Hindu Elder Foundation, an organisation for the elderly of the community, hosted its Indian Republic Day celebrations at Bharatiya Mandir on Balmoral Road in Sandringham on Sunday, January 24.
The event was attended by over a hundred seniors and community members at the temple where the hosts and guests hoisted the Indian tricolour flag.
The event started at 10:30 a.m. where the attendees met one another with morning tea followed by flag hoisting around 11 a.m. by the chief guest at the event, the Hon Consul of India, Bhav Dhillon joined by temple members, members of HEF and other attendees.
Mr Dhillon congratulated the seniors of HEF for their community work and lauded them for organising the small yet a significant Republic Day event for the seniors at the temple.
A member from Bharatiya Mandir, Medha Bandari performed the Vande Mataram dance, followed by Ganpati Vandana dance by Bharti V Ben.
HEF member CP Satija briefly read out the Indian Constitution on the special occasion acknowledging and reminding the magnificence of the Constitution of India drawn by Dr BR Ambedkar.
This was followed by Shabad Geet by MS Bedi from Guru Gobind Singh Gurudwara in New Lynn, a Nepali Folk Dance by Jyoti Aryal, Nepalese Cultural Centre, NZ, a Sri Lankan folk dance and concluded the celebration by singing the Indian national anthem.