Atlanta, GA – Sankara Nethralaya USA (SNUSA) successfully organized a violin and classical dance concert, Navarasam, on September 14, 2024, in Atlanta to raise funds for restoring vision to underprivileged patients in India. The event, spearheaded by Jassotha Balasubramaniam, founder of Carnatic Strings Violin Studio, was a collaborative effort involving nine academies, including her own, and 72 classical dance students representing eight dance academies. Together, they depicted nine emotions (Navarasam) through violin performances and classical dance.
The fundraising event saw participation from the following academies and their respective gurus:
- Nataraja Natyanjali (Neelima Gaddamanugu) – Saantham, Bheebatsam
- Samskrithi (Gayathri Srinivasan) – Karuna
- Noopura School of Bharatanatyam (Anila Haridas) – Hasyam
- Nritya Sankalpa (Savitha Vishwanathan) – Adbhutam
- Deeksha School of Performing Arts (Anupa Guha Thakurta) – Veeram
- Bharathakala Naatya Academy (Subathra Sudarshan) – Rowdram
- Naatyaveda Dance Academy (Sobiya Sudeep) – Shringaram
- GA Cultural Arts Academy (Gayathri Venkatachalam) – Bhayam
The event was a houseful success, with some audience members standing throughout the performance. SNUSA expressed gratitude to all academies, gurus, and students who contributed to the cause.
Prominent Guests and Support
SNUSA Board of Advisor Dr. Raj Modi promoted the event to raise awareness, while SNUSA Secretary Shyam Appali provided technical support, and Trustee Vamsi Krishna Eruvaram promoted the event on social media. SNUSA’s Founder & President Emeritus, S.N. Acharya, and advisors Prasad Reddy, Leela Krishnamoorthy, and Treasurer Banu Ramkrishnan conveyed their best wishes to the Atlanta team.
The program was honored by guests of honor Dr. Kalpana Rengarajan, who shared her long association with Sankara Nethralaya, and Paul Lopez, who highlighted the collaboration between Good Vision and Sankara Nethralaya to provide affordable eyeglasses to indigent patients. The effort, facilitated by SNUSA Board Advisor and Padma Bhushan awardee Dr. Jagdish Sheth, aims to make glasses available for as little as $1.
Key Contributions
The program also recognized local community leaders, including Raghava Tadavarthi and Sriram Reddy Palla, for their continued support of Sankara Nethralaya’s mission. Volunteers, led by Atlanta Chapter Vice President Rajesh Tadikamalla and Chapter Leads Chinmay Dasmohapatra, Hemanth Varma Penmetsa, Sudhir Patro, and Vijay Garlapati, were instrumental in organizing the event. Their efforts were widely applauded by the audience.
Mobile Eye Surgical Units (MESU)
Significant funds raised from the event will support cataract surgeries for indigent patients through Sankara Nethralaya’s Mobile Eye Surgical Unit (MESU), a hospital on wheels that serves rural areas. Currently, three MESU units are operational in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Jharkhand, with plans for a fourth unit to launch in Puttaparthi by January 2025 and a fifth in Vizag later that year.
The Adopt-A-Village sponsorship, allowing donors to fund eye camps in their native villages, received significant interest. This program costs $12,500 for areas within 300 kilometers of a base hospital and $15,000 for areas 300–500 kilometers away.
Looking Ahead
Sankara Nethralaya USA is planning a year-end concert on November 17, 2024, to raise additional funds for cataract surgeries in India. The organization aims to continue expanding MESU operations to reach more remote villages and restore sight to those who cannot afford to travel to urban centers for treatment.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Moorthy Rekapalli and the national anthems of the United States and India.
For more information, visit www.SankaraNethralayaUSA.org.
