Watch for IAF Upcoming Events
Navratri
celebration on Saturday, September 12, 2009
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Click here to know more about
this festival.


Come Celebrate Navratri with your friends & family. Bring your Non Indian Friends & Introduce them to the Indian Dances: Garba & Dandia Raas
PLACE: Stafford Civic Center (New)
10505 Cash Road,Stafford,Tx 77477
DATE: Saturday, September 12, 2009
TIME: 7:00 pm – Midnight
TICKETS: $10. 00 per person. Free Parking
Children under 5 Free
MUSIC BY: Shridevi Group
AARTI SPONSOR: As before, those who wish to sponsor Aarti, can do so for only $ 101.00
For Tickets & More Information Please Contact:
Shefali Jhaveri 832-455-8624 Ranjit Arora 281-265-2518
Sonal Buchar 713-962-5209 Tanaz Choudhury 713-532-7009
Shashi Jajoo 281-980-9765 Gogi Dugal 281-242-2409
Shoba Joshi 832-878-4338 Ami Kapadia 281-565-4590
Maya Mehta 281-494-6292 Hansa Patel 281-565-0521
Jasmine Patel 281-265-1714 Rashmi Sharma 281-242-0627
Rashmi Shelat 281-242-4169 Ruby Agrawal 281-242-8280
IAF's 6th Diwali celebration on October 9th, 2009
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Unless we think of others and do something for them, we miss one of the greatest source of happiness

Indo American Forum Of Fort Bend
Diwali Gala Friday, Oct. 9th , 2009
Texas Safari Ranch, Magnolia Ball Room
7:30 -Midnight
Dear Friends:
The Indo American Forum of Fort Bend (IAF) is pleased to invite you to their Annual Diwali Gala celebrations, on Friday, October 9th, 2009 at 7:30 P.M. at the Texas Safari Ranch, MAGNOLIA Ball Room. Please mark your calendars for a fun filled evening.
This year’s program celebrates the fanfare and glamour of Bollywood. The elegant evening promises to provide the best in entertainment, dinner and dancing. We encourage your participation at sponsorship levels that reflect the spirit of our community. As always, this event receives great reception and you are encouraged to secure your table and/or tickets in time.
As always, we encourage you to invite your non-Indian friends to expose them to vistas of India & its rich heritage.
Below are the various levels of sponsorships:
GALA UNDERWRITER: $ 5,000.00
- Two tables of 8, OR option to sit with invited dignitary
- Recognition in the Diwali brochure and on the IAF web site and media articles
- Display Banner at the Event
- Full page advertisement on the back cover of the Diwali brochure
- 8 Admission Tickets to Navratri Celebration
- Special Recognition on Navratri celebration on September 27 at Stafford Civic Center
- 30 Drink Tickets at Diwali Gala
GALA Sponsors: $ 2500.00 per table
- One table of 8 OR option to sit with invited dignitary
- Recognition in the Diwali brochure and on the IAF web site and in media articles
- Display Banner at the Event
- Premier full page advertisement included
- 4 Admission Tickets to Navratri Celebration
- Special Recognition on Navratri celebration on September 27 at the Stafford Civic Center
- 20 Drink Tickets at Diwali Gala
Platinum Sponsors: $ 1500.00 per table
- One table of 8, OR option to sit with invited dignitary
- Recognition in the Diwali brochure and on the IAF web site and in media articles
- Premier Full page advertisement in the Diwali brochure
- 4 Admission Tickets to Navratri Celebration
- Special Recognition on Navratri celebration on September 27 at Stafford Civic Center
- 16 Drink Tickets at Diwali Gala
Gold Sponsors: $ 500.00 per table
- One table of 8, OR option to sit with invited dignitary
- Recognition in the Diwali brochure and on the IAF web site and in media articles
- Full page advertisement included
- 8 Drink Tickets at Diwali Gala
Individual tickets: $ 65 For IAF Members & $75 For Non Members
Advertisements:
- Front Inside Cover $500 includes two free admission tickets
- Back Inside Cover $500 includes two free admission tickets
- Back Outside Cover $500 includes two free admission tickets
- Full Page $ 300 includes two free admission tickets
- Half Page $ 150
Please make your checks payable to: Indo American Forum of Fort Bend and mark it for Diwali Gala 2008, and mail it to: 4820 Techniplex Drive, Stafford, TX. 77477. Thank you. We look forward to your presence in larger numbers to further enhance the goals and missions of IAF.
