Indo-American Senior Citizen Center of New York organized a Gujarati Jalso program at Hindu Temple Auditorium on Saturday, August 5th. The successful celebration of the Center’s 20th anniversary last October at Gujarati Samaj hall provided an impetus and encouragement to undertake the gala public event. The program, sponsored in the U. S. by Ohmkara organization, was the brainchild of the legendary Parthiv Gohil and consisted of an ensemble of about 20 people including renowned singers, musicians, stage artists and technicians. The group’s performance in the U.S. was for the first time and there was only one show in New York. Based on these factors, the Center decided to venture for the program. 

The audience gave a thumping applause when the stage curtain at the 700-seat auditorium opened. President welcomed them and assured that a fun-filled musical extravaganza would regale them. The potpourri of the program which depicted Gujarat’s cultural heritage, sugam sangeet, lok sangeet, short dramas, poetry, dayro, language and literature was compered by Pranav Pandya, who commenced the program with Vimochan of a DVD of the artists’ best songs. This was followed by Ganesh Vandna. A comedy drama Maro Piyu Gayo Rangoon, based on Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well, made a splash wherein renowned veteran  Utkarsh Mazumdar’s role was striking. Since Gujaratis celebrate Melas (carnivals) often, famous Mela songs rocked the auditorium. Ramesh Parekh’s written song Savariyo Re Maro Savariyo, sung by Gargi Vora, aired a romantic fervor.