17th SARASWATHI AWARDS IN NEW YORK

                    Dance and Music Teachers Honored 

Musician and Singer Mrs. Salini Rajendran lighting the lamp 

for the 17th Saraswathi Awards; assisted by Mrs. Manju Thomas,
Jeevadhara School of Dance in New York

New York, November 15, 2014:

The 2014 Saraswathi award competition and award ceremony was held at Frank Padavan Queens High Schools of teaching hall in Bellerose, and the chief gust of the ceremony was Mr. Leivang Kam Ngaihte, Head of Chancery & Press/Information and Appellate Authority of Indian Consulate in New York.  The guest speakers were Mr. Sovy Aazhath, CNN news Producer & Editor and Mr. Taj Mathew, National President of the India Press Club of North America.

Mr. Leivang Kam Ngaihte, Head of Chancery,  Press & Information 

& Appellate Authority of Indian Consulate in New York

Mr. Taj Mathew, National President, India Press Club of North America 

and Editor of Malayalam Pathram, New York

Mr. Saavy Aazhath, CNN News Producer & Editor

17th Saraswathi Award Participants with  organizers.

Theme Song by  Shirly  Sebastian and Jojo Thomas in 17th Saraswathi Awards Ceremony




PARTICIPANTS OF 17TH SARASWATHI AWARD COMPETITIONS.

Judges of the 17th Saraswathi Awards competition

Jyothi Thomas, MC

Dancers in award ceremony

Dancers in Award ceremony

Dancers in award ceremony

The winners of the 17^th Saraswathi Awards competitions

CLASSICAL SONG- Pre- Junior:
Saraswathi Award Winner:  Kaavya Sekhar
Second Place: Pranav Narayanan
Third Place: Gia Rose Vincent





CLASSICAL SONG-   Junior:

Saraswathi Award Winner : Christy Thomas
Second Place: Shruthi Shekar
Third Place:  Sitara Cherian



CLASSICAL SONG-   Senior:

Saraswathi Award Winner: Kabilan Jeganathan
Second Place: Samantha Aloysius &

Sophia Chirayil
Third Place: Rithika Reddy

INDIAN LANGUAGE SONG - Pre-Junior:

Saraswathi Award Winner: Gia Rose Vincent
Second Place: Pranav Narayanan
Third Place: Chaaranath Badrinath

INDIAN LANGUAGE SONG - Junior:
Saraswathi Award Winner: Sitara Cherian
Second Place: Shruthi Shekar
Third Place: Christy Thomas

INDIAN LANGUAGE SONG - Senior:
Saraswathi Award Winner: Sophia Chirayil
Second Place: Samantha Aloysius





BHARATANATYAM - Pre Junior:
Saraswathi Award Winner:  Shalini Rajan
Second Place: Nikhila Sukhavasi
Third Place: Sahana Sundar

BHARATANATYAM - Junior:
Saraswathi Award Winner:  

Priyanka Umamaheswaran
Second Place: Aheetha Shankar &

Charumathi Badrinath
Third Place: Nidhi Mahadevan





INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC - Junior:
Saraswathi Award Winner: Krupa Sekhar
Second Place: Kristen Aloysius
Third Place: Sejal Rajagopalan

Award distribution by Saavy Azhath, CNN News Producer & Editor

Award distribution by Taj Mathew, President, India Press club of North America

and Jojo Thomas, Founder President of Saraswathi Awards

Award distribution by Jyothi Thomas

Mr. Leivang Kam Ngaihte ( Indian Consulate, New York)  applauded the contributions of teachers and greeted the students for inheriting and showcasing India at its best in the United States and abroad. Mr. Taj Mathew (IPCNA)  and Savy Aazhath (CNN)  greeted the Saraswathi Awards organizers for their contribution to India’s culture and art and promoting it in the United States. The day long competition was attended by children from many south Indian heritage and languages residing in the United States

Honorees of Dance and Music at
17^th Saraswathi Awards in New York

To recognize the contribution in promoting Indian Classical music and dance in the United States, the teachers (guru’s) of various schools in the tri-state area were honored by the Saraswathi Awards in New York.  The honorees at the 17^th Saraswathi Awards includes Mrs. Savithri Ramanand (Mukthamber Fine Arts), Sathya Pradeep (Nritya Saagaram Dance Academy of New York), Sulekha Karthikeyan (   Pallavi Sangeethalaya, New York), Sumathi Haran (Sri Vidhyalaya Music School), Keetha Mohan (Arunodaya dance Academy), Usha Balachandran and George Devasya Puthoor

                                     

Mr. Jojo Thomas and Mrs. Manju Thomas (Guru- Jeevadara School of Dance), the organizers and founding members of the Saraswathi Awards greeted the honorees on stage and placed “Ponnada” as a symbol to recognize the Guru’s contribution in Dance and music.  During the last 30plus years these teachers have dedicated their service in teaching hundreds of young talents to inherit Indian art forms such as dance and music. They have performed in many stages all over USA and abroad to showcase India and its immense cultural heritage.

Participants with Saraswathi Awards 

The organizers of the Saraswathi Awards with Chief guest Mr. Leivang Kam Ngaihte – Head of Chancer & Appellate Authority of Indian Consulate, New York,   Taj Mathew – National President, India Press Club of North America and Sovy Aazhath- CNN News Editor and Producer.

Organizing Committee

Jojo Thomas, Founder & President

Dr Ashok Kumar, Mathew Cyriac, Sebastian Thomas

Maria Unni, B Aravindakshan, Manju Thomas,

Jeevan Thomas and Jyothi Thomas

SARASWATHI AWARDS

PO Box: 90

Farmingville, New York  11738

Tel:  1 516 455 9739.   
E-mail:  saraswathiawards@gmail.com

2014 Event Sponsors

Attorney Dr. Unnikrishnan, Ph.D., LLM, Jackson Heights, NY

East West jewelers, Hicksville, NY,   Raj Auto Center, Bellerose, NY

Taj Travels and Tours, Inc., Floral Park, NY, Cotillion Restaurant, Jericho, NY

Santoor Indian Restaurant, Glen Oaks, NY

New York, November 15,  2014