Monday, September 8, 2025
Home Blog Page 48

Maher Centre is closed for Refurbishment

0

Centre is closed for Refurbishment – Re-opens in July/August 2011

Maher Centre
Maher Centre Leicester

The Maher Centre is under going it’s first major refurbishment since it was opened. The centre, first of it’s kind in UK for Maher Community was opened in the Aug 1996, with a grand ceremony that attracted thousands of people from all parts of the world.

This major development will take up to 8 months and when completed it will have state of the art facilities for weddings, parties, exhibitions and all major events, including separate Sports Hall.

This is a grand project and will take considerable amount of time, money and effort to complete. This project is managed by Mr Nagajanbhai Bapodra (Leicester), and architects are Multi Creation London.

 

Architects Plans of Maher Community Centre – View detailed PDF

{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=128|limitstart=0|limitcount=7|detail=3|displayname=0|displaydetail=0|imageshadow=shadow1}

Architects Plans of Maher Sports Hall – View detailed PDF

{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=128|limitstart=7|limitcount=10|detail=3|displayname=0|displaydetail=0|imageshadow=shadow1}

 

Latest Pictures of Construction Work 

{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=129|limitstart=0|limitcount=10|detail=3|displayname=0|displaydetail=0|imageshadow=shadow1} 

View full gallery

 

For further information about this development please contact:
Mr Nagajanbhai Bapodra 
email: Nagajanbhai
Tel: 07866493221

Aakash Odedra a rising star of British South Asian dance

0

Aakash Odedra

Aakash Odedra is a rising star of British South Asian dance. He began his beloved vocation of at the age of 8 with Smt. Nilima Devi at the Centre of Indian Classical Dance (CICD) in Leicester. Training initially in Kathak, he later studied other dance styles including Bharat Natyam, Indo-Jazz and Contemporary.

He has trained with acclaimed dancers such as Chitraleka Bolar in the UK and Asha Joglekar and Chhaya Kanvateh in India. Over the years Aakash has performed with many companies and artists including Pagrav Dance Company, Nilimadevi Dance Company and Raju Mali. He performed in Recipies for Curry, a co-production between sampad South Asian Arts (Birmingham) and indance (Toronto); Asian Spring an annual event of South Asian youth dance produced by sampad; and Daredevas 2008, Akademi’s showcase for young British and international talent at the the Southbank Centre.

Desi Masti and Curve (Leicester) asked Aakash to choreograph a piece for the opening of Curve’s new theatre in November 2008. He titled this piece Flight. So impressed were Curve, Aakash’s piece was the only one invited to perform for HRH The Queen on her visit to the Theatre in December 2008. In 2008, Aakash was awarded a development grant by Arts Council England where Aakash attended workshops at Alvin Ailey, New York, Impulz Tanz, Vienna and trained at Kadamb with Kumudini Lakhia, Ahmedabad. He was also awarded a 2-year choreographic bursary by Akademi to develop his choreographic skills and will begin in December 2009.

In November 2009, Aakash was invited by Akram Khan to perform at the Svapngata Festival at Sadler’s Wells. This 30 minute solo titled Mati Re was choreographed by Smt. Kumudini Lakhia.

AAKASH ODEDRA

Dance Artist

+44 (0)116 319 0733 
aakash@aakashodedra.com 

www.aakashodedra.com 

Article credit: http://www.bde2010.co.uk/contributor/aakash-odedra 

Leicester Navratri Festival 2010

0
Leicester Maher Community Association Navratri Celebrations 2010

Navratri 2010 Video Clips

0

Navratri Festival 2010 @ Maher Community Centre, Leicester, UK

Navratri Festival Day 3 – Sunday 10-10-10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37kcOyBQPtU

 

 

 

Navratri Festival Day 3 – Sunday 10-10-10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G06Ah6MlVvA

 

 

 

Navratri Festival Day 3 – Sunday 10-10-10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n8shzNa1Ck

 

 more video clips coming soon… 

 

 

View Photo Gallery

{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=119|limitstart=1|limitcount=10|detail=3|displayname=0|displaydetail=0|imageshadow=shadow1}

View full gallery

 

