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Vichar Shakti

April 2016 Quarterly Electronic Magazine of BSOGA

Year: 2016 Issue: 01

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All my Brahmins brothers, sisters, friends & families: Jai Shree Krishna. Namaskar. BSOGA completed 20 years this year. The toddlers I knew have grown and are now college graduates, working and earning, some are married and have children. It is a proud and honor moment to look back and fathom what we have done collectively. Kudos to all members for standing and working together. Rajenbhai is the 10th President of BSOGA. His team consists of two past presidents and a charter member of BSOGA, who is an excellent public person. All acumen. One of the best team ever formed. The Board of directors are pleased to congratulate and extend full support in the interest of BSOGA to president Rajenbhai and his team. BSOGA has grown significantly. Our “Understanding, Respect, Unity & Responsibility” logo is being practiced by other Brahmin Samaj systematically. If you can understand the issue, question or concern then there are many ways to solve it amicably. Hard-work, Honesty & Happy (H-H-H formula) with the results are BSOGA core and only values. Since 1996 BSOGA has elected President unanimously. Either it is a small job that nobody wants it or it is a tough job that nobody wanted it. My 20 years of experience with BSOGA assures me that if you are Available (Time); Able (Knowledge); Acceptable (51%) and Capable, all jobs are easy and executable. I have followed H-H-H formula in several other organizations and have succeeded with honor and pride. It is a success formula. BSOGA members should collectively give heads up to some of the following long awaited agenda:

- Talented and needy high school student scholarship program and financial awards. - Introduce social services to support victims of home violence, and family hardship. - Promote & provide a pivotal point for all Brahmin rituals including Antyeshti Kaiya. - Promote & provide our ladies group with more authoritative and leading roles with

required funds. President Gitaben has set an exemplary role model for BSOGA ladies during her terms and I wish all ladies look into their future involvement in Samaj and regain your honor.

- Create a think tank, a group of past presidents, team members and youths of BSOGA to develop and implement ideas for BSOGA future planning, fund raising and a road map Brahmin prosperity.

Once again, life is in fast track and in quick changing mode. Keep your mind and heart open to help and heed to right cause and cooperate BSOGA leaders. Let us grow large and be useful to our community. Best of luck Rajenbhai and to your team. Thanks to all Members of BOD for selfless services with time, talents and tax dollars (BSOGA is 501-C-3) for solid 20 years. Accept my salute and gratitude for your continuous contributions and support. Yours at service. Chittaranjan Jyotishi and Members of the Board

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Jai Shree Krishna Wow!! It’s almost a year!! It’s an honor to serve BSOGA past one year. I truly appreciate the opportunity to work with so many wonderful team members, volunteers and families of our vibrant BSOGA. First, I want to thank Board of Directors and Chairman Shri Chitarranjanbhai Jyotishi, my peers Shri Pradipbhai Sevak (Vice President), Dr Niranjan Dave (Treasurer) and Shri Pradipbhai Joshi (Secretary) for excellent support and guidance throughout the year. I want to take a moment to thank each BSOGA member for their unconditional support for every event and function we brought to you. Success of these events is not possible without your participation (tan, man and dhan!!!). So big thanks for that. We set some goals for my team at the outset and I am pleased to tell you that we have made lot of progress, but lot is yet to be done. Team has actively worked on foundational aspects of certain areas, and I hope to see that, it will pave the way for bigger and better BSOGA in future. We have come a long way in past one year, but I believe we have to work harder to build a greater trust, confidence and most importantly increase our involvement in activities, we do as a group. I humbly request each one of you to extend your continuous support, bring ideas and suggestion for betterment of BSOGA and help in implementation of it. Annual report in following pages of this edition of Vichar Shakti will provide the glimpses of the work accomplished by several of you in this direction. I hope and wish, to provide periodic update through reinstatement of e-version of Vichar Shakti going forward. Stay engaged. God Bless you and BSOGA. Rajen Raval

