IAGC Team (left to right):
Rasesh Parikh(EC Member)
Hari Kondaparthy (EC Member)
Sudha Gangaraju (President)
Vardhani Medamarthi(EC Member)
Gunjan Gupta(EC Member)
Avanthika Reddy Nalla(Secretary)
Yasir Abdul(Treasurer)
Arts Festival-May 1st, 2021
The celebration of arts and culture highlights regional and local artists and performers in the areas of dance, music, theatre, visual arts, and literature. IAGC provided a platform to participate in the festival to showcase the rich cultural heritage of India through various cultural dance performances and a wonderful speech by the IAGC president.
“India!! a beautiful potpourri of cultures, always remains a fascinating and captivating beauty for travelers of all age groups. Whether it is its breathtaking panorama of hill stations, architecturally adorned cities, sacred destinations with the buzz of celestial mantras or the fun-and-frolic beaches, every attraction of the country has its own shade and glitter. But in so much diversity, the one thing that unites the country as a string of pearl is its colorful and interesting festivals. India has one of the world’s largest collections of songs, music, dance, theatre, folk traditions, performing arts, rites and rituals, paintings, and writings.
It has a rich cultural heritage that is demonstrated through its diversity in language, art, dance, festivals, and – most importantly – food”
Link for All Events Pictures: India Association of Greater Charleston – IAGC | Facebook
Mother’s Day- May 9th, 2021
A big thanks to all the wonderful mothers out there! Mother’s Day celebration is another opportunity to thank your mom to appreciate her for everything.
It is an amazing opportunity that kids can show their love for their mother. Thanks to all the members who have sent their videos, appreciate your effort and time.
Link for all Events Pictures: India Association of Greater Charleston – IAGC | Facebook
Here are some glimpses of the day:
Yoga Day- June 19th, 2021
Celebrated on June 21, International Yoga Day celebrates the physical and spiritual prowess that yoga has brought to the world stage.
THANK YOU all for your support in making the IAGC’s first in-person event of the year a success!! A big thanks to Honorable Mayor John Tecklenburg, his wife Sandy and their family for joining us a relaxing Yoga session led by Shoba Kousik and Sundar Balasubramanian.
IAGC presented the mayor with a plaque commemorating his outstanding service to the Charleston community on this occasion. You can find the video here –
https://www.facebook.com/IAGCCHS/videos/504799067393473
Thank you all for your efforts in bringing the community together to focus on health and wellness on the eve of International Yoga Day.
IAGC Picnic-July 18th, 2021
Thank you all for making our IAGC picnic a great success. Both adults and kids had a lot of fun filled activities and great time spent.
We are thrilled to see so many new members join our IAGC family. A big welcome to all new members and returning members as well.
Our very self-motivated executive committee and a few others were involved in making this event a reality. Thank you all for volunteering and making the event a success.
Link for all Events Pictures: India Association of Greater Charleston – IAGC | Facebook
India Independence Day Virtual Program- August 15th, 2021
Due to an increase in the number of COVID cases, we celebrated the beginning of 74
th India Independence Day virtually.
You can find the video here-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3622Ek7zhDk
Citing late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s words from 2002 Independence Day speech –
“May our goal be the limitless heights of the sky. May our feet be on the ground. May our minds be full of unyielding determination. May our hands be clasped together. May our resolve be to march together.”
Jai Hind!
Gandhi Jayanti- October 2nd, 2021
Thank you everyone who joined us to wish our great leader on his 152nd birth anniversary at Pinewood Elementary.
Thank you IAGC team and members of the community who came to support this event. Special thanks to Mr. Piyush Tiwari, Ms. Nibedita Chatterji, and Ms. Sudha Gangaraju for their wonderful renditions, Mr. Shaker Kousik for Tabla support, Mr. Peyush Dwivedi for inspiring speech, and Dr. Randhir Makkar for closing remarks.