New Maher Matrimony Website

0
Maheronline launches New Maher Matrimony Website

Santoshi Mata

0
Santoshi MatajiSantoshi Mataji

Santoshi Mata Pooja is usually performed for a period of 16 Weeks on Friday.
You will be required to have a Santoshi Matt Photo, the Pooja book which contains the story and for prasad you will need roasted chana, jaggery and green banana.
“You are not supposed to eat or touch anything which is sour like Curd, Lemon Etc”
On a Friday morning have head bath and place the photo in a clean Pooja area and put a small Kalash. Place Santhoshimatha’s photo and decorate it with flowers. Keep channa (soaked in water for 6 hours in water) or puffed bengal gram along with jaggery piece and bananas as prasadam. Light diya before the Goddess. Chant the mantras and read the story and give aarti to the Goddess and have prasadam. You can do fasting the entire day or can have food only once in a day (may be supper or dinner). You are not supposed to eat anything sour on the day of the Pooja…
You need to do this for 16 weeks on Friday, and after you finish the 16 weeks you will be required to do Udyapan, i.e. you will be required to offer food to kids and remember not to feed them anything sour and not to give them any cash, as they might use the cash to buy something sour.
First gather the things required and then start the Pooja.

 Requirements for the Pooja:

  • 1 kalash
  • Betel leaves
  • Flowers
  • Dry whole channa and jaggery for prasad
  • Camphor for aarti
  • Agarbatti
  • Diyas
  • Turmeric
  • Kumkum
  • Photo of Santoshima
  • Coconut for kalash (have to continue with the same coconut till you complete the Pooja)
  • A wooden stool for placing the moorti
  • Rice mixed with turmeric

 

Shree Ganesh

Shree Ganesh, father of Santoshi Mataji

Prayer to Santoshi mata’s father Ganesh, mother Riddhi Siddhi. Prayer to wealth, gold, silver, pearl, and other gems. Prayer to Ganapati to fulfill all our wishes. To have success in business, to remove poverty, destruction of evil. Let there be peace and happiness and light. Let there be a house full of children, profit in business and huge earnings, fulfillment of one’s desires destruction of evil, removal of sorrow and worry. The name of Santoshi mata gets all the work done smoothly.
Jai Santoshi Mata.

During this katha one should hold jaggery [gur] and roasted gram [channa] in their hand. The listeners should keep saying “Santoshi Mata ki Jai” “Santoshi Mata ki Jai” “Santoshi Mata ki Jai” all the time. At the end of the story the jaggery and gram, which is held in their hand, should be collected and given to the mother cow to eat.
The jaggery and gram kept in the vessel should be distributed as prasad to one and all.
Before starting the narration of the story, fill water in the vessel [kalash], and on top of the kalash keep a small bowl filled with gram and jaggery. After the katha finishes that is after the aarti, the water in the vessel should be sprinkled in every corner of the house and the remaining water should be poured into the Tulsi [basil] plant. One should buy jaggery and gram worth Rs. 1.25np and do the fasting. There is no problem if one does it with only 25 paise. If there is jaggery in the house, take that, do not worry because the mother sees to the sentiments, more or less does not concern her. Therefore as per your capacity with devotion you can make the prasad and offer with love and do the fasting.
On the Udayapan [last day] you distribute 2-½ kg. Khaja [cashews], poori, kheer, gram curry, sweets. Light the lamp of ghee and keep saying “Santoshi Mata ki Jai” and break the coconut. On this day there should not be any sour item in the house. Do not eat any sour item yourself nor offer anyone. On this day, feed eight boys food. If the children are there in the immediate close family – elder or younger brother-in-law’s children, then do not call from outside. If there are fewer children from close family, you can call children from the Brahmins, relatives or neighbor’s children. Do not give them any sour item and as per one’s capacity give them gifts. Do not give money but give them any item. The person doing the fast after listening to the story should have the prasad and only one time meal. This way the Mother is very happy, and sorrow, poverty will be removed and wishes will be fulfilled.

Shree Sidh Ganesh Vrat Katha

Shree Sidh Ganesh

Shree Sidh Ganesh

Bhagwan Ved Vyas asked Brahmaji could you please explain what’s the benefit of Shree Sidh Ganesh Vrat and tell me who on Earth benefited from doing this vrat.

