Umhlanga Hindi Vidya Sabha – Durban celebrates their fourteenth (14th) Anniversary and Annual Awards Day
A moment to treasure. On Sunday, June 14, 2015, officials, members and well-wishers of the Umhlanga Hindi Vidya Sabha gathered on their proposed temple and cultural building site to celebrate their Sabha’s 14th Anniversary Celebrations and their Annual Awards day. The programme commenced early in the morning with “70 Bahu Kund” Yajna led by the Sabha’s stalwart Panditaji, Pta Thara Sirkisson and their visiting guest from Mauritius Pandita Dhanwanthi Loky – Academic Sedanth Vachaspati. After the Yajna the programme was interspersed with musical items from members of the Sabha and the presentation of awards to students who were successful in the 2014 Hindi Shiksha Sangh, South Africa Hindi Examinations – a proud moment for the recipients and their family members. It was heart-warming to see the enthusiasm of family and friends, as the recipients went on stage to receive their awards.
One who knows the short history of the Sabha would understand that it has been an uphill struggle for the members. Previously, all of these people were settled in areas that were allocated to them through the “group areas act”. People had very little or no choice to settle in an area they would have liked to. With the dawn of the new government and the abolition of the “Separate Amenities and Separate Development Acts”, people were allowed to settle in places of their choice. Hence, we today see the Umhlanga community having relocated in the area. This area is alongside the beach front with world-class shopping and recreation facilities.
The notable perserverence of the community is admirable, within a short time they have worked hard to acquire a religious and cultural site where they intend to establish a fully-fledged Hindi School. Much of this foresight must be contributed to their Panditaji, Srimati Thara Sirkissoon. Panditjai, to improve her own knowledge of Hindi, Sanskrit and Karmakand has made numerous and tremendous sacrifices. She went to Mauritius for about seven months on an intensive study programme on all these three disciplines – Hindi, Sanskrit and Karmakand. The community in Umhlanga is blessed that they have such a community leader among them who is there to hold their hands and lead them.
Other speakers at the function were the Counsul General of India in Durban: Sri Rajagopalan Raghunathan; President of the Sangh: Srm Malthie Ramballi; a Retired Inspector of Schools: Srimathi Chandra Shah and and A Young and Upcoming Entrepreneur: Sri Vivek Pattundeen. All of them paid glowing tributes to the members of the Sabha for their concern for the future and making every effort to establish a place of worship together with facilities to cater for the teaching of the Indian fine arts and languages.