Programs were as follows:
1) Introductory remarks and Vaishnava Janato bhajan by Ms. Sudha Gangaraju
2) Raghupati Raghava song by Mr. Piyush Tiwari
3) Speech by Mr. Peyush Dwivedi
4) Ekla chalo re song by Ms. Nibedita Chatterjee, Percussion by Chandrasekar Kousik
IAGC provided Samosas, light snacks and chai.
We posted few pictures from our Gandhi Jayanthi event held at Pinewood Preparatory School on October 2nd at 2PM on Facebook. Here are a few glimpses.
IAGC Cricket Tournament- October 16th and 17th, 2021
The IAGC cricket tournament(held on October 16th and October 17th was a great hit!
A big shout out to the organizers, volunteers and of course all the players for making
this event a true success. We had a turnout of around 200 cricket lovers!
A brief summary of the tournament – 6 teams collided for the cup. The finals were
between Retired Tigers led by Sunju Patel and West Ashley Warriors led by Sunny
Gaur. Retired Tigers took the cup home.
Trophy presentation ceremony video can be found here –
https://www.facebook.com/IAGCCHS/videos/238136651682637
All pictures from the tournament can be found here –
https://photos.app.goo.gl/reDugWuTucANyaF89
IAGC Annual Function- December 4th, 2021
IAGC celebrated Annual Function on Dec 4th, 2021, in Fort Dorchester High School Auditorium. Thanks to all the volunteers and participants who made this possible!! All pictures from the event can be found on IAGC Facebook page. More than 200 people attended the function. Food was catered by Taste of India and John Vijay from Columbia.
Many congratulations to Siddhartha Malik for winning the IAGC High School Scholarship. Thank you
Dr. Saima Ismaili, our platinum sponsor, for agreeing to present the award.
Donations
Thank you all who generously donated towards tackling COVID infection wave in 2021. It was a great help for the people who were suffering and fighting back with COVID. The IAGC team created go fund me page for COVID-19 Relief fund in India and collected ~$10k. Funds were transferred to KVN
Foundation in India.
Ad Sponsorship
In 2021, IAGC received in excess of 5k in advertisement sponsorships. Various businesses were
advertised during IAGC Cricket Tournament and Annual Function.
Celebrating India’s 73rd Republic Day- Jan 26th, 2022
Dear Member,
On behalf of the IAGC team, I wish everyone a happy 73rd Republic Day. We commemorate today as the day when the constitution of India came into force on 26th January 1950. This day marks a pivotal moment – India’s complete Independence or “Purna Swaraj” that resonates with the spirit of independence and how freedom fighters gave their all for India. It is the same struggle that laid the way for us to live in the largest democratic country in the world, which also has the longest constitution in the world! India’s constitution has integrated a diverse nation and withstood grave threats from time to time. Here are the fundamental rights of citizens of India:
- Right to equality
- Right to freedom
- Right against exploitation
- Right to information
- Right to freedom of religion
- Right to life
- Cultural and educational rights
- Right to constitutional remedies
- Right to privacy
On Republic Day, flag hoisting ceremonies and parades by armed forces and school children are held in different parts of the country. The President and Prime Minister of India mark the start with inspiring speeches. The grandest and most important of these parades is held at Rajpath in New Delhi, which showcases a multi-hued image of the country’s rich cultural heritage and military prowess.
We should be proud to be a part of such great heritage!
Let us be united on this note .. One Constitution, One Nation, One People.
“Citizenship consists in the service of the country.” – Jawaharlal Nehru
Jai Hind!
Sudha Gangaraju
IAGC President
Spring Picnic and Festival of Colors(Holi) – March 20th,2022
Dear Member,
We had a grand celebration of Holi and Spring Picnic. A big shout out to the organizers, volunteers and of course all the Participants for making this event a true success. We had a turnout of around 400 participants!