Then Brahmaji told this story. Oh my dear vyasji. Many people of Earth performed this vrat and by doing so they were blessed, from them I tell you a story of Surbahu Shatriya, now listern carefully.

There was a country city called Pipalpur in Goddesh country in the Southern hemisphere. There lived a honest but poor man called Surbahu. He worked very hard to feed this family but there was never enough for entire family. Seeing all this his wide Subhadra always complained and consistently nagged him about the poor situation they were in.

One day he had enough of this constant nagging and humiliation from his wife, Surbahu decided to run away from home, while the family was sleeping.

He ended up in the forest, thirsty, hungry and lost, started wondering around. In the end he ended up near a lake, walking to the lake he drank water and sat underneath a wonderful rubber (valdo) tree. While leaning against the tree he stated thinking about his many subjects in his head. While doing so he fell asleep. Many hours pasted while asleep, he had a dream that something was about to eat him, he thought it might be an animal but was too afraid to open his eyes and look. He assumed he was going to die so he prepared him self to face the death, thinking it’s better to die than to live such sad life. But suddenly something happened Surbahu slowly opened his eyes and saw a human figure in the night shadow. Seeing this he got up and shouted, why do you want to wake a poor guy like me in the middle of the night. Who are you and what do you want from me? Who ever you are just eat me and put me out of my misery from this life.

Hey dear, you seem depressed by this human life, but afraid not, my name is Kaushik Rishi (sage), I’ve been doing meditation in this forest for many years. Dear get up and come with me.

By saying comforting words Kaushik Rishi, helped Surbahu onto his feet and took him to his ashram and gave him food and drink and listened to his story. Kaushik Rishi was sadden by Surbahu’s poor condition.Kaushik Rishi blessed Surbahu and told him Shree Sidh Ganesh Vrat Katha and instructions about performing ritual everyday.

Surbahu stayed in Kaushik Rishi’s ashram and performed vrat as instructed.

During this period, Bhagvan Shree Sidh Ganesh blessed him. Back in his home kindom, Pipalpur, the king accepted Surbahu’s wife as his religious sister and provided them with necessary for confortable life. The king also send out his people in search of Surbahu.

After three months, Surbahu returned to Pipalpur on Bhadarva Sud Satudasiye after completing Bhagvan Shree Sidh Ganesh’s vrat. Seeing him, his wife and children were over joyed with happiness.

Subhadra told his husband, Surbahu the full story about king accepting her his religious sister and providing all care. Hearing all this Surbahu said “All this is due to blessing of Shree Sidh Ganesh”. Subhadra you should start performing this ritual everyday also. She performed vrat accordingly and with complete honestly and faith.

The king made Surbahu his comandar. Accepting all this as a blessing of Shree Sidh Ganeshji, he started living life with happiness.

His Surbahu became a king named Naal, in his next life.

Jai Shree Sidh Ganesh Namah

 

Vrat

Vrat denotes a religious practice to carry out certain obligations with a view to achieve divine blessing for fulfillment of one or more than one desire. Etymologically, vrat, a Sanskrit word (and also used in several Indo-European languages), means to vow or to promise.

A vrat may consist of one or more of several actions. Such actions may include complete or partial fasting on certain specific days; a pilgrimage  (thirtha) to a particular place or more than one place; a visit and darshan and puja at a particular temple or more than one temple; recitation of mantras and prayers; performing puja and havans.

According to Hindu scriptures, vrat assists the person doing the vrat to achieve and fulfill his desires as performing vratas are supposed to bring the divine grace and blessing. Sometimes, close relatives or family purohits may be entrusted with the obligation of performing the vrat on behalf of another person. The object of performing vrat is as varied as the human desire, and may include gaining back lost health and wealth, begetting offspring, divine help and assistance during difficult period in one’s life. In Ancient India, vrat played a significant role in the life of individuals, and it continues to be practiced in modern times as well by a number of Hindus.

Calling all females in London to join our first ever London Maher Netball team

0
Volleyball

 We are a small group of girls who have recently started training and are looking for more ladies to join us.Training is held on sunday mornings and thursday evenings in the borough of Hounslow and the minimum age is 14.

If you are interested in joining London Ladies Netball Team for competitive or fitness purposes please contact Daxa on 07947 681 853