TV stars help make it a grand birthday for the Telugu Association of South Australia. SURYA GAMINI reports
Coming from a nation which is home to numerous languages and cultures, accepting other cultures and religions while celebrating our own, has become our second nature. For the new generation here, it is our responsibility, as a community, to set an example and inculcate such attributes in children’s lives. Celebrating our cultural festivals is one of the creative and fun ways of achieving this.
Recently the Telugu community of Adelaide celebrated the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Telugu Association of South Australia, as well as Ugadi, or Telugu New Year.
The late Mr Rajkiran Thalluri started the Telugu Association South Australia in Adelaide to bring all the Telugu community together. Since then, this association has celebrated many events.
Many prominent personalities of Adelaide attended its most recent event. The chief guests were Dana Wortley MP, representing the Minister for Multicultural Affairs Zoe Bettison, Vincent Tarzia MP representing the Leader of the Opposition Steven Marshall, and Davi Pisoni MP.
Professional artists from India, who are a part of reputed Telugu comedy TV show Jabardast were invited to Adelaide to host and perform the cultural programs for the evening. The host for the night was Bhargavi, a popular Telugu radio jockey.
The Telugu Association of South Australia event started off with the traditional ritual of deepaaraadhana (lightening the oil lamps) by Satyanarayana Seelam (President of TASA), Adireddy Yara (President of IAASA) and the visiting artists. This was followed by an ongoing entertainment by our own amazing local talent as well as amusing programs from the professional artists.
The cultural programs started with a traditional Bharatanatyam performance by Geeta Satagopan. The Jabardast stars Ravi, Abhi and Ramu engaged the audience with their hilarious skits, and popular Telugu singers Dhanunjay and Lipsika entertained with their songs.
One of the highlights of the evening was of course the traditional feast. Members of the community brought assorted homemade dishes to the event, in the true tradition of Ugadi.
Some of the most important announcements at the event were the formation of the Federation of Telugu Associations in Australia, and the launch of Telugu School Mana Telugu Badi in Adelaide.
This is the first Telugu Association South Australia event that has been celebrated in Adelaide with such prominence and grandeur. The organising committee did a tremendous job in coordinating the works as a team, resulting in a great night. Looking forward to many more memorable events like this, in this community in future.