Event Details:
TIME: 11AM-4PM
VENUE:
Big Oak Shelter
Palmetto Islands County Park
444 Needlerush Pkwy
Mt Pleasant, SC 29464
11AM-Noon – Registration, Appetizers/Snacks
Noon-2PM – Delicious Indian Lunch
2PM-4PM – Play Holi
PRICING:
IAGC Members – FREE
Non-members – $10 per person
Kids under 5yrs – FREE
BYOB. IAGC has alcohol permission for this event.
Disclaimer: This event is being celebrated as a spring festival of colors. This is not a religious event & no religious activities will be performed.
North Charleston Arts Fest -May 7th 2022 from 3PM -3.30PM
We had a variety of cultural display from our own IAGC members this year and we are so thrilled to see this participation.
Our performers are –
Group dance – Khushi, Aarya, Taarinee, Lavya
Laavni – Karuna and her daughter.
Bollywood mix – Aditi Das
Bollywood Mix – Shailza Sharma
Semi classical and Bollywood Group Dance – Aashini Shrivastav, Disha Shirgurkar,
Ashutosh Jaswani, Joy Neela Powers, Jasmine Leena Jose, Melissa Maria John,
Mansa Clair John, and Devika Unnikrishnan.
Classical Fusion Dance Duo – Vardhani Medamarthi and Sudha Gangaraju.
Link for an Event Pictures: India Association of Greater Charleston – IAGC | Facebook
Cricket Tournament on May 14th and 15th, 2022
It was a potpourri of great bowling, wickets, catches, and of course some amazing
batting!
The stage was set perfectly on a partly cloudy weekend accompanied by great food and amazing supporters.
There was continuous commentary and music to keep the folks entertained.
The finals were all set between Retired Tigers (defending champions and very much a classy team that entertained the crowd with some great cricket throughout) and North Charleston UOF B. May we say the game was a cliff hanger until the last over, but it was the endurance of NC UOF B that took the cup away. Hearty congratulations to Neal Patel and team.
This event was only possible because of an amazing teamwork! It is no normal feat to organize a 2-day event without hiccups.
Participation from greater community and the huge success is our final trophy and an ode to all passionate volunteers who took time from their family lives and take this event to the finish line. We are very glad to have this opportunity and bring folks together.
Celebration of 75 years of India’s Independence – Aug 21st, 2022
Dear Member,
IAGC celebrated 75 years of India’s Independence this last Sunday, August 21st at James Island Charter High School.
The event was very well attended by the community. The event was only possible by a huge team effort from volunteers and the executive team. Thank you, participants, for entertaining the crowd with your live performances.
In no specific order, I would like to thank the following individuals for their contribution:
Swathi Sangireddy, SudhaTirumala, and Meena Kosuri for doing an amazing job on the rangoli and other decoration.
Yasir Abdul and Vardhani Medamarthi for the overall support.
Hari Kondaparthy and Rasesh Parikh for pictures and help during the event.
Sara Abdul, Bushra Rahman, Imran Ansari, Avinash Singh, Ankush Gupta and Arif Ehthesham for help during dinner.
Vardhani, Sara Abdul, Archana Konka, Madhu Maddi, and Gunjan Gupta for coordinating kids shows. Parents also need a special pat for pulling off perfect presentation. Thank you for leaving us with patriotic goosebumps!
Thank you, Dr. Latha Hebbar for the eloquent speech about the progress made by India in the last 75years. A special thanks to the commitment of Vaibhav Mohanty and participating against many odds. Charleston will miss the Mohanty family, but I only wish the best for their future endeavors.
Delicious food for the event was catered by Taste of India and Gunjan Gupta.
You can find pics from the event at the following link – 
Independence Day 2022
I apologize if I missed mentioning anyone but my heartfelt thanks to all who helped make the event a successful one.
Link for an Event Pictures: India Association of Greater Charleston – IAGC | Facebook
Event Line-ups:
Regards,
Happy Gandhi Jayanthi- October 2nd, 2022
India Food Fest- October 16th, 2022
Dear Member:
India Food Fest was held on October 16th at Mt Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park. It gives me great pride to share that it turned out to be a marquee event and was well-received by our local community. The attendance was more than 1000 people.
