From the President's Desk
Mahesh Shetty
President, BANA
Can you hear the beat? Can you feel the rhythm? We are all spectators as we enter the hall. Tentative, waiting for just the right time to jump in. Your friends have joined in, are having fun and waving you in. Making your way through the crowd, you are not sure if this is really a good tune to swing to or that your moves are as smooth as the young Bunt whose shoes seem to skim the floor. But then the music takes over drowning you in cascading waves of rhythm and verse and then you are part of the joyous fraternity melting your hesitation in the loud cadence of pulsating music. Since July last year, the dance hall metaphor is apropos for the Texas Bunt family. Faced with the enormity of the task ahead of us, we were excited, nervous, and took time to distill the cornucopia of ideas to a few large initiatives that we communicated in our previous letter over Thanksgiving. Since then, everyone has joined the proverbial dance and we are now dancing, in our special way, to the same music. I am happy to report progress on all the major initiatives below: 1.BANA 2024: We are working with a travel agency to add a vacation element that will attract the Bunt families who constantly must balance between India trips, personal vacations and BANA. Stay tuned for additional updates… 2.Membership: we need your help to enroll more Bunts to our organization. Our membership directory currently has ~900 members. We think the real number is easily twice that number. Please share your thoughts on how to increase membership of our organization. Feel free to write to us or reach out to your regional rep (we have a WhatsApp group for regional reps). We cannot do this without you. 3.Structure: a.Organization: The BANA Board has updated the by-laws and it is available on our website. b.Treasury: We have opened interest bearing bank accounts with Morgan Stanley so it can be readily transitioned to different host families. c.Accounting: Setup Quick Books online will connect to bank account and membership database and provide continuity for future host families. d.New Logo: members overwhelmingly voted in favor of the new Logo. This newsletter and our website now reflect our new logo. 4.Culture: in collaboration with our fellow Bunts in Mangalore, we are making progress in weaving the BUNT digital quilt that will help us trace our ancestry and network, personally and professionally. We will have more updates on our progress. I am grateful for the incredible team we have assembled to help us bring all the initiatives over the finish line. It takes a village to bring up a child and to host BANA!! Special call out to Rashmi Shetty and Namrata Shetty for their hard work on our first Texas BANA Banavani. Can you hear our music? Join your fellow Bunts in the rhythm of family, friendships, and gratitude. Have a blessed Spring with your family and friends and Bunts!! Preethi Uppad! On behalf of the Texas Bunt family, Mahesh Shetty
Meet the BANA Board
Meet our Committees
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Community News
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Dr. Jithendra Rai & Preethi Rai from Erie, PA retired from Private Practice. Since November of last year, they have been away traveling. They have always enjoyed traveling. They will be shuttling between Washington DC and Florida.
(Submitted by Sumati Shetty - Regional Representative-Mid Atlantic 2/Pittsburgh, PA)
2. Beloved husband, Papa and Ajja, Bhujanga Loku Shetty turned 90 on April 3rd. To celebrate this milestone birthday, the family is taking him out to his favorite type of restaurant (seafood!) and traveling to Key West to create unforgettable memories.
(Submitted by Shweta Adyanthaya-Mid Atlantic 1 Region
3. Umesh and Hema Mally of Vienna, VA, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary surrounded by their children, grandchildren, and family friends, for a night filled with dancing, games, and trips down memory lane!
Community Engagement
Atlanta Bunts - Glass Recycling Project from Echo Club: Excited to share with you an update on our glass recycling project, which was initiated to collect glass from our community. The project was a huge success, and it was made possible by the efforts of the kids from our Echo Club.
Rishaan Shetty is a part of this club and initiative. The objective of the project was to promote recycling and encourage the community to participate in the process.