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By Executive Committee of 2015 & 2016 We are very pleased to share the report of activities of Samaj in 2015 to the best of our knowledge (Entire EC/BOD team). Overall we had a fantastic year with lot of support and participation from each one of you in various events organized by our Committee. Annual Picnic – July 25, 2015 (Social) Our Annual picnic took place at River Fork Parks in Gainsville GA. Event was attended by over 120+ members and was a fun day. Members participated in games, recreation, music, Bingo and of course lot of food. Thanks to all EC members and volunteers who provided unconditional support for organizing the flagship event of BSOGA. Balev and Thread Ceremony – Aug 29, 2015 (Religious) Celebration of balev and thread changing ceremony was organized at Gadphurdham temple. It is a great religious tradition of our Brahmin heritage and members participate in select numbers. Over 50+ members participated in this event. Gamtano Kariye Gulal – Sept 6, 2015 (Entertainment) This is the new event we introduced to raise funds for BSOGA to provide bigger and better program to our members in future. Thanks to Nimishbhai Sevak and his team (Apurva Bodiwala, Rajen Raval, Kaushikbhai Dave, Sanjaybhai Pandya) for tireless efforts in short time to organize this event. Over 250+ attended the event at Berkmar High School auditorium and enjoyed rich heritage of Gujarati Sugam Sangeet presented by renowned Artists Smt Artiben Munshi and Shri Saumil Munshi. Adorable interludes from Shri Tusharbhai Shukla provided magical moments for each song and he stole everyone’s

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heart. Thanks to our chairman Shri Chittaranjanbhai & BOD for their encouragement and support for introducing this new event. Diwali – Ek Shaam Surmayee – Nov 16, 2015 (Social, Religious, Entertainment) Much awaited and most attended event of the year Diwali function was organized for the first time in a formal Banquet Facility at Holiday Inn in at Roswell GA. Event was attended by 325+ guests. Atlanta’s renowned artists presented melodious Indian songs of past and present under composer Shri Sandeep Savla and his group. Great team effort by Nimishbhai Sevak, Ashishbhai Dave, Rameshbhai Bhatt, Pradipbhai Sevak, Kaushikbhai Dave, Niranjanbhai Dave, Indubhai Raval for providing support in planning, organizing and executing the whole event. Most unique item for the evening was the traditional Diwali delicacies prepared by BSOGA members for every guest table. Homemade savory delights were served to each guests, were provided by Smt Medhaben Bhatt, Smt Parulben Sevak, Smt Sushmaben Acharya, Smt Gitaben Kotecha, Smt Vandanaben Raval, Smt Jayshreeben Gangwal and Dr. Amitaben Dave. Shri Kaushikbhai Dave (also known as KB) of K B Zaveree (renowned Jeweler of Atlanta area) sponsored 22 carat diamond ring as a first prize for Diwali Guests for a raffle draw. This resulted in the highest raffle collection in the history of BSOGA. Congratulation and thanks to KB and Ashishbhai Dave for their extraordinary efforts. What a great team !!! Young Generation is often missing at our traditional function. This year we made an effort to invite them at no cost to create an interest in their mind to be part of our culture and events in future. Thanks to each youth member for being part of our function and tradition.

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Kudos to every member and guests for their support, participation and encouragement in making this event a great success. BSOGA Constitution Review : Nov 2015-Feb 2016 (Organization) EC team of 2015-2016, promised a review of BSOGA Constitution during their term to make necessary recommendation to make BSOGA more vibrant and inclusive for everyone. A sub-committee consisting of following was formed to initiate this work.

1. Smt Gitaben Kotecha (Past President) 2. Shri Rameshbhai Bhatt (past Exec and BOD) 3. Shri Kaushikbhai Dave (Past President) 4. Shri Ashishbhai Thaker (BSOGA member) 5. Shri Hemantbhai Thaker (BSOGA Member) 6. Shri Avnibhai Raval (Past Preseident) 7. Shri Rajenbhai Raval (Current President)

Team met several times over three month period sacrificing their personal evening/night time and have come up with great revisions and recommendations for changes. The draft is being finalized for submission to our current legal counsel. We will follow existing articles of our current constitution to adapt to these recommendations through BOD and and/or Annual General body meeting in near future. Stay tuned for more details soon. Ayurveda Seminar : Jan 16, 2016 (Educational) New Year Resolutions is a popular practice in our lives. We wanted to encourage each BSOGA to define some healthy resolution for themselves in 2016. We invited Dr Rajesh Varma, renowned Ayurveda specialist from Florida. This event was organized at beautiful Yugal Kunj Facilities in Duluth GA and was attended by 70+ members and guests. Dr Varma enlightened us with the health life practices and importance of how casual approach to our life styles impacts our health. Be it emotions, food, exercise or even sleep. Several members took advantage of personal consulting offered by Dr Varma at nominal consulting fee at alternative date and time. Several members

