Honoring 2025: A Year of Togetherness, Community Spirit and Cultural Pride

2025 has been a remarkable and transformative year for Marathi Vishwa New Jersey. As highlighted in the retrospective slides, our committee remained actively engaged from the very first event of the year — Mukkampost Bombilwadi Movie screening — through the concluding Gita Jayanti celebrations on December 7th 2025. Throughout the year, the Marathi Vishwa team organized a diverse lineup of member‑exclusive events, ticketed programs and children’s programs / competitions, ensuring continuous cultural enrichment for our community.

The year began with a fantastic response from community and a sold-out screening of the Marathi movie “Mukkampost Bombilwadi” at Big Cinema, Edison, on January 11, 2025. It was a complete laugh riot, and the audience loved every moment. Thank you for supporting this initiative. Our Makar Sankrant celebration (25th Jan) was a joyful start to the year, filled with tradition, energy, and community spirit. “Sanskriticha Sohala” set a beautiful tone, followed by the much-loved BorNahan and the show-stealing Halvyache Dagine Ramp Walk. With Haldi Kunku, Waan, Ukhane, and a delicious festive meal, the day was full of smiles and togetherness.

We organized several impactful programs, including “Swaranjali” by Vidushi Devaki Pandit, followed by “Wada Chirebandi”, an intense and widely appreciated three‑act play. Soon after, MV hosted Dr. Dhanashree Lele’s enlightening talk, “Pasayadan”, and the very next week presented “Abhangawari” by Mahesh Kale, which drew an audience of nearly 900 attendees.

On May 3, 2025, Marathi Vishwa had the privilege of hosting Yajurvendra Mahajan’s inspiring talk at the Old Bridge Library. Despite his tight schedule and travel commitments, the MV team seamlessly integrated this event—even with Wada Chirebandi scheduled the very next day. Another key community event (MV Outdoor) was our Third Annual Maharashtra Din & Memorial Day Walk/Run, held on May 17, 2025, at Colonial Park in Somerset. The event brought the community together for a healthy and energetic start to the summer.

Thanks to the support of our Gold and Silver sponsors, who made the Marathi Vishwa website operation run smoothly without incurring additional expenses. This year we popularized the new membership model, designed to accommodate diverse family structures. These innovative options were well‑received, resulting in over 135 new memberships—bringing our total to 835, up from 700 last year.

Marathi Vishwa continued its commitment to youth engagement by hosting several children’s programs, including the “Drawing & Coloring Competition”, “KavyaDhara” & “SahityaKunj – Balkatta”, “Swaradhara”, and the ever‑popular “Vasantotsav”. The enthusiastic participation from families motivates us to continue offering these programs in 2026. A big shout‑out to our MV Teens, who volunteered their time and stepped in wherever needed — truly commendable. MV hosted an NJIT Makerspace Workshop for MV Teens and a Gudhi-Making Workshop for all MV members.

MV successfully managed art sessions for children during our mega events, Ganapati and Diwali. This allowed parents to enjoy the programs while children remained engaged and busy with their creative projects.

Our annual picnic, Gaav Jatra, held in June at Johnson Park, brought together more than 300 community members for a day filled with fun, food, games, and a lively Zumba session. A special Father’s Day celebration and the involvement of small businesses and food vendors added to the festive atmosphere.

The BMM “Reshimgathee” Summer Soirée, hosted by Marathi Vishwa New Jersey on July 12, 2025, at Forsgate Country Club, was a tremendous success. With 114 attendees and nearly 20 on the waitlist, it became one of the season’s most sought-after events, bringing young Marathi professionals together for an evening of connection and celebration. Thank you to everyone who helped make it memorable.

Marathi Vishwa celebrated Mangalagaur on July 26 with 160 participants creating a vibrant and festive atmosphere. The evening featured an engaging Intro Bingo, a soulful Aarti and a lively dance performance Our first-ever Shravan-themed Cooking Competition showcased 15 talented participants, with thoughtful judging. The celebration beautifully highlighted MV’s cultural spirit, community bonding, and enthusiastic participation across all age groups.

Marathi Vishwa also celebrated the 78th Independence Day by participating in the India Day Parade 2025 hosted by IBA. The strong turnout from our community—proudly wearing specially printed Marathi Vishwa T‑shirts—made our presence felt after many years. We look forward to an even bigger and better participation next year.

Ganeshotsav, Marathi Vishwa’s opening and flagship event for 2025–26 membership year, was a grand success. The sold‑out celebration welcomed nearly 1,000 attendees. The day began with “Strings of Harmony”, a captivating sitar performance by Chirag and Chintan Katti, accompanied by the talented Vivek Pandya on tabla. The second program, “Apoorvai”, featured eminent poet Shri Vaibhav Joshi, flute maestro Shri Amar Oak, and the versatile

singer Ms. Sharayu Date, supported by Vikram Bhat (Tabla), Darshana Jog (Keyboard), and Rohan Vanage (Octopad).

This year’s Diwali celebration became truly memorable with the staging of the acclaimed play “Shikayala Gelo Ek”, performed by Prashant Damle, Hrishikesh Shelar, Susheel Inamdar, and their talented team. Even with last-minute venue and seating adjustments, Marathi Vishwa witnessed an unprecedented turnout of over 1,500 attendees — the highest in our Diwali event history.

We also proudly released the 35th edition of the Rangdeep Diwali Ank at the MV Diwali event. This year’s MV featured a specially designed Rangdeep banner. Following the Aavahan, we received an exceptional number of fresh, unpublished writings and artworks from across the US and India. The beautifully curated 120‑page issue offers rich entertainment and thoughtful insights.

MV Teens stepped up tremendously by helping during mega events and running two Donation drives. All items were donated to the beneficiary organizations.

With immense pride, we share that Marathi Vishwa NJ and our community raised $4,000 for the Marathwada Flood Relief Fund—far surpassing our original $2,000 goal. Your overwhelming generosity exceeded the target by 200%.

As we conclude this year, I extend my sincere gratitude to my dedicated team: Vice President Priya Godbole, Secretary Dipti Karkhanis, Treasurer Kanchan Joshi, Roopali Gune, Anirudha Niwargi, Vrushali Bhawtankar, Trushna Thakur, Salil Parkar, and newly elected members Sachin Kulkarni and Ajinkya Pawar.

We also acknowledge two MV Board members who retired in 2025: former Vice President Sheetal Gaiki, who served two terms, and Board of Directors member Shalaka Sawant, who served one term. It has been a privilege to collaborate with such committed individuals. As they transition from their roles, we extend our heartfelt thanks, best wishes, and look forward to their continued guidance.

My gratitude also goes to our trustees—Vihar Deshpande, Niranjan Deo, and Sandeep Dharam—for their steady leadership. A special note of appreciation to the MV Investment Committee—Mr. Prakash Dhargalkar, Mr. Shrikant Nadkarni, and Mr. Prashant Kolhatkar—for their diligent efforts in ensuring the safety and growth of our investments.

In closing, my heartfelt gratitude goes out to every member, sponsor, and volunteer who continues to shape Marathi Vishwa New Jersey into a community we cherish. Your trust and unwavering support give us the strength to create meaningful cultural experiences, year after

year. As Marathi Vishwa enters its 47th year, I am confident that—with your blessings and continued support—our community will grow even stronger.

Thank you!

Mandar Kelkar
President, Marathi Vishwa NJ