The Echo Club, a group of environmentally conscious kids, took the lead in collecting glass from households in the community. The response from the community was overwhelming, and we collected a substantial amount of glass over a few weeks. The kids from the Echo Club made sure that the collected glass was properly recycled. The project was not just about collecting glass, but it was also about creating awareness about the need for sustainable living and taking responsibility for our actions. (Submitted by Prasad Shetty - Atlanta BANA rep)
(Submitted by Prasad Shetty - Atlanta BANA rep)
Dallas Bunts participated in the ‘Texas Tree Foundation’ ‘One Earth One Chance’ tree planting event at Lochwood Park in Dallas. This event was organized by Sangeeta Rai, who leads the charity committee for Dallas BANA. Around 15 members participated in this conservatory project organized by the city of Dallas. BANA President, Mahesh Shetty addressed the gathering and thanked the organizers for providing us the opportunity to green up the city. Here are some pictures of our fellow Bunts in Action:
Congratulations to the Texas BANA Executive team for hosting a kickoff call to launch ‘Tulumane Talks’ - an initiative consisting of professional webinars, Youth initiatives, Women empowerment, etc. Tulumane Talks was scheduled on Saturday, April 15th, where Mahesh Shetty, BANA President introduced executive committee members, showcased the new BANA logo, and talked about upcoming initiatives in the pipeline. If you missed attending this live interactive session, here is a link to the video
Social Gatherings
Atlanta Bunts- Diwali Celebration: We had more than a hundred adults and kids join us for our Diwali gathering. The celebration had great food that included traditional Indian delicacies.
We also had an array of performances that kept everyone entertained. The children of the community put up a fantastic performance with various skits, dances, and songs that showcased their talents. It was a heartwarming sight to see them dressed in colorful traditional Indian attire, and performing with great enthusiasm. The adults of the community also showcased their talents in music and dance. We had a fantastic line-up of classical and contemporary dance performances.
The performances were a beautiful blend of tradition and modernity. Overall, the Diwali celebration was a grand success, and it brought the community closer.
The Festival of Lights is not just about lighting lamps, but it's also about spreading joy, happiness, and love. We look forward to more such gatherings in future. Below are some pictures from the celebration. (Submitted by Prasad Shetty - Atlanta BANA rep)
Seattle, Washington Bunts- Diwali Celebration: The Bunt community of Seattle, Washington celebrated the Diwali event on October 15th, 2022 at Khushi, Bellevue.
The event was attended by family and friends with the Bunt community welcoming new members. This was followed by traditional food, games, music, and dancing. Overall, the Diwali celebration was vibrant and joyful and we look forward to more community gatherings and celebrations.
Dallas Bunts -Diwali Celebration: More than 40 Dallas Bunt families gathered to celebrate the festival of lights in November 2022.
The event was kicked off by the lighting of the lamp by the ladies and puja narrated by Mala Shetty. The ceremony was followed by an insightful panel discussion for the youth moderated by Namrata Shetty on how they celebrate Diwali in the US. Dallas Bunts hosted an ice-breaker session so the group could meet with new members and get to know each other better.
The decor by Sheethal Shetty and the planning team did an outstanding job with the stage decoration, artwork for the kids curated by Sandya Shetty, photo booth, and dancing to Bollywood music.
Celebrating Diwali with Bunt Families has become a tradition in Dallas and we all look forward to this celebration every year. Here are some pictures from the celebration:
Sandya and Mahesh Shetty of Dallas, Texas hosted a get-together at their residence to officially kick off BANA 2024 planning in December 2022. This was an opportunity to introduce the executive team and core team members to all the members in the region and to discuss core responsibilities for the upcoming BANA. There were lots of brainstorming, thought leadership, and insights shared and we can't wait to share what Dallas has planned for BANA in the coming months
Dallas Bunts had a fun social mixer in January 2023 at Top Golf Frisco location where everyone got to meet new bunts and socialize with friends and family. The Dallas bunts also met for a fun Bollywood Night of fun and masti at a sports grill on April 1, 2023. Thanks to Shrini Shetty for organizing these fun events and bringing everyone together. Here are some pictures:
Tristate Bunts celebrated Deepavali in style this year. Families and friends met up for dinner at Akbar Restaurant in NJ. Some entertainment from our singers & musicians kicked off a wonderful evening.
