SMAP-LA Hosts 3-Day Celebrations Featuring Talks & Entertainment
India-West Staff Reporter
CERRITOS, CA – The Shivaji Maharaj Antarashtriya Parivar (SMAP) recently held a three-day celebration to mark the 350th Anniversary of the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It began on June 21 with a three-hour networking cruise in Long Beach Harbor with 200 people in attendance.
A leadership summit was held on June 22 at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. The program began with a video session by Govind Dev Giri Swami, the treasurer of Ram Mandir Ayodhya. He said Shivaji Maharaj had united people and provided strong leadership to protect the rights of the local citizens to bring liberty, equality and justice for all and emphasized the need to learn from his leadership.
There were various panel discussions on the core values of SMAP – “Unite, Lead, Serve.” Panelists included Dr. Pradeep Shukla, an associate professor at Chapman University, Sattie Persaud from Forbes non-profit counsel, Dr. Ashish Pande, professor from IIT Mumbai, Dr. Kamaljeet J. Anand, professor from Stanford University, Brian Mac Mahon, entrepreneur, Ganesh Ramkrishnan, professor from IIT Mumbai, Scott Fox, entrepreneur, Charudutta Aphale Buwa, 8th generation kirtankar, Dr. Rohini Joshi, founder of NeuroSquare, and Dr. Nitin Shah, physician and social worker.
The chief guest of the evening was Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati, the 13th descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He specially came for this event from India, and spoke emotionally about the life, values, and legacy of his illustrious ancestor, highlighting Shivaji Maharaj’s achievements and contributions to society. Additionally, he discussed his own initiatives in India, particularly the restoration of the Raigad Fort, one of the world’s largest forts.
The panel sessions were followed with talks by Ashish Pandya, Art of Living Foundation, Miss World America, Shree Saini and H R Gaikwad of BVG Group who shared details of his company doing research in the medical field. The entertainment segment featured various talented local performers and the Gulzaarish Group.
The following day, June 23, several activities were held at the Don Knabe Regional Park in Cerritos and the former chief minister of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani was in attendance. The activities included the celebration of the International Day of Yoga, a T10 cricket tournament, honoring of defense personnel, a wellness resource fair, a play on the life of Shivaji Maharaj, dance dramas and other inspirational events. Miss India, Simran Ahuja was the emcee.
The organizing committee was composed of 82 members, 60 volunteers, 50 supporting organizations, and over 300 performers, a statement said. The huge celebration was spearheaded by Vijay Patil, SMAP founder and global president.
