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Gujaratis celebrate culture and literature in Atlanta

The event featured performances by writer Madhu Rye and poet Shobhit Desai.

From left Dr. Asha Parikh, Mr. Jatin Shah, Madhu Rye, Rameshbhai Purohit, Dr. Dhaval Shah, Dr. Naresh Parikh, Nimish Sevak and Mustafa Ajmeri. / Courtesy of IGCSA

The International Gujarati Cultural Society of Atlanta (IGCSA) hosted two community events earlier this month at the Best Western in Roswell, Atlanta, to celebrate culture and literature. 

The first event featured Gujarati playwright and novelist Madhu Rye, while the second event was an evening of popular Gujarati Ghazals performed by poet Shobhit Desai.

The first program commenced with a reading of Rye's short story "Makan," written in 1970 in India. This was followed by a second story, "Acharaj," penned in 1974 in Evansville, U.S.

Rye, then conducted interactive games to deepen participants' understanding and usage of the Gujarati language. By selecting a simple sentence from everyday conversation, he illustrated how emphasizing different words can alter their meaning. The author engaged in a Q&A session with participants creating a collaborative storytelling session that demonstrated how to enhance or twist a plot with just a few sentences.
 

Madhu Rye speaking (from left) Jatin Shah, Madhu Rye, Rameshbhai Purohit, Naresh Parikh, Mustafa Ajmeri and Nimish Sevak / Courtesy of IGCSA

Rye is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the “Narmad Suvarna Chandrak,” “Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak,” “Bhupen Khakhar Award,” and “Sahitya Gaurav Puraskar.” He has an extensive body of work that includes stage drama, TV and radio drama, novels, and short stories in the Gujarati language. His works have also been adapted into other languages.

Rye studied stagecraft, focusing on playwriting and direction, at the University of Hawaii. In 1974, he completed his master's degree in creative writing from the University of Evansville, Indiana.
The second event titled "Gazalni Gunjati Sargam" was presented by poet Desai, who entertained the audience for three hours with popular Gujarati ghazals.

Desai, a distinguished Gujarati poet, has shared the stage with legendary artists throughout his illustrious career. He is renowned for his one-man show, ‘Andaz-e-Bayaan Aur,’ which is dedicated to the famous Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib. Desai has also emceed over 4,000 multilingual stage shows in India and the U.S.

The show was graced by the presence of several prominent figures, including Drs. Asha and Naresh Parikh, chairman and CEO of Embassy National Bank Nitin Shah, Dr. Dhaval Shah, Jatin and Chaula Shah, Atlanta’s cultural ambassador Mustafa Ajmeri, and many leading hotel-motel entrepreneurs.
 

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