Pittsburgh_Patrika_January_2019

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 2, January 2019 

The 

ittsburgh atrika 

Vol. 24, No: 2 January 2019 

www.pittsburghpatrika.com 

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The Quarterly Magazine (Jan, Apr, Jul, and Oct) for the Indian Diaspora 

Vol. 24 No. 2 www.pittsburghpatrika.com January 2019 

4006 Holiday Park Drive, Murrysville, PA 15668 

Phone/Fax: (724) 327 0953 e-mail: ThePatrika@aol.com 

“Like” us on Facebook at 

www.facebook.com/pittsburgh.patrika 

Highlights in this issue... ... ... 

3 

Page 

Court-Ordered Redistricting Maps Make Our 

. Congressional Delegation Equitable 

By Kollengode S Venkataraman .................................................... 2 

The Hindu-Jain Alliance’s Inter-Faith Gathering Against 

Religious Hatred 

By Premlata Venkataraman............................................................. 6 

“To Lend A Helping Hand, All You Need To Do Is Stretch Out 

Your Hand For Henna!” 

By Priya Matreja.......................................................................... 10 

Celebrate Every Living Moment, Not Just January 1 

By Juginder Luthra....................................................................... 14 

Chinmayananda’s Mahasamadhi Day in 2019 

By Ganesh Krishnamurthy ........................................................... 15 

My Experiment with Cold Showers 

By Kollengode S Venkataraman................................................... 16 

A Pittsburgher at the U.N.’s Human Rights Watch 

By Rashi. Venkataraman............................................................... 20 

PIC-5k Raises $58-k in the Annual Walkathon Last Fall 

By Suresh Ramanathan................................................................. 24 

The ‘Burgh’s Brand New Organization for Seniors 

By Arun Jatkar.............................................................................. 26 

Natyakriya Celebrates Ten Years 

By Srujana Kunjula,...................................................................... 28 

On the Cover: After a severe snow storm in a recent Pittsburgh winter, 

the sky cleared, revealing this beauty. — K S Venkataraman •


The Quarterly Magazine (Jan, Apr, Jul, and Oct) for the Indian Diaspora 

Vol. 24 No 2 www.pittsburghpatrika.com January 2019 

Phone/Fax: (724) 327 0953 

Court-Ordered Redistricting Maps Make Our 

Congressional Delegation Equitable 

By Kollengode S Venkataraman 

The midterm elections last November set right the perversion of 

democracy in Pennsylvania by the GOP-controlled state legislature. 

In recent decades, the GOP-controlled General Assembly in Harrisburg, 

after the decennial census, had redrawn congressional district maps. 

This is mandated by law. However, they did this in such a way as to give 

themselves undue advantages in the elections. 

Pennsylvania is a moderate state — socially conservative but left-ofcenter 

on economic and pocket book issues. In elections for U.S. president 

and U.S, Senate, the vote split between Democratic and Republican candidates 

is 45:55 swinging either way. We have voted for both Republicans 

and Democrats in presidential elections; we have had both Democratic 

and Republican governors and U.S. Senators. 

But the delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives tells a different 

story. It is skewed badly in favor of Republicans. In the 18-member 

congressional delegation from the state, the GOP/Democrat split is 13/5, 

giving undue weightage to Republicans. This is because of the way the 

GOP-controlled General Assembly in Harrisburg has drawn the maps for 

the congressional districts, through what is called gerrymandering. States 

redraw congressional district maps every ten years based on population 

changes. An article in the April 2018 issue discussed this at length. See 

here: www.tinyurl.com/Equitable-PA-House-Delegates. 

Early last year, in a law suit filed by the League of Women Voters, 

the state Supreme Court asked outside consultants to redraw the 

maps to make them more representative of the voting patterns of the state. 

In the mid-term November elections of 2018, with the redrawn maps for 

the 18 Congressional districts, the GOP-Democrat split is now 9:9, more 

reflective of our state’s political character. 

Yes, the unpopularity of Donald Trump in the White House also has 

contributed to this shift favoring Democrats. But even without Trump 

4 

e-mail: ThePatrika@aol.com


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in the White House, with the redrawn map, the delegation to the US House 

of Representatives from Pennsylvania would have been more equitable, 

more like 10/8 in favor of the GOP instead of 13/5 we had before. With the 

Democrats gaining majority in the House of Representatives, this change 

in the Pennsylvania’s delegation becomes more important. 

Thank you, League of Women Voters, for bringing the lawsuit to 

Pennsylvania’s state Supreme Court. Thank you, State Supreme 

Court, for forcing the redrawing of the maps for Congressional districts and 

making the elections truly representative of the ethos of our citizens. 

