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Page 16 - The Indan EYE 050126
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    NORTH AMERICAN Newsline                                                   MAY 01, 2026     |  The Indian Eye 16

                           A Symphony of Saffron, Sky, and Soul:

             FIA Chicago’s Holi 2026 Sets a New  Benchmark

                                                  for Community Unity

            OUR BUREAU                        powerful bridges that unite people of
                                              all backgrounds.
            NAPERVILLE, IL
                                                  Adding to the moment was the
                   n Sunday, April 12, 2026,  presence  of  FIA’s  esteemed  Adviso-
                   the Mall of India was trans-  ry Board: Yogi Bhardwaj,  Vijay &
            Oformed into a  breathtaking      Brij Sharma, Keerthi Reevori, Ajeet
            kaleidoscope of culture and joy. The   Singh, Dinesh & Pinky Thakkar,
            Federation of Indian Associations   Sushma Bhanot, Nimish Jani, and
            (FIA)  Chicago hosted a multi-sen- Dr. Meher B. Medavaram, alongside
            sory Holi masterpiece that seamlessly  FIA First Lady Rita Shah, creating a  •  Cultural Showcase: Falguni Rana   and Sonika  Khandelwal
            blended ancient tradition  with con-  stage  filled    with  leadership,  legacy,   shined in her dual role of program  •   Shirlzaar Dance Academy, Payel’s
            temporary celebration. Under the   and community -pride.              coordination and  breathtaking    Vocal Studio, Telugu Sangam Swar
            visionary guidance of Founder Chair-  The Backbone of Success: The “FIA   choreography,  joined  by  Mehta,   Priya, Mona Kapoor & Asha Meh-
            man Sunil  Shah, the event marked          Rockstars” Team            who brought multiple performanc-  ta’s  Morni  Baga  Ma,  Holi  Defini-
            a historic chapter for the leadership   “Moments like these are creat-  es to life.                     tion by Kids, Gunjali Mittal & Chet-
            team led by President Altaf  Bukhari   ed with love and selfless effort”, re-  •  The Rhythm: DJ Mahesh & DJ Sa-  na Mittal, Rang Barse By Neha
            and President Richa Chand, in or-  marked the leadership. The  Founder   rita  kept the josh soaring through-  Jain & Asha Mehta, along with Ri-
            chestration with General Secretary                                    out the celebration, fueling the  en-  cha Chand, Smitesh Shah & Team.
            Kamlesh Kapoor.                   Chairman Sunil Shah added that the   ergy of the cultural performances.  •  Sridevi Pandala’s Sapphire Dance
                                              event’s flawless execution was a true
                                                                                                                    Group was a Show Stealer!
               The Grand Opening: Dignity and   testament to the FIA Rockstar Team  Cinematic Magic: Riya Sen Honors the   •  Sonia’s & Priyanka’s Giddha Team:
                       Distinction            of volunteers.                               Community
                The electric atmosphere was set  •  The Forward Thinker: FIA Past   A major highlight of the day was   A powerhouse performance that
            in motion by FIA’s dynamic emcees:   President Vinita Gulabani led   the arrival of Bollywood star Riya   had the entire hall dancing Vocal
                                                                                                                    Magic: Soulful performances by
            FIA President and all rounder Richa   Stage  Décor  and  T-shirt    Design,  Sen. Elegantly styled by  Vinni’s Sa-  great singers Raju Bankapur, Shai-
            Chand,  joined  by  Munish  Kaistha   collaborating closely with both FIA  lon; Riya captivated the audience   la Khedkar,  Haresh Masarani, Dr.
            whose vibrant energy ignited the am-  Presidents and Chairman Sunil  with  her  charm  and  grace.  Beyond   Sheela Shah, Abbas Ali Mirza and
            biance as they kicked off the cultural   Shah.                      her presence,   she played a pivotal   FIA President Richa Chand  along
            program and welcomed the partici- •  Foundational Support: Past Presi- role in  the formal ceremony—pre-  with a vibrant Garba duet by Jigna
            pants to the stage.                 dents Anu Malhotra, Hitesh Gand-  senting  Certificates  of  Honor  to   Pathak and Jeetendra Bulsara.
                Founder Chairman Sunil Shah     hi  and Dr.  Kamal Patel  provided   cultural performers and awarding
            then took the stage to warmly wel-  essential operational strength.   Lifetime  Member  Certificates  to   Grand Finale: A Cloud of Joy and
            come our guest Somnath  Ghosh,  •  The    Workforce:  Dinesh   Ka- dedicated supporters.                          Gratitude
            Consulate General of India in Chi-  poor, Smitesh Shah, Sujay Shah,     Riya expressed her admiration    As the celebration spilled out-
            cago, who commended FIA for its     Prashant Shah, Shivam  Viswana- for the high caliber of talent and   doors, the leadership team—Found-
            unwavering  dedication to  preserv-  than, Hemendra Shah, Jitender  the “vibrant energy of India”  alive in   er Chairman Sunil Shah, President
            ing  and  promoting  Indian  heritage   Balsara,Kamlesh Kapoor Sonia  Chicago, making her participation a  Altaf Bukhari and President Richa
            across the United States. The stage   Luther, Neelam Jai, Leela Patel,  deeply encouraging moment for the  Chand—along with the Rockstar
            continued to shine with distinguished   Neeraj Malik, Ajanata Talukdar,  community. A Cultural Extravaganza  Team, launched a 25-foot blast of
            dignitaries, including Alderwoman   Suresh Bodiwala, Ramesh Punatar,  The stage came alive with a whirlwind   color into the Naperville sky. To the
            Shweta  Baid and Oakbrook Mayor     Suresh Bodiwala, Seema Patel, Ra-       of talent, including:     crowd, this wasn’t just Gulal; it  sym-
            Larry Herman, who emphasized how    jeev Ranjan, Seema Patel ensured  •  Suhani Dance Academy: Vibrant   bolized unity, friendship, and the
            cultural festivals like Holi  serve as   every detail ran seamlessly.   sets by Falguni Rana, Dolly Gupta,  positivity that FIA embodies.

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