Reflecting on 2024: A Year of Triumphs and Milestones

To say that 2024 has been quite eventful for Marathi Vishwa New Jersey would be an understatement. As you can see from the retrospective slides at end,  The Marathi Vishwa Committee has been busy throughout the year, starting with Sankrant and concluding with the Gita Jayanti celebrations on 8th December. Throughout the year, the MV committee hosted various ticketed events, member only programs, and children’s competitions.

We successfully organized fundraisers such as ‘Ranguni Rangat Madhur, by Vidushi Manjusha Patil; followed by ‘CharChaughi,’ an intense and popular three act play. Later, MV hosted the multi-talented duo program “Sankarshan Via Spruha,” attended by approximately 700 people. With the help of our two sponsors, we launched a dedicated page for MV Yellow Pages on the Marathi Vishwa website The Marathi Vishwa board put considerable efforts and introduced new membership models providing a range of options to accommodate different family sizes and types. These innovative membership models quickly gained popularity, resulting in an increase of over 100+ new memberships for MV in the last year.

Marathi Vishwa hosted many kid’s-oriented programs, such as “Drawing & Coloring competition“, “KavyaDhara & SahityaKunj“, “Swaradhara” competitions, and finally a popular kids’ program “Vasantotsav“. The community showed great interest in such kids-oriented programs which gives us energy to continue the same programs in 2025.

MV also introduced “Mangalagaur Khel,” which received an overwhelming response from the MV community. Despite the short notice, MV members were delighted to attend a free “Meghdoot” lecture by Smt. Dhanashree Lele on a weekday afternoon.

This year, the Ganeshotsav musical extravaganza, presented by Mr. Shridhar Phadke, – ‘Babuji ani Mi’ – was a resounding success, captivating an audience of over 750 attendees. Following Dasara, MV hosted the theatrical masterpiece, “Shrimant Damodar Pant,” by Bharat Jadhav. The production involved an extensive set-building process that spanned over a month. I am immensely proud of the team members who devoted their weekends to this laborious task, ensuring that MV members had an unforgettable experience. Under the unwavering leadership of Sachin Adbe, our set was constructed with such precision and durability.  The set was then utilized for performances in both New Jersey and Philadelphia.

This year, MV celebrated Diwali with a magnificent Natyamohotsav. The morning session showcased “Varhad Nighalay London la,” presented by Sandeep Pathak. Marathi Vishwa brought this play from India and collaborated with three other Mandals to host the show in their respective states. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to immigration attorney Swapnali Kelkar, for her professional support, as well as to MV Board Member Vrushali Bhawatankar and all others involved in the successful execution of this production. Following a lunch break, MV hosted another captivating drama, “Bandhamukta” performed by Theatrix NJ artists. Concurrently, the planning for Rangadeep 2024, which commenced in June, was in full swing with their editorial process. Priya Godbole led this effort with remarkable skill, and the results are evident in your hands. This year, we were fortunate to have Rising Freshman and Rising Junior editors from NJ/NY who infused fresh ideas into the publication. We give our heartfelt thanks to Editor Puja Ghate and Co-editor Deepali Kamatkar for their invaluable contributions.

Marathi Vishwa seized the opportunity to register as an NPO at the Modi&US event, scheduled for September 22, 2024. Over 250 Marathi Vishwa members registered for this significant event. The MV President and MV Ex-President collaborated with Modi&US event managers to secure 135 seats for Marathi Vishwa members. Additionally, Marathi Vishwa facilitated event transportation from the Edison Oak Tree location.

As we wind up this year, I would like to extend my gratitude to my team – starting with Vice-president Priya Godbole, Secretary Dipti Karkhanis, Treasurer Kanchan Joshi, Sheetal Gaiki, Shalaka Sawant, Roopali Gune (Re-elected for the second term), Anirudha Niwargi (Re-elected for the second term), Vrushali Bhawtankar (Interim member – Now elected for her first Term), Newly elected Trushna Thakur (First Term) & Newly elected Salil Parkar (First Term).

The two MV board members who completed their second term are MV Ex-President Anagha Yerande & MV Ex-Vice President Sachin Adbe. They have epitomized selfless dedication throughout their tenure on the Marathi Vishwa board. Their unwavering commitment, strategic acumen, and relentless efforts have not only propelled our community’s growth but have also metamorphosed Marathi Vishwa into a profoundly community-centric organization

I am also thankful to our trustees – Vihar Deshpande, and our newly elected trustees Niranjan Deo and Sandeep Dharam, for their able guidance. I would like to thank retiring trustees Kiran Rege and Nitin Apte for volunteering to serve as the MV Trustees for the past six years. The Board and the Marathi community would like to sincerely express our gratitude for providing constant guidance, valuable inputs, governance of MV bylaws, and continued support throughout their tenure.

I also want to thank the MV Investment Committee, who work diligently in the background to ensure safe returns on our investments. I would like to give a special thanks to Mr. Prakash Dhargalkar; Mr. Shrikant Nadkarni; and newly on-boarded Mr. Prashant Kolhatkar, who make up the Marathi Vishwa Investment Committee. I value their advice and am grateful for their support. Additionally, I would like to thank Mr. Vivek Patankar who served MVIC for the past three years. As a MVIC member, Vivek ensured that the MV funds were appropriately invested. During his tenure, the MVIC team was able to meet the financial challenges, commitments, and opportunities during MV’s hosting of BMM 2022 and the MVCC sale.

In conclusion, I extend my profound gratitude to all our members, sponsors, and dedicated volunteers for elevating Marathi Vishwa New Jersey to an organization of immense pride. Your unwavering and steadfast support fuels our drive to deliver an unparalleled, cultural experience year after year.

Marathi Vishwa New Jersey is in its 46th year, and I know it will continue to grow stronger with your blessings and unwavering support.

Thank you!

Mandar Kelkar
President, Marathi Vishwa NJ