Bal Yuva Gaurav Manch Celebrates Hindi Language and Young Talent in Greater Boston
Children, educators, and families come together for an evening of cultural performances, poetry, music, and interactive learning
By Anupama Nagaraja
BURLINGTON, MA — The Bal Yuva Gaurav Manch event brought together children, educators, and families for an evening celebrating Hindi language, culture, and young talent through vibrant performances and community participation.
The program opened with a traditional ceremonial lamp-lighting led by chief guests Smt. Renu Gupta and Sri Kedar Gupta, along with Jharna Madan, head of the Bal Yuva Gaurav Vibhag of Hindi Manch. The ceremony set a respectful and festive tone for the evening. The event was hosted by emcee Anupama Nagaraja, joined by young co-hosts Aaria Nagpal, Ashriya Ejenkar, Aarshia Arora, and Tanisha Garhwal, who guided the audience through the program.
The evening began with “Hind Ke Sitare,” directed by Sujeeta Johar and performed by Amy Sengar, Krisha Sengar, Athena Johar, Sapphira Johar, Randeep Singh Redhu, Riddhi Singh Redhu, Anay Patel, Ananya Udani, Parinee Singh, Vedant Sharma, Abhinita Kapoor, Siya Tandon, Ayaan Jindal, Anaya Chaudhary, and Soham Gandhi. The performance highlighted Indian traditions and the importance of staying connected to cultural roots.
Next was “Techno Gurukul,” directed by Rakhee Tandon and performed by Aarna Kothari, Ameya Kothari, Aareesha Sharma, Parth Jaiswal, Aanya Mishra, and Venkata Nidhi Kollipara. The presentation explored the relationship between technology and modern education through a contemporary and creative theme. During the segment, Hindi Manch founder and organizer Preetesh Srivastava recognized the Hari Vidya Bhavan team for its contribution to promoting Hindi among young learners.
The program continued with “Masalo Ki Duniya,” directed by Anupama Nagaraja of Shishu Bharati Lexington. Performers Prisha Raheja, Aarin Chavan, Ishanvi Hedgire, Anaya Rai, Aariv Bhavsar, Anaira Seshadri, Shaunaka Sharma, Shreya Soni, Reya Hedgire, Sriya Varanasi, Avani Jadhav, and Aryana Chavan presented an imaginative theatrical performance that brought everyday kitchen spices to life in an educational and entertaining way.
A special recognition ceremony followed, where Smt. Neelam Wali honored teachers Smt. Deepa Agarwal, Smt. Poonam Thakur, and Smt. Supriya Jaiswal for their dedication to teaching Hindi and helping children build confidence in the language.
The energy of the evening continued with “Dhoom Machale,” directed by Sunanda Sahay and performed by Aarvi Rohil, Aarohi Modi, Ajeet Singhal, Anika Rai, Anaya Rai, Athul Sambasivan, Devank Narayan, Dhriti Jain, Harshika Singh, Misha Singh, Rudhransh Tyagi, Shreyas Chandra, and Soham Vimal. The lively performance drew enthusiastic applause from the audience.
The event also featured the prestigious Gaurav Award ceremony, during which Aadi Dixit was honored for his contributions by Hindi Manch Vice President Anish Khanzode. A special video tribute added an emotional touch to the recognition.
The literary segment, “Kavita Ke Kalakaar,” directed by Poppy Charnalia, featured performances by Shanaya Sonchhatra, Ritisha Tole, Aditya More, Myra Manchanda, Aarshi Prajapati, Swasti Gandhi, Saiba Jetly, Vedansh Sharma, Reyansh Soni, and Abir Narula, bringing Hindi poetry to life through expressive performances.
This was followed by “Hum Sab Ek Hain,” directed by Pooja Lonial and Smriti Jain of Shishu Bharati Nashua. Performers Yashas Dani, Shriya Bhatt, Shaunak Mishra, Amay Saraswat, Niyati Mishra, Rihaan Kachroo, Aadivya Jain, Shivansh Tripathi, Abhivadya Khare, Parth Aggarwal, Viraj Nirmal, and Viraaj Thukral delivered a message of unity, diversity, and inclusion.
The evening concluded with devotional musical performances by the ISW Cultural and Language School. Directed by Sonia Gera, the presentation featured “Hey Ram” and “Hey Sharade Maa,” performed by Paarth Kapur, Yukta Singh, Ritika Singh, Kavya Mangal, Sriansha Verma, Krishiv Verma, Kimaya Malhotra, Uruvi Jagan, Myra Agarwal, Ishan Dixit, Eera Dixit, Swara Khare, Jasmin Grover, Rishi Muthukumaran, Aarna Majmudar, Anika Sunda, and Nirvi Kekre. The performances left the audience with a sense of peace and cultural pride.
Adding an interactive element to the program, Hindi Manch President Preetesh Srivastava conducted a lively quiz competition featuring four teams — Udaan, Rang, Aasman, and Sitare. Designed in an engaging game-show format, the quiz encouraged participation from both contestants and audience members. Questions covered Hindi vocabulary, cultural knowledge, translations, and picture identification of notable places, actors, and authors.
The segment was enhanced with dynamic slideshows and on-screen visuals, creating an energetic atmosphere throughout the competition. Winners were recognized at the end of the session, and certificates and gifts were distributed to all participants and contributors.
Reflecting on the event’s success, organizer Jharna Madan said, “It is incredibly heartening to see the next generation take Hindi forward with such enthusiasm and pride. This year, the introduction of the quiz added an exciting new dimension to the event and was very well received by the children. The show was a great success, with these young participants truly shining as stars on stage. We are deeply grateful to our coordinators, parents, and the Hindi Manch team whose tireless efforts made this possible. These children are our true gaurav — our pride and our future.”
As the evening concluded, families and community members left with a renewed sense of pride and connection. Through music, poetry, theater, and cultural performances, the young participants celebrated the richness of Hindi language and Indian heritage while inspiring the next generation to carry these traditions forward.