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appreciated this event and requested more educational events of such values. BSOGA team promises to work on this suggestion. Thanks to Pradipbhai Sevak for bringing this proposal and make it happen. BSOGA also thanks Yugal Kunj management for providing excellent facilities. Attendees enjoyed art, a short discourse (a/v) from Kripaluji Maharaj and dinner at the temple facility after the lecture. Mahashivratri – Mar 6, 2016 (Religious) Ohm Namah Shivay !!! For years this is our most attended religious function. This year we organized the event at Gadhpurdham Temple in Norcross GA. An enchanting event included Shiv Puja with life size Shiva Linga (organized as always by Smt Jaibalaben and Shri Avnibhai Raval with all necessary Puja Samagri), and strong vibrations of Rudri Path by our own Shri Chittranjanbhai Jyotishi, Dr Niranjanbhai Dave, Pandit Shri Ravindrabhai Dave and Shri Sanjaybhai Acharya. We are lucky to have Pujya Shri Nilkanth Swamiji of Gadhpurdham to help and guide us through the perfect rituals of this great festival year over years. Event was attended by over 350+ devotees of BSOGA (125+) and Satsang mandal (225+). It was delightful to see members getting blessed through such a devotional event. Hope to see you more of you in such events in future. Misc Operational Update (Organizational) EC team members and BOD met twice during the past one year to discuss various initiatives and discussed ways to improve operational aspect of BSOGA and set future direction. Inputs gathered from BSOGA members and our senior advisors are valuable and EC team strives to incorporate them for our operational needs. This allows us to provide fair and optimal events for members and provide highest transparency to everyone.

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વ્હાલાાં - ગમતાાં અને ....... ભક્તો

જો દૂનિયા આટલી બધી બદલી ગઈ તો સ્વગગ િ ેિરક પણ બદલાઈ ગયા હશ ેજ. સમય સૂચકતા અિ ેતરત જ ઉકેલ

લાવવા માટે માિો કે િ માિો બધા ભગવાિ, ભક્તો િ ેઋષીઓ એક જ ગામમાાં રહે છે. િજીકતાિા અિ ેએકતાિા

ઘણાાં લાભ છે. એક તો તરત સવાલિા જવાબ મળે િ ેજ ેકઈ અમલમાાં મુકવાિુાં હોય તે ભગવાિ તરત જ મૂકી શકે.

ભગવાિ પાસ ેકોમ-પ્યટુરથી પણ અિેકગણુાં ફાસ્ટ િ ેપાવરફુલ ઓહ્મ-પ્યુટર છે. આજકાલ નચત્રગુપ્ત પણ "ચોપડો"

િા વાપરતાાં એક અફલાતૂિ પેિ-દ્રાઈવ વાપર ેછે. આમ તો સીધો સાદો છોકરો કે છોકરી ભગવાિિી સેવા કરવાિા

પુણ્યરૂપ ેપૃથ્વી પર જન્મ્યો અિ ેIT બિી ગયો. આ બધા પાછળ ખરખેર એક ખાસ કારણ છે.

એકવાર સ્વગગમાાં ફરતાાં િારદજી નવષ્ણ ુભગવાિિ ેઘર ેપહોાંચી ગયા િ ેભગવાિિ ેખબર િા હોવાથી દીવાિખાિામાાં

બેઠા િ ેસામ ેએક ફોટાિુાં આલ્બમ જોયુાં િ ેઉપર મથાળુાં હતુાં "મારા ગમતાાં ભક્તો". િારદજીએ તરત જ આલ્બમ

ખોલ્યુાં તો પહેલાાં પાિ ેજ પોતાિો ૮" by ૮" િો ફોટો જોયો. મલકાતાાં િ ેરાજી થતાાં િારદજી તો ભગવાિિ ેમળ્યા

વગર જ બહાર િીકળી ગયા.

એટલામાાં સાંજોગવસાત હિુમાિજી રસ્તામાાં મળી ગયા. િારદજી તો "તરત દાિ િે મહા પણુ્ય" મુિી એટલ ે

હિુમાિજીિ ે પોતાિા ફોટાિી વાત કરી. હિુમાિજીએ પહેલાાં તો િમસ્કાર કયાગ િ ેકહ્ુાં હમણાાં નવભીષણ મળ્યાાં

હતા િ ેમિ ેકીધુાં કે ભગવાિ તેિા છાતી પાસ ેએક િાિી ડાયરી રાખે છે િે તેમાાં પણ અમૂક ફોટા રાખે છે. િારદજી

તો ખબર છે િ ેપેટમાાં દહીાં ખાટુાં િા થાય. તેઓ તરત જ પાછા નવષ્ણ ુભગવાિ પાસ ેઆવ્યા િ ેડાયરીિો ખૂલાસો

માાંગ્યો. ભગવાિ ેતો ડાયરી કાઢીિ ેબતાવી તો મથાળુાં હતુાં "મારા વ્હાલાાં ભક્તો". તરત જ ડાયરી ખોલી િ ેજોયુાં તો

હિુમાિજી િો પહેલો ફોટો!!

