Atlanta, GA, September 25, 2024: On September 14, 2024, Navarasam, a fundraiser coordinated by Jassotha Balasubramaniam, founder of Carnatic Strings Violin Studio, brought together nine classical dance academies in Atlanta to raise funds for Sankara Nethralaya USA (SNUSA). The event, aimed at restoring vision for indigent patients in India, was a resounding success, with the venue packed to capacity. Some attendees had to stand through the performances, showing immense support for the cause.
Balasubramaniam collaborated with SNUSA President Bala Reddy Indurti and Trustee Neelima Gaddamanugu to organize the event, which featured performances from nine violinists and 72 classical dance students. Each academy showcased a unique rasa (emotion), beautifully depicting the theme of Navarasam through classical Indian dance and music.
The participating academies and their gurus included:
- Saantham, Bheebatsam – Nataraja Natyanjali (Neelima Gaddamanugu)
- Karuna – Samskrithi (Gayathri Srinivasan)
- Hasyam – Noopura School of Bharatanatyam (Anila Haridas)
- Adbhutam – Nritya Sankalpa (Savitha Vishwanathan)
- Veeram – Deeksha School of Performing Arts (Anupa Guha Thakurta)
- Rowdram – Bharathakala Naatya Academy (Subathra Sudarshan)
- Shringaram – Naatyaveda Dance Academy (Sobiya Sudeep)
- Bhayam – GA Cultural Arts Academy (Gayathri Venkatachalam)
The event showcased the dedication of these academies, their gurus, and students, all of whom volunteered their time and effort for this noble cause
The proceeds from Navarasam will go towards Sankara Nethralaya’s Mobile Eye Surgical Unit (MESU) program, a hospital on wheels that provides free cataract surgeries to patients in remote villages across India. MESU units, developed in collaboration with IIT Madras, consist of two buses—one used as a preparatory unit and the other as an operating theater. Currently, three MESU units operate out of Chennai, Jharkhand, and Hyderabad, covering Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Jharkhand. Plans are underway to launch a fourth unit in Puttaparthi in January 2025, with support from SNUSA Board Advisor Anand Dasari. A fifth unit is scheduled to start in Vizag in late 2025, covering coastal Andhra Pradesh and parts of Odisha.
Several dignitaries attended the event, including Guest of Honor Dr. Kalpana Rengarajan, who spoke about her association with Sankara Nethralaya and praised the performances. Guest of Honor Paul Lopez highlighted a collaboration between Sankara Nethralaya and the Good Vision project, which aims to provide affordable eyeglasses to patients in India. The initiative, spearheaded by SNUSA Board Advisor and Padma Bhushan awardee Dr. Jagdish Sheth, seeks to offer glasses at just $1 per pair for indigent patients.
SNUSA leaders, including President Bala Reddy Indurti, Executive Vice President Moorthy Rekapalli, Trustees Neelima Gaddamanugu, Srini Reddy Vangimalla, Rajasekhar Reddy Aila, and Sridhar Rao Julapally, were instrumental in organizing the event. Other key contributors included Sports Committee Chair Ramesh Babu Chaparala and MESU Unit Committee member Dr. Kishore Reddy Rasamallu. The event was also supported by the Atlanta Chapter Vice President Rajesh Tadikamalla, along with chapter leads Chinmay Dasmohapatra, Hemanth Varma Penmetsa, Sudhir Patro, and Vijay Garlapati. Volunteers Devansh Tadikamalla, Giri Kotagiri, Gopala Abhimanyu Pullela, Maurya Koppireddy, Parichai Krishna Katterla, and Shiven Patro helped with event coordination, receiving praise from the audience for their dedication.
Special acknowledgments were given to community leaders Raghava Tadavarthi and Sriram Reddy Palla for their continued support of Sankara Nethralaya. Additionally, SNUSA Board Advisors Prasad Reddy, Leela Krishnamoorthy, and Treasurer Banu Ramkrishnan sent their best wishes to the Atlanta team for the event’s success.
Though the Chief Guest, T. Ramachandra Reddy from Augusta, GA, was unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances, he was missed by attendees. Reddy has made notable contributions to Sankara Nethralaya, including adopting a village where an eye camp is scheduled for November 2024.
The Navarasam event also drew attention to SNUSA’s Adopt-A-Village program, which provides sponsors with the opportunity to fund 10-day eye camps in their native villages, restoring vision to hundreds of patients. Sponsorships are available at $12,500 for villages within 300 kilometers of a base hospital and $15,000 for those within a 300-500 kilometer radius. Several attendees came forward to support the initiative, sharing their personal stories of how MESU camps have changed lives.
SNUSA’s efforts to expand MESU operations and eradicate preventable blindness across India continue to grow, with plans for further fundraising events, including a year-end concert scheduled for November 17, 2024. The funds raised will support thousands of cataract surgeries for patients in need.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Moorthy Rekapalli, followed by the national anthems of both India and the United States.
For more information and to contribute to Sankara Nethralaya’s mission, visit www.SankaraNethralayaUSA.org.
