Acknowledgments I would like to thank the
Cleveland Aradhana Committee (CAC), volunteers, and the rasikas, who I
interacted with, for the wonderful experience during the annual
celebration of Thyagaraja's genius. I would especially like to
extend my appreciation to Karthik Venkatraman, Gopi Sundaram, and Mony
Iyer. In addition to the normal benefits they provide to all
attendees, they helped with the logistics (festival and web
production) and behind the scenes activity in the creation of these pages.
The camera was courtesy of Dan B. I would not have
been able to take the 1000+ photos of the event without the loan. The CAC
was also generous in giving permission to hover on stage, to obtain some
excellent pictures. Several attendees also made my appreciation of
the proceedings more enjoyable. They also helped provide a better idea of
the scope of the event.
Thanks to An Appeal This is a personal appeal to the
reader. The Aradhana is a unique event that provides its attendees
several outlets - to participate in contests, experience latent talent,
enjoy music of veteran to upcoming musicians, socialize with people with
similar interests, and learn more about subjects they are passionate
about. All this - including several meals are free.
The resources needed to plan and implement such a festival
are phenomenal. In addition, the CAC keeps expanding the
presentations and activities. I was surprised at the lack of
proactive solicitation of funds by the organizers. It is worth
remembering the cliché that "all good things must end". The time
will probably come when such an expensive event will be difficult to fund.
Whether you have attended or plan to so, you can help
in several ways, to ensure the longevity of this marvelous event and
enhance your cultural experience.
1) 2) Save your money throughout the year to 3) 4) Encourage others to assist/volunteer or |