ભગવાિિ ેખબર પડી ગઈ કે િારદજી િારાજ છે પણ કઈ બોલ્યા િનહ. િારદજી તો બ્રાહ્મણ ખરાિ ેએટલ ેતરત જ

પૂછુ્ાં કે જ ે"વ્હાલાાં, ગમતાાં" િથી તેિી િોાંધ ક્ાાં રાખો છો? ભગવાિ ેશાાંનતથી કહ્ુાં કે તે કામ મેં નચત્રગુપ્તિ ેસોપ્યુાં છે.

શા માટે?

સવાલિો જવાબ આપતાાં ભગવાિ ેકહ્ુાં કે તેવા િામો અસાંખ્ય છે.

બીજ ેનદવસ ેસવારિા પહોરમાાં નચત્રગુપ્તિ ેઘર ેિારદજી ગયા િ ેપૂછુ્ાં કે ભગવાિ ેતિ ેભક્તોિા િામ લખવાિુાં કામ

આપ્યુાં છે તે કઈ ચોપડીમાાં છે? નચત્રગુપ્ત હસતાાં કહે છે તેિો તો "ચોપડો" છે. િારદજીએ "ચોપડો" માાંગ્યો િ ેમથાળુાં

વાાંચયુાં તો હેબતાઈ ગયા. મથાળુાં હતુાં...."મારા ખટપનટયા ભક્તો". એિો તો "ચોપડો" જ હોય િ!ે!!

ભાઈઓ - બહેિો આપણુાં િામ "વ્હાલાાં િ ેગમતાાં" િા લીસ્ટમાાં રાખવા "લોભ, મોહ, ઈષાગ, ક્રોધ, ટર ીક, લુચચાઈ વગરે ે

િ ેજીવિમાાં સ્થાિ િા આપતાાં "સેવા, દયા, દાિ, કરૂણા, ભલમિસાઈ, પ્રેમ, સચચાઈ િ ેસન્મમાિ વગેર ેિ ેયાદ રાખી

વધારો. અસ્તુ.

નચત્તરાંજિ જ્યોનતષી

સફળતાનો અન ેસુખી થવાનો મહામાંત્ર

જયાર ેતમિે ક્ાાં ટકવુાં અિ ેક્ાાં અટકવુાં અિ ેક્ાાંથી છટકવુાં, એ જો આવડી જાય તો કદી તમાર ેલટકવુાં િહી પડે.

તે ઉપરાાંત તમારો સમય, શક્તક્ત અિ ેક્તવત્ત પણ બચશ.ે

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With Best Complements from

Girish Trivedi & Family

BSOGA Life Member

With Best Complements from

Nimish Sevak & Family

BSOGA Life Member

With Best Complements from

Rajen Raval & Family

BSOGA Life Member

With Best Complements from

Manoj Kanaiya & Family

BSOGA Life Member

With Best Complements from

Pradip Sevak & Family

BSOGA Life Member

With Best Complements from

Dr Suresh Sharma & Family

BSOGA Supporter

Shri Shaileshbhai Trivedi & Family

Shri Janakbhai Shah & Family

Shri Ishwarbhai Naik & Family

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BSOGA PLEDGE FORM Dear BSOGA members,

It’s a great honor to serve all of you. Our team greatly appreciates the participation and contributions you

make on continuous basis to enrich culture of our Samaj. These cultural events are the foundation for

retaining our traditions and values, and we want to do more and more of it. We want to bring more quality

programs which are rich in our heritage and values.

We are non-profit organization, and hence we never look to make profit, but we cannot afford to make

loss on any events too. EC team humbly request you to open your heart and wallets to make a small pledge

to encourage us to bring much bigger and better program for the future.

Any amount is welcome.

Thanks in advance for your continuous encouragement.

Sincerely Yours

BSOGA: EC team and Board of Directors

Name: _________________________________________________________________________

Phone: ________________________________________________________________________

E-mail: ________________________________________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________________________________

Amount: _______________________________________________________________________

Please make checks payable to

Brahmin Samaj of GA

Mailing address:

Brahmin Samaj of GA

5028, Wickford drive

Duluth GA 30096

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