South Asian Circle Of Hopkinton

A ‘Happy Diwali’ sign was lit up at the Town Common, Handmade by Team SACH. The display, on its very first year was on for nearly two weeks and to wish all residents of Hopkinton and share the festive feeling of celebrating Diwali as one big community.  A lighting ceremony inaugurated the display, where some of Hopkinton's Select board members and families, the town manager Norman Khumalo and family, along with other Hopkinton residents and families participated. Sweets were distributed to celebrate the event.  Display in the making by Team SACH The display was also mentioned in one of the popular regional news publications: https://indianewengland.com/2019/10/south-asians-of-hopkinton-install-lighted-display-on-diwali-at-hopkinton-town-common/ Copyright © 2019 | South Asian Circle of Hopkinton, Inc. www.southasiancircleofhopkinton.org

Onam: The Harvest Festival What, When, Who & Where The grand harvest festival of  Onam is celebrated in the Indian State of Kerala every year for 10 days, sometime during August-September. According to legends, the festival is celebrated to commemorate the homecoming of King Mahabali, whose spirit is said to visit Kerala at the time of Onam. Elephant Processions, Boat races and Art Forms The  Onam sadya (feast) is another indispensable part of Thiruvonam, and almost every person attempts to either make or attend one. The Onasadya reflects the spirit of the season and is traditionally made with seasonal vegetables such as yam, cucumber, ash gourd and so on. The feast is served on plantain leaves and consists of nine courses, but may include over two dozen dishes. Thiru Onam marks the final day of festivities The celebrations start off with a grand procession called  Athachamayam , which is a state sponsored event near the coastal city of Coch...

SACH brings Community based Engineering and Design Workshop to Hopkinton   This summer, over the week of June 24-28, The South Asian Circle of Hopkinton (SACH) successfully brought 'Community Based Engineering' experiences for young children of Hopkinton residents entering grades two through five. SACH, in complete sync with their mission, was able to connect the strengths of South Asian communities and bring engineering learning for all Hopkinton students from different social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds. SACH facilitated and coordinated with UMass Boston’s Science Education community ( COSMIC ) to make this an enjoyable and engaging program for the children. The workshop was designed and led by Dr. Tej Dalvi, Professor of UMass Boston and resident of Hopkinton. Tej is also a member of the SACH board. Community Based-Engineering includes looking for and solving problems in local communities using engineering ( https://www.communityengineering.org ). The student goal for t...

SACH was delighted to be a part of the Boys Scout International Fusion Dinner & Silent Auction 2019, to organize and facilitate the Indian food.  The kitchen at Faith Church was bustling with activity as Instant pots of fragrant peas and cumin rice were cooking along-side large pots of spaghetti and large batches of Naan were baking in the oven, in anticipation of hundreds of participants who would come to the Silent auction and enjoy a good plate of international food.  Trays of delicious Chicken Tikka masala, Paneer peas curry, Naan and rice were served along Spaghetti & meatballs, bread and salad to make this a wonderful fusion dinner enjoyed by large groups of attendees.  Copyright © 2019 | South Asian Circle of Hopkinton, Inc. www.southasiancircleofhopkinton.org

 Ramadan and Eid 2019  SACH created a beautiful display at the Hopkinton Public Library from May 8th-June 4th. The display was called Ramadan and 30 days of Rumi . A lunar calendar with 30 days dedicated to poet and scholar Rumi was displayed for patrons to read during their visit to the library.   The display included cultural artifacts and literature that told a visual story of how Ramadan and Eid are celebrated. We thank the Muslim community from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh from different backgrounds and age groups who came together to make this creation possible! Copyright © 2019 | South Asian Circle of Hopkinton, Inc. www.southasiancircleofhopkinton.org

Highlights of Holi at the Commons SACH celebrated Holi (the Festival of Color) on a beautiful summer day on June 1st. We wanted the community to enjoy the celebration outdoors. The real date of the festival Holi falls in March but to truly celebrate the spirit of this festival with the larger community of Hopkinton, it was totally worth waiting for blue skies and sunshine. After a long grey winter and rainy days of Spring, it was a real treat to see beautiful colored tulls hanging from trees on the Hopkinton Common. The was a large colorful photo booth and upbeat music along with delicious Indian food for people to enjoy. Children frolic in bright technicolor throwing a cloud of multi-colored eco-friendly powders from their precious share of colored cups donated by Hop-Yo , while adults enjoy hot food and Bollywood music that was compiled together by community members or played upon request. Dancing is a big part of this festival. SACH organized a short Bollywood danc...

SACH on behalf the Residents of Hopkinton stand in solidarity with the Islamic community. On behalf of the entire Community of Hopkinton, SACH conveyed support to the Islamic Community in light of the recent tragic events in New Zealand and presented the 'Peace' Canvas. Nearly 30+ residents of Hopkinton from different backgrounds and faiths submitted messages of unity and peace in support of the Islamic community. SACH took those submissions and composed them into a 'Peace' Canvas. The 'Peace' Canvas which has the composition and design elements of a prayer mat, carries messages of hope and strength from the Hopkinton community and will be hung in the prayer room from where the service is conducted.  "We're gathered here as citizens of 'One Hopkinton' and we stand in solidarity with our neighbors. Where we came from in South Asia, the physical and political barriers prevented us from coming together as one, but now that we're here in t...