From Vedic Mantras to Qawwali: A Night When Devotion Wore Dancing Shoes
The Family That Prays and Pays Together: Hari Om Mandir’s Annual Fundraising Triumph
Asian Media USA ©
Chicago, IL: On a crisp Saturday evening, October 10, 2026, as the clock edged past 6:00 p.m., the elegant halls of Pearl Banquets at 1490 W. Lake Street, Roselle, IL, transformed not merely into a dining venue but into a living temple of community spirit. Hari Om Mandir’s Annual Fundraising Dinner unfolded under soft lights and the scent of spice, drawing hundreds of devotees who came ready to eat, dance, donate, and repeat the cycle of generosity that has defined this sacred institution for decades.
The night opened with the gentle insistence of MC Mona Sharma, urging guests to settle in with their snacks and begin the program—an evening with a divine purpose and plenty of entertainment. Acharya Ram Naresh Vajpayee then filled the room with Vedic mantras, his voice carrying the ancient cadence that grounds every Hari Om gathering. “This is not merely a temple event,” he reminded the assembly. “It is the grace of the Divine that has brought us together.” His blessings set a tone of quiet reverence before the evening’s energy rose.
Brij Sharma, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, took the stage next, his words warm and direct. He welcomed everyone to the Annual Fundraising Dinner, offered prayers for those who could not attend due to health or personal reasons, and thanked both the Board of Trustees and the Executive Board for their tireless year-round service. Special recognition went to President Vipan Wadhera and Sangeeta Wadhera. “The world cannot move without Shri Ram, Ram cannot move without Hanuman, and Hari Om Mandir cannot move without Vipan and Sangeeta,” Brij Sharma declared, drawing sustained applause. He spoke of completed projects, including the installation of the Hanuman Murti and the protective cover around it, funded entirely by community donations without external borrowing. Looking ahead, he highlighted the immediate need for parking-lot lighting, estimated at around $100,000, and the longer-term goal of bringing city water to the temple for safer drinking water, another $500,000. Quoting Kabir, “The bird takes a beakful, yet the river does not diminish,” he opened the donation drive with an appeal for generous contributions.
MC Mona Sharma continued to maintain the flow of the evening with her couplets, emphasizing the importance of donations in running any institution and reminding guests of the purpose of coming together.
Anil Saxena, Fundraising Chairman, followed with characteristic brevity and humor. He celebrated the $150,000 raised last year and set a higher bar for 2026, praising the Hanuman Murti project, which cost nearly half a million dollars yet was completed under budget through collective will and contributions. He singled out Vipan Wadhera and Sangeeta Wadhera for shouldering much of the organizational load during a personally difficult year for him.
Then the stage bloomed with art. Falguni Rana offered a graceful Ganesha Vandana, her movements flowing like prayer made visible. Pratibha Jairath and Raju Bankapur—affectionately known as the Kishore Kumar of Chicago—took over with nearly an hour of melodious classics. Their set included romantic numbers that drew couples onto the dance floor, tabla and bansuri performances by Raju, and a Mukesh medley that left the audience swaying. Pratibha’s playful banter about Raju’s “superstar” days and Vandana Bankapur’s sharp wit kept laughter bubbling between songs. The Fashion Walk that followed, choreographed with patience and precision by Priya Raheja and supported by Vijay Raheja, featured devotees of all ages gliding across the stage to beloved film songs, turning the stage ramp walk into a runway of cultural pride.
President Vipan Wadhera returned to give a detailed donation update that left the room electric. GRAND donors who had given $10,000 and above included Brij Sharma, Dr. Manav Salwan, Kalsi Builders, Saurabh and Ruchi Srivastava, Nalin Shah, Dr. Arun Verma, Usha Singla, and Archana and Sudhir Agrawal. PLATINUM donors contributing $5,000 and above were also acknowledged: Anup Saxena, Anil Saxena, Navin Paul, Ashish Shukla, Anil Gulati, and Vipan Wadhera. He read a long list of additional contributors who donated amounts ranging from $250 to $1,100. Collection boxes and pledges pushed the evening’s total close to $100,000 at that point; by night’s end, the figure approached $170,000, prompting Vipan to raise the target to $200,000 on the spot. “Every penny is used for a cause and the devotees,” he said. “We think only of how to provide better facilities and help our community grow.”
Special mention went to Hari Om Gurukul, led by Anurag Awasthi and Prerna Awasthi, whose young students had memorized all six stanzas of Vande Mataram in just fifteen days and performed at the Consulate General’s office to high acclaim. Youth Night, planned and executed entirely by the next generation, was another point of pride.
Asha Mehta then lit up the stage with a vibrant Bollywood dance to “Ghoomar,” her energy proving infectious. Raffle drawings followed, with Amazon and Visa gift cards claimed by lucky ticket holders, including moments of good-natured chaos when Vipan himself forgot to drop tickets into the box.
Mona Sharma then changed the flavor of the evening with her rendition of Punjabi TAPPE! Her message was loud and clear: donations and fun can go together.
The recognition awards section was hosted by Sangeeta Wadhera, with assistance from former secretaries Sneh Chaudhary and Anita Rawal. Honored guests, including Anil Loomba, Yogi Bhardwaj, Anu Malhotra, Om Dhingra, the Agrawals, Asha Oraskar, and Rakesh Malhotra, were invited to the stage to present awards to those whose service runs deeper than any check. Ashok and Shma Sharma, Ramesh and Indu Bhardwaj, Deepak and Mona Sharma, Dinesh and Varsha Patel, Raju Bankapur, Anurag and Prerna Awasthi, and Acharya Ram Naresh Vajpayee were the deserving recipients of these awards.
The evening closed with a high-spirited Qawwali featuring Pratibha Jairath, Om Dhingra, Raju Bankapur, Dr. Bhupendra Berry, Ashwini Mahajan, Vipan Wadhera, Vandana Bankapur, Poonam Mahajan, Anita Berry, Kanan Dhingra, and Sangeeta Wadhera. Songs of love, devotion, and playful intensity filled the hall until the last note faded into grateful applause.
Throughout the night, the message remained clear: Hari Om Mandir is not a building or an institution, but a family. From parking lights to pure water, from children’s Sanskrit to elders’ aarti, every contribution sustains a living tradition. Guests left with full hearts, fuller stomachs, and the quiet knowledge that their generosity had already begun to return multiplied.
“In an age when communities too often fracture under the weight of distance and distraction, the Hari Om Mandir family reminds us what collective faith can still achieve. Their October 10 gathering was more than a fundraiser; it was living proof that devotion, when paired with disciplined service and open-hearted giving, builds institutions that outlast any single generation. May their example continue to light the path for every temple, every diaspora, and every heart that still believes culture is worth preserving—one shared meal, one song, one generous act at a time,” said Mr. Suresh Bodiwala, Chairman and Founder of Asian Media USA.
Photographs and Press Release by: Asian Media USA
Suresh Bodiwala
Chairman
Asian Media USA
Cell: 847-420-4789
E-mail: [email protected]
