Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust (BSCT) celebrated Matariki on July Saturday, 14, for the senior members of the Maori community.
Matariki is the Maori name for the cluster of stars that rises in mid-winter and for many Maori, it heralds the start of a new year. Traditionally, it has been a time for celebrating new life and planting new crops. In the 21st century, observing Matariki has become popular again as a cross-cultural celebration.
"It was a great honour to have Maori Community Elder, Helene to grace the occasion with her esteemed presence. She addressed the entire audience and patiently explained the meaning of Matariki with its true significance in the lives of Maoris," Jeet Suchdev, chairperson of Bhartiya Samaj told The Indian Weekender.
This followed with a Bhartiya Samaj's regular senior citizen’s meeting where more number of seniors joined the discussion.
"We then started our scheduled senior citizen's meeting and there was a visible increase in the attendance by our endearing members," Mr Suchdev added.
The day commenced with a stupendous performance by several senior members theme based on 'The 1970s Bollywood Theme'.
"It was truly delightful to watch these 2-minute stints in the form of dialogues, dance performances and acts from each participant that made us travel back in time and took us back to yesteryears," he added.
The entire audience applauded their performances and as a token of appreciation the panel of judges felicitated the top performers.
"Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the day and it was yet another fun-filled eventful day that kept the entire audience glued to their seats. It was delightful to see everyone smile and look forward to more entertainment," a representative from Bhartiya Samaj said.