Community Spotlight
Nia Shetty from Houston was featured in the news for creating a platform for diverse books, donating books to a local charity as their ambassador
https://abc11.com/nia-shetty-books-for-kids-houston-children-book-reviews- sugar-land/12777872/
Rivaan Gandhi, son of Deepa Shetty and Jay Gandhi, is studying in 2nd grade in Maryland. This is what he had to say about his painting “ This is a painting of snake worship for Naga pooja. I remember seeing this when I visited India with my parents and was amazed at the rangoli art. It's called Naga Mandala. India is full of unique cultures celebrated in different states and this is one of the art forms I wanted to create.”
(Submitted by Nisha Shetty - MidAtlantic 1 BANA rep)
Nivaan Shetty, son of Nisha Mada and Abhishek Shetty, is studying in 2nd grade in Maryland. He created a fantasy land with a mushroom house, butterflies, and rainbows to depict the beauty around us as spring draws near. The painting was made on a 14” cake board using watercolors and he used air clay to highlight a few key aspects of the painting such as the roof of the mushroom house, wings of the butterfly, rainbow, etc.
(Submitted by Nisha Shetty - MidAtlantic 1 BANA rep)
Any Harry Potter fans in the house? Aanya Shetty, daughter of Pradeep and Shrisha Shetty is studying in 2nd grade in Maryland. She enjoys sketching among other things and used her talent at making a card for her friend’s birthday and she would like to share it with everyone.
(Submitted by Nisha Shetty - MidAtlantic 1 BANA rep)
Naksh Shetty, son of Sukesh Shetty and Nidhi Thakur is 10 years old and studies at East Elementary. Sharon got a “Scouts Award” for best workmanship for his derby car.
(Submitted by Mohair Shetty - New England BANA rep)
Dallas, Texas - Esha Shetty, daughter of Sheethal Shetty and Deepak Shetty, a sophomore from Rick Reedy High School is the grand prize winner of the "2022 Butterfly Festival" art contest. The 2023 Butterfly Festival postcard and t-shirt are centered around her wonderful art!
The EmilyAnn Buery Contest was created to honor the memory of Emily Ann Rolling, a Wimberley High School student, whose precious life was cut short by a tragic accident. Each year in April in Wimberley, over 3800 butterflies are released throughout the day during this fantastic festival. Postcards with Esha’s design were sent to approximately 10,000 people and the t-shirt was sold on their website and at the Wimberley butterfly festival on April 15th, 2023, where Esha got to meet Emily Ann’s family and be a part of the celebration commemorating Emily. Here are some of the memories from the festival.
(Submitted by Sheethal and Deepak Shetty from Dallas, Texas)
Dallas, Texas - Mahi Shetty, daughter of Sheethal Shetty and Deepak Shetty, won the "Your Time to Shine" art contest recently. Her light motif was unveiled at the Merry Main Street event in Frisco. She was recognized by the Frisco Mayor and council members at the event. Her light motif will be on permanent display at Frisco Park
(Submitted by Sheethal and Deepak Shetty from Dallas, Texas)
Dallas, Texas - Ashik Prakash from Dallas wins the "Frisco’s Got Talent" competition. Congratulations to Ashik Prakash our resident magician for winning the ‘Frisco’s Got Talent' competition. Ashik performed a Mentalism act where he showed that his Magic and daughter have some strong connections and similarities
Dallas, Texas - A Poetic Tribute to My Mother - by Akash Shetty
Because I feared the water,
I never learned how to swim.
Because I feared getting hurt
I ran away
and dissociated.
I am safe from the world,
But alone
and trapped.
From an unresting world
in the dark,
I look above and see.
All right then,
Let’s try again!
Because I feared the water,
I taught myself to swim.
Because I feared getting hurt,
I stood my ground
and made connections.
I am vulnerable to the world,
But supported
and boundless.
