest as evidenced by the lively question and answer session
that followed. The collegial atmosphere, the enthusiasm of the audience and the passion of the speakers made this two-day event a true silver milestone!
Congratulations to ZAH Library and FIRES and here’s to the next 25 years! Long may this venerable institution continue to thrive by building binding bonds with
books and bibliophiles as it holds true to its promise “to honor its past, celebrate its present and inspire for the future”.
Adarbad Tamboli (L), Aban Rustomji (Center left), Vehishta Kaikobad (Center right) and the evening’s performers take a bow.
COMMUNITY
Navaratri Celebration 2025 at Chinmaya Mission Houston
By Mina JuneJa
Navaratri (literally “nine nights”) is a major Hindu festival dedicated to the worship of the Divine Mother in her various forms. It is a time for devotion, reflection, dance, music, and communal celebration.
On Oct.3, 2025, Chinmaya Mission Houston celebrated Navaratri with a spiritual, cultural, and social event for its members and invited guests followed by an elaborate dinner for all members. The event was held at the Gujarati Samaj Houston where the huge gathering could be accommodated.
Chinmaya Mission places emphasis not just on the festive dance and social elements, but on the inner significance of Navaratri. As explained by our revered Acharya Gaurang Nanavaty, the worship of the Divine Mother unfolds in three sacred phases.
The first three nights are dedicated to Goddess Durga, who symbolizes the power to overcome tamasic (dull) tendencies such as ignorance, inertia, greed,
and negativity.
The next three nights are for Goddess Lakshmi, the bestower of prosperity, purity, and righteousness.
The final three nights honor Goddess Saraswati, the embodiment of wisdom, creativity, knowledge, and harmony.
Thus, this festival is also an internal journey: purifying the mind, cultivating virtue, and seeking higher wisdom.
The Chinmaya community in Houston gathered to combine devotion (bhakti) with music, dance, and fellowship in this annual event. This year’s event was vibrant, meaningful, and well-organized.
The celebration began with a social hour, giving participants a chance to gather, reconnect, and prepare for the evening. The invocation set the devotional mood, followed by rhythmic clapping and dance segments (Tran Taali, Beh Taali) that gradually rose in energy and unity. A lead-follow fun dance helped even newcomers get comfortable. By mid-eve-
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ning, the Arati ritual sanctified the gathering, bridging the worldly and spiritual elements. The major portion of the night was devoted to Raas / Garba, where devotees expressed their joy and reverence through dance in circular formations around the sacred space. The evening concluded with a closing prayer, leaving participants with a sense of calm fulfillment.
Reflecting on this annual Navaratri celebration, it bridges generations. The event brings together children, youth, parents, and elderly alike. Many young Bala Vihar students (educational program at CMH) participate in performances or dance, which help them connect with our cultural heritage. Also, unlike purely social dance nights, the CMH Navaratri balances devotional elements (invocation, aarti, chanting) with the joyful dance (Garba/Raas). This helps keep the spiritual focus alive even in festive mood.
Further, such celebrations strengthen bonds among community members. Volunteers collabo-
rate on decorations, music, logistics, and hosting responsibilities.
For many Indian-origin families in Houston, such festivals help sustain cultural roots, pass traditions to younger generations, and create a spiritual home away from one’s native region.
In essence, Navaratri at Chinmaya Mission Houston teaches us that the real dance is the dance of life—where every step can bring us closer to the Divine. Each beat of the Garba reminds us to keep
our hearts pure, our minds steady, and our actions kind. When we celebrate together with faith and love, we discover that the true victory of Navaratri is not outside but within us. HARI OM.
For more information about Chinmaya Mission Houston, Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya, and its activities please visit www.chinmayahouston.org, www.saumyakasi. org or call temple 281 568 1690 or Jay Deshmukh 832 541 0059 or Bharati Sutaria 281-933-0233
Photos by Bharat Rao and Ashutosh Kak
Mantra Pearland’s Durga Pujo Blossoms into a Major Community Festival
By JuHi VarMa
Mantra Pearland hosted its Durga Pujo celebrations at the Orissa Culture Center on Saturday, October 5. The venue was packed and filled with energy as attendees came together to honor Goddess Durga amid vibrant flowers, incense, and the smoke of a traditional havan.
Mantra Pearland is a volunteer-led, nonprofit socio-cultural and charitable organization dedicated to preserving and promoting Indian culture and values. Since its founding in 2024, it has grown into a vibrant community hub in Pearland, celebrating rich Bengali traditions through cultural programs and festivals.
“We started not as a nonprofit, but just as like a small ‘gali ka’ puja four years back,” said Vrutant Shah, one of the chief organizers.
The puja has grown steadily each year, drawing an increasingly enthusiastic response from Pearland’s Indian community, which is smaller compared to other parts of Texas. What began with just a few food and art vendors has now expanded into a much larger celebration, with growing crowds prompting organizers to move to bigger spaces.
What set this year’s celebration apart was the addition of a free medical camp. The camp offered basic health checkups— including dental screenings, blood pressure and lung capacity checks, blood tests, B12 injections, and other consultations. It was designed to serve uninsured or underserved community members, as well as visiting parents from India who may hesitate to seek medical care but feel at ease at cultural gatherings. Many were gently encouraged to stop by the camp for a quick five-minute checkup before returning to the familiar buzz of the festivities.
“It’s growing bigger and bigger, and now we’re trying to identify a space,” Shah said. “It’s a nice event. Durga Puja is, you know, is Bengali thing, but given the response from the community – we keep sensing a ‘everyone is united’ kind of feeling.”
The Orissa Cultural Center at 3101 Fuqua Street was inaugurated in 2021. Along with its beautiful temple and community gathering space, the campus also features a dedicated ‘goshala’ for about twenty cows, adding a unique and traditional touch to the center.
Mantra Pearland hosted its Durga Pujo celebrations at the Orissa Culture Center on Saturday, October 5.
Doctors and volunteers at medical camp: (Standing) Alvin Zarazua, Shubham Manchanda, Aiden Via, Anna Karki, Ann Karki, Dr. Chandrakant Vemula, Nagaditya Maddi, Malathi Krishnan, Vrutant Shah. (Sitting) Dr. Lekshmi Nair, Dr. Gautam Sikka, Dr. Vishalakshmi Batchu, Dr. Usha Sadanala, Dr. Sneha Xavier
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