For details contact: Ruby Agrawal 281-242-8280 Ranjit Arora 281 265 2518 Subodh Bhuchar 281 265 9468 Tanaz Choudhury 713-532-7009, Gogi Dugal 281-242-2409 Shefali Jhaveri 832-455-8624 Shashi Jajoo 281-980-9765 Shoba Joshi 281-265-3498 Ami Kapadia 281-565-4590 Maya Mehta 281-494-6292 Rick Pal 281 491 4801 Hansa Patel 281-565-0521 Jasmine Patel 281-265-1714 Anil Shah 281-261-1101 Rashmi Sharma 281 242 0627
Click here to know more about
this festival.
In appreciation of your support,
On behalf of the Board Of Trustees Of Indo American Forum Of Fort Bend,
Sincerely,
Narendra Patel
Chairman
'Nav' means 'nine' and 'ratri' means 'night', thus, 'Navratri' means 'nine nights'. There are many legends attached to the conception of Navratri like all Indian festivals but all of them are related to Goddess Shakti (Hindu Mother Goddess) and her various forms. Though it is one of the most celebrated festivals of Hindu calendar, it holds special significance for Gujratis and Bengalis and one can see it in the zeal and fervor of the people with which they indulge in the festive activities of the season. The first three days of Navratri are dedicated to Goddess Durga (Warrior Goddess) dressed in red and mounted on a lion, next three to Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity) dressed in gold and mounted on an owl and finally, last three to Goddess Saraswati (Goddess Of Knowledge) dressed in milky white and mounted on a pure white swan.
Dandiya and Garba Rass are the highlights of the festival in Gujarat while farmer sow seeds and thank the Goddess for her blessings and pray for better yield. In olden times, this festival was associated with the fertility of Mother Earth who feed us as her children. Sweets are prepared for the celebrations and children and adults dress up in new bright-colored dresses for the night performances. With commercialization, the festival has moved on to be a social festival rather than a religious or agrarian festival. In some communities people undergo rigorous fasts during this season that lasts for the nine days of the festival, only to be opened on the tenth day of Dussehra. However, nothing dampens the spirit of the devout followers of Mother Goddess as they sing devotional songs and indulge in the gaieties of the season.
A deeper meaning of the festival Navaratri suggests the spiritual growth of a person, where one needs courage to stand up for others and protect the weaker and be able to fight the evil and their temptations. This is the first requirement of spiritual growth - to take a firm against the evil and for the good. The second requirement is to fulfill one's needs, treat the guests and help the poor. For this one needs money and the next three days of Navratri are dedicated to the worship of Lakshmi so that she would bless us with the necessary money to be put to good use. Learning virtues and good qualities and upholding one's responsibility as a sacred duty is the next requirement to the spiritual growth. Finally, Goddess Saraswati is worshipped so that she blesses us with power of knowledge and helps us to attain spiritual enlightenment.
The 9 nights festival of Navratri begins on the first day of Ashwin of the bright fortnight. The festival comes to an end on the tenth day of Vjay Dashmi or Dussehra, when the idols of the Goddess Shakti are immersed in the river. Dussehra, is thus, considered auspicious for beginning mantra incantation and renouncing the world as 'Sanyasi'. However, Navaratri has a message for people who lead worldly life too. It teaches us to surmount obstacles with the help of Durga, thank and pray to Lakshmi for her blessings and gain knowledge with the blessings of Saraswati. This done, we can find Shakti (power) within ourselves. We must also understand that Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati are different facets of a single entity, thus, representing that Mother Goddess bestow us with wealth, prosperity and knowledge and protect us too.
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