Edison, New Jersey - Aanika Shetty age 14 created this beautiful piece titled "Spring has Sprung"
(Submitted by Chandra Shetty, Pallavi Shetty & Shibani Shetty - Tristate BANA reps)
Upcoming Events
Houston, Texas - Houston bunts are excited to host the 2023 Southwest BANA get-together on April 22nd from 6:00 PM onwards. This is a two-day fun-filled event, where families from TX & OK meet and make wonderful memories together.
Dallas, Texas - On May 13, Tulumane Talks features Dr. Anup Kumar Shetty. Dr. Shetty will be speaking on his latest book: The Power of Infinity–health, well-being, and an anti-cancer llifestyle. Dr. Anupkumar Shetty - MD FASN CPE is a cancer survivor, a public speaker, an author, an educator, a Certified Physician Executive, and a nephrologist at Dallas Nephrology Associates and Methodist Dallas Medical Center. (He studied at Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, and furthered his training at KEM Hospital Mumbai, University of Toronto, and Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan.). Dr. Anup’s webinar is scheduled to be held on May 13, 2023. More details will be shared with members via email and with everyone via Social Media. We hope to see everyone on this professional development session.
The Scholarship Committee is now seeking applications for the following 2022 – 2023 scholarships: ❖KM Shetty Memorial SAT Scholarship —Deadline is June 15, 2023 Award Amount: $500 Eligibility criteria are as follows: ●BANA membership (son or daughter of a BANA member). ●SAT score must be from the 2022 -2023 school year. ●Scores must be received by June 15, 2023 -Copy of College Board Scores document ❖Lila Shetty Memorial Scholarship--$5,000—Deadline is June 15, 2023 Award Amount: $5000 Scholarship Information: This scholarship is for an applicant pursuing a degree in Medicine (MD). Applicant requirements: 1.You must be currently enrolled or admitted to a United States or Canadian medical University. 2.You must be a BANA member or child of a BANA member in good standing for at least the past two years. For purposes of this specific scholarship, a child is defined as the person being 26 years old or younger. 3.Past winners are NOT allowed to apply. 4.You must apply by June 15, 2023. Checklist of Items to be submitted: ●Copy of MCAT score ●Undergraduate transcript ●Acceptance letter from the Medical University or a letter from the registrar’s office verifying attendance. •Personal statement (200-word limit) explaining why the applicant is deserving of the Lila N. Shetty Memorial Scholarship. The personal statement should include the applicant’s past involvement in BANA and/or future participation or commitment to BANA. The four required documents (listed above) must be mailed together in one packet to BANA, 2708 Arbor Court, Richardson TX 75082. The packet should be postmarked no later than June 15, 2023. Selection Criteria: The decision for the award will be based on the following three criteria: 1.50% will be the MCAT score. 2.40% the undergraduate GPA. 3.10% will be based on a personal statement (limit 200 words) about why the applicant is deserving of this scholarship. Please note that the winner of this scholarship will be notified at the end of June 2023. It is strongly encouraged but not required for the winner to attend the BANA convention. Please encourage your children and young adults to apply for these scholarships!
Washington DC - Sohil Adyanthaya, son of Shweta and Dwarak Adyanthaya, is a singer/songwriter and guitarist from the DC area. He is performing live at the music venue and lounge The Delancey in Manhattan, NYC on August 12th. It is a 30-45 minute set consisting of original music, music mashups, and covers. If you are in the area and interested in attending, let Sohil know or save the Facebook event below to your calendar!
New York - Youth Camp is back!!! New York will be hosting the 2023 Youth Summer Camp on August 18th weekend. Kids and young adults between the ages of 14-20 are eligible to attend. Camps are chaperoned by adults.
Cabin accommodations:
Shared with cabins (separate boys and girls) with bathroom and shower facilities included
Activities:
Includes various sports, pool & lake activities, yoga, networking, and cultural activities
Location & layout:
Located less than 2 hours from both New York & Philadelphia, 3.5 hours from Washington DC
If you have additional questions about the youth camp, please contact banayouthcamp@gmail.com
Banavani Team
Rashmi Shetty
Dallas, Texas
Namrata Shetty
Dallas Texas
Website Design