It would not have been possible without the support and trust of the Executive Committee. I also want to thank Shahid Husain and Yasir Abdul for their guidance. There was much help from many volunteers who worked a relentless number of hours to get this idea to fruition. A long list of regards is in order.
Firstly, this event would not have been successful if there were no passionate cooks to bring flavors on! Bravo to the food team leads and their volunteers for taking this head on and delivering excellent quality food in great quantity! I cannot thank all participants enough who came forward and made this fest enjoyable. The mix of food, henna, and the colorful cultural punch made this event more enjoyable and one of a kind!
Henna team – Gunjan Gupta, Pragya Purohit, and Neelam Malik
Food team leads – Yasir Abdul, Bushra Rahman, Arif Ehthesham, Gunjan Gupta, Anil Malik, Neelam Malik, Rajitha Hongal, Bala Annamalai, Sudha Venkat, Dhandapani Kuppuswamy, Harshal Shravgi, Sagar Ghosh, Krishna Kanth Panumati, Swathi Panumati, Hyma Ravula, and Hari Kondaparthy.
I want to thank the following individuals for all their help in giving this event shape and execution.
Finance team – Vamsi Gangaraju and Peyush Dwivedi for getting all finance-related items straightened up. There was solid support from Ashok Prabhu, Srikanth Peresandra, Ramesh Pai, Arabinda Das, and Vasant Chandorkar. They managed the front desk well, given a continuous stream of attendees. The team stayed till the end to get everything aligned and cleared. Thank you so much for your organized effort!
Cultural coordinator – Vardhani Medamarthi was the main point of contact for the cultural segment and prints. She worked with various teams to coordinate the presentation aspect.
Backdrop – Sahitya Kotikalapudi worked days to get all aspects right for the fantastic backdrops displayed. Thank you for making all the attendees’ experiences memorable.
Non-stop DJ – This event would have been incomplete without some groovy music! Thank you, Nanda Ragala, for getting the tempo up always with some great beats to keep the crowd on their feet. His DJ station grabbed quite a bit of attention.
Rangoli team – Hyma Ravula, Komal Kansal, Rajini Gogada, Bina, and Mrudula.
Dance team – Aashni Srivastav, Ram Nambi, Shailza Sharma, Karuna Khaneta, Venica, Kanchan Racchavar, Hyma Ravula, Sahitya Kotikalapudi, Archana Konka, and Archana Thutika.
I also want to thank the Garba team led by Reshma Patel, who swayed us with their colorful Chaniya cholis.
Saree draping and men’s try-it-on team – Thank you, Mrs. Rani Yellapragada, for graciously giving your bright sarees to be tried on. May I say that the counter was busy! Yogitha Prabhu, Lakshmi Prathipati, Sahitya Kotikalapudi, Nivedita Pandey, and Archana Thutika were totally engrossed and enjoyed as well.
Randhir Makkar enjoyed tying colorful turbans to ever-interested folks.
Drinks, ice boxes, and setup/cleanup – Rasesh Parikh, Ravi Thutika, Anand Kotikalapudi, and Krishna Kompally.
Other volunteers – Preeti Dwivedi, Nikitha, Emerson, Adeel, Madeeha, Hannan, Sankalp Shah, Lingaraj Bekanal, Pranav Kalangi, Nava Charan Reddy, Sravan, Dilip Kumar, Shwetha Acharya, Varun Aditya, and Atmaj Desai.
I apologize if I missed mentioning anyone. My heartfelt thanks to all who helped make the event a successful one.
You can find pictures from the fest at the following link – 
India Food Fest 2022 Pictures
Also, please enjoy the videos made by talented vloggers Vibhu Khurana and Komal Kansal at the following links –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxpksnwraOo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bwG-0J-_FU
Regards
Sudha Gangaraju
IAGC President