Date
Wednesday, January 24, 2024
Category
Social / Cultural Network
Published
Aug 19, 2025
Article Summary
The Indian Heritage Centre UK celebrated the winter harvest festivals under the banner 'Sankranti Utsav' on January 20th, 2024, at Stanwell School in Penarth, Cardiff, with the First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford and numerous dignitaries in attendance.
Full Article
The Indian Heritage Centre UK celebrated the popular winter harvest festivals jointly under the banner 'Sankranti Utsav' on January 20th, 2024, at Stanwell School in Penarth, Cardiff. The event was graced by many eminent personalities including the First Minister of Wales, His Majesty's Lord Lieutenant, the High Sheriff, and other dignitaries, and was attended by hundreds of people. The Sankranti Utsav has been marked as a 'festival of unity and heritage'.
The event commenced with a welcome speech from Adv Tripti Megeri, the Founder and CEO of the Indian Heritage Centre (IHC) UK. Tripti greeted and thanked all attendees and explained that the main objective of IHC UK is to create cultural awareness at the grassroots level. IHC UK aims to encourage young adults' participation in cultural and ecological activities, promote community health and wellbeing, social harmony, and empowerment of women.
The First Minister of Wales, Rt Honourable Mark Drakeford, in his address congratulated the IHC team and stated that "Wales is proud to welcome people from different cultures, faiths and backgrounds and we want them all to call Wales their home. We are a nation of sanctuary. The Welsh Government is committed to promoting diversity and is working on its ambitious Anti-Racist Wales action plan".
His Majesty's Lord Lieutenant Mrs Morfudd Meredith, High Sheriff Professor Jean White CBE, Alderman Ramesh Patel and Councillor Jasmine Chaudhary participated in the lamp lighting ceremony as guests of honour. Later, the Honorary Consul of India in Wales, Captain Raj Aggarwal OBE congratulated the IHC team and conveyed his best wishes.
The event was attended by Mr Mark Frost (Cricket Wales), Mr Karsan Vaghani (Hindu Council of Wales); Mr Gurumit Singh Randhawa (Sikh Council of Wales), Mr Hari Patel (Sanatan Dharm Mandir), Dr Rajkumar (NHS), Dr Kale (Bhakti Dham), Commander Suzanne Lynch (UK Navy), Major Peter Harrison (British Army), Ms Marcia (South Wales Police) and various community leaders.
The significance of the 'Sankranti festival' was informatively narrated by Miss Kushi Shetty, and the programme was meticulously anchored by Dr. Neetha Byrappa, Dr. Sunil Pulapaka, Miss Riya Kale and Miss Shivani Kothegal. The event was fun-filled with 'Bharatanatyam' and 'Bollywood' dance performances staged by Rekha Natya Academy (Cardiff), Samarpan Nrithyala (Cardiff), Kavitha's Bollywood Beats (Swansea), Sinjini Dance group (Cardiff), as well as an assortment of music from 90's Bollywood melodies sung by the 'Euphonics' band.
IHC received numerous appreciations for its successful maiden-stage event. CEO Tripti specially thanked IHC committee members Dr Deepak Megeri, Dr Girish Kothegal, Dr Govind Menon, Dr Ravindra Ravindran, Mr Hiren Joshi, and Dr Sunil Pulapaka for their efforts. IHC expressed gratitude to all guests, artists, sponsors, supporters and well-wishers who graced the occasion and requested continued support for its future endeavors.
The event commenced with a welcome speech from Adv Tripti Megeri, the Founder and CEO of the Indian Heritage Centre (IHC) UK. Tripti greeted and thanked all attendees and explained that the main objective of IHC UK is to create cultural awareness at the grassroots level. IHC UK aims to encourage young adults' participation in cultural and ecological activities, promote community health and wellbeing, social harmony, and empowerment of women.
The First Minister of Wales, Rt Honourable Mark Drakeford, in his address congratulated the IHC team and stated that "Wales is proud to welcome people from different cultures, faiths and backgrounds and we want them all to call Wales their home. We are a nation of sanctuary. The Welsh Government is committed to promoting diversity and is working on its ambitious Anti-Racist Wales action plan".
His Majesty's Lord Lieutenant Mrs Morfudd Meredith, High Sheriff Professor Jean White CBE, Alderman Ramesh Patel and Councillor Jasmine Chaudhary participated in the lamp lighting ceremony as guests of honour. Later, the Honorary Consul of India in Wales, Captain Raj Aggarwal OBE congratulated the IHC team and conveyed his best wishes.
The event was attended by Mr Mark Frost (Cricket Wales), Mr Karsan Vaghani (Hindu Council of Wales); Mr Gurumit Singh Randhawa (Sikh Council of Wales), Mr Hari Patel (Sanatan Dharm Mandir), Dr Rajkumar (NHS), Dr Kale (Bhakti Dham), Commander Suzanne Lynch (UK Navy), Major Peter Harrison (British Army), Ms Marcia (South Wales Police) and various community leaders.
The significance of the 'Sankranti festival' was informatively narrated by Miss Kushi Shetty, and the programme was meticulously anchored by Dr. Neetha Byrappa, Dr. Sunil Pulapaka, Miss Riya Kale and Miss Shivani Kothegal. The event was fun-filled with 'Bharatanatyam' and 'Bollywood' dance performances staged by Rekha Natya Academy (Cardiff), Samarpan Nrithyala (Cardiff), Kavitha's Bollywood Beats (Swansea), Sinjini Dance group (Cardiff), as well as an assortment of music from 90's Bollywood melodies sung by the 'Euphonics' band.
IHC received numerous appreciations for its successful maiden-stage event. CEO Tripti specially thanked IHC committee members Dr Deepak Megeri, Dr Girish Kothegal, Dr Govind Menon, Dr Ravindra Ravindran, Mr Hiren Joshi, and Dr Sunil Pulapaka for their efforts. IHC expressed gratitude to all guests, artists, sponsors, supporters and well-wishers who graced the occasion and requested continued support for its future endeavors.