Celebrate the cultures of India and help save babies at the sixth annual March of Dimes Rangeela event on Saturday, April 14, at High School North. The doors open at 4 p.m. and performances begin at 4:30 p.m. The theme is “A Journey Through India,” highlighting a variety of cultures from India through music and dance. Past Rangeela events have raised more than $100,”000. Usually a sold-out event, seats are pre-assigned according to donation of $25 to $100.
Rangeela is a multicultural event that showcases ethnic food, dance, and musical performances. Choreographers and dancing schools involved in the show include Kalanjali School of Dance, Sudha Shekhar Devulapalli; Archana Nrityalaya, Archana Joglekar; Nupur School of Dance, Pratik and Madhavi Devasthale; Prerna School of Dance, Bina Shah; Satrangi School of Fusion, Rohit Baxi; Siddhendra Kuchipudi Art Academy, Swathi Gundapuneedi; India Performing Art Center, Smita Patel; Sudhamini Dance Academy, Sudha Grover; and Arya Dance Academy, Rina Shah.
The idea behind Rangeela was developed by Plainsboro resident Rahul Bansal, a student at High School North. He not only wanted to educate the community about the mission of March of Dimes, but saw Rangeela as a culturally relevant way to educate the Asian Indian Community.
Bansal, who will graduate from Georgetown University this spring, has plans to be an investment banker at CitiGroup. He is also chairing the March of Dimes National Youth Council. His twin brother, Rohit, who has always worked on Rangeela, is graduating from New York University in May, and will be working in New York City with the Federal Reserve. Tara Morrell, who has also worked with them since the beginning, graduates from Penn State in May.
Youth volunteers from High School North include Rima Kotak, Lekha Racharla, Rhea Hans, Pooja Shah, Ranajoy Bose, and Aakash Modi. High School South volunteers include Vishal Pathak, Ankita Satpute, Deeksha Taneja, Nikhita Thaper, Aakash Bhatia, Ronak Gandhi, and Priya Saksena.
Money raised from Rangeela supports the March of Dimes mission to improve the health of babies here in the United States where every year, half a million babies are born prematurely and 120,”000 babies are born with serious birth defects.
“There are some frightening statistics that we need to change, both in America and in India,” said Pinakin Pathak, Plainsboro resident and co-chair of the Rangeela adult committee. “Here in the New Jersey, the infant mortality rate is 5.7 per 1,”000; in India, it’s 58 per 1,”000. I’m grateful that the March of Dimes is an organization that is working to change those numbers.”
Padmaja Racharla, who has also been involved with Rangeela for six years, is the publicity chair this year. She was born and educated in India, where she is a certified public accountant. “As a mother, I sympathize with others who have endured hardship and have had premature babies,” she says. “I feel the necessity to reach out and help those in need, in order to save babies in the world.”
Her husband, Negender Racharla, has been in the United States for 20 years. A computer professional, he is the president of Rotary Club of Plainsboro and the past president of the Indian American Civic Forum. They are married close to 18 years.
They moved to Plainsboro in 1991 and to West Windsor in 1994. Their daughter, Lekha, 14, is a freshman at High School North. Priyanka is in second grade at Dutch Neck School. Their son, Rajesh, 4, attends Dutch Neck Nursery School.
Adult mentors include Percis Bansal, Shaila Kotak, Padmaja Racharla, Pinakin Pathak, Indu Bhatia, Rajat Bose, Anil Deshpande, Sudha Shekhar Devulapalli, Pallavi Gandhi, Srinivas Karuturi, Steven Lambusta, Kalpana Mehta, Sangita Patel, Kirti Pathak, Chandra Sheker Pirlamarla, Jaishree Ramnath, Alka Satpute, and Jyotsna Thaper.
“From the age of eight, I enjoyed helping the community and volunteering. Now I intend to work towards a worthy cause — saving babies,” says Lekha. “In order to fulfill this mission, I’m glad that I have been given the opportunity to work with the March of Dimes.”
— Lynn Miller
Rangeela 2007, March of Dimes, High School North, 90 Grovers Mill Road, Plainsboro, 609-655-7400. Sixth annual benefit evening of multicultural dancing followed by dinner from Palace of Asia and music. $35 to $50. Saturday, April 14, 4 p.m.