This gerrymandering is common also in Democrats-controlled states 

and cities, where Democrats give themselves undue advantages in elections 

to stage legislatures and city councils. Gerrymandering not only perverts 

the very idea of “Representative Democracy,” but also always leads to 

corruption at many, many levels. 

How changes in the population of our state relative to the 

population of the nation affect our political clout: 

The graph below encapsulates the population dynamics of our home 

state of Pennsylvania in relation to the population of the United 

States. The U.S. population has been growing quite rapidly in the last 

century, from 76 million in 1900, to 200 million in 1920, to 250 million in 

1990, to 320 million in 2020. See the black line in the graph. The population 

of the state of 

Pennsylvania is leveling 

off (the blue line 

in the graph): we were 

just over 6 million in 

1900, 10.5 million in 

1950, over 12 million 

in 2000, and are 

currently around 13 

million. As a result, 

the population of the 

state as a percentage 

of the population of 

the nation has been declining (the red line in the graph). We were 8% of 

the nation’s population in 1900, and now we are under 4%. 

The total number of members in the US House of Representatives in 

the US Congress is 435, fixed by the constitution. The number of House 

members in each state is based on the population of each state relative to 

Midterm elections... ... Continued on Page 33 

6

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The Hindu-Jain Alliance’s 

Inter-Faith Gathering Against Religious Hatred 

By Premlata Venkataraman 

e-mail: Thepatrika@aol.com 

The Hindu and Jain Alliance of Greater Pittsburgh, a newly formed 

group of Hindu and Jain organizations here, held a well-attended 

— and well-organized — Interfaith gathering at the Sri Venkateswara 

Temple on December 9, 2018. The context was the ghastly shooting 

spree on October 27, 2018 with eleven people shot to death by Robert 

Gregory Bowers, 46, a resident of Baldwin, PA, inside the Tree of Life 

Synagogue in Squirrel Hill. Nine of victims were over 65 years of age and 

six were over 75. The theme of the event was Unity in Diversity, based 

on the Hindu axiom Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (The whole earth is one 

family). Coming in the wake of the 

killings in a synagogue, the theme 

was poignant. 

The participants were Rev. Liddy 

Barlow (Christian Associates of 

Southwest Pennsylvania), Mr. Wasi 

Mohamed (The Islamic Center of 

Pittsburgh), Mr. Joshua Sayles (The 

Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh), 

Suchitra Srinivasa helping Rabbi Barbara 

Symons to set up the Menorah flanked by 

two traditional Hindu oil lamps. 

Shri Som Sharma (Ahinsa), Rabbi 

Barbara Symons (Temple David), 

Acharya Vivek (The Chinmaya 

Mission), and Rev De Niece Welch, 

(Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network). 

Two traditional Indian oil lamps flanking the menorah set the mood 

for the gathering at the temple auditorium. The priest Shri Venkatacharyulu 

lit the Indian lamps to begin the meeting, as Barbara Symons 

solemnly read the names of those killed in the shooting spree at the Squirrel 

Hill synagogue, following which Hindu priests recited Shanti Mantras. 

The English translations of the mantras were projected on a screen so that 

the invited guests and the audience could internalize the lofty messages of 

the mantras. This was a welcome change. 

Next Harichandan Mantripragada conducted a brief session of traditional 

meditation to focus our thoughts on bringing peace within us. 

Since it was Hanukkah, members of the Jewish faith lit the menorah 

amid Jewish prayers in Hebrew. It was a profound moment for the audience 

to listen to Hebrew prayers and Sanskrit hymns for the peace. 

8


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The gathering for the event at the auditorium. 

10 

Many members 

of the various 

faiths gave 

m e s s a g e s o f 

peace and unity. 

The Rev. Liddy 

Barlow gave a 

Christian reading 

emphasizing 

that we do not 

have to be identical 

to coexist. 

Som Sharma, 

who for several decades, represented Hindus in many interfaith gatherings 

in our area, drew on the universal teachings of the Isavasya Upanishads 

and the Hindu tenet that all streams of the various faiths ultimately lead 

to Brahman or the Supreme One. The Rev DeNiece Welch echoed the 

same theme from the Christian perspective: since we are created in God’s 

image, we should find His likeness in all the differences we find among 

all of humanity and hence never give into hatred. 

Joshua Sayles from the Jewish Federation touched everyone when he 

said he will never ever forget his experience of celebrating Hanukkah at a 

Hindu temple with people of all faiths in attendance. 

The hateful events leading to the mindless carnage 

of the innocents at the Tree of Life may still happen 

again in other places, he said. But it has brought all 

of us together in support, so we can become strong 

again, he said, thus showing us a silver lining in an 

otherwise mass of dark clouds. 

Chinmaya Mission’s Acharya Vivek, who came 

from Niagara, Canada, spoke last and summed up 

the key points of all the speakers who preceded him. 

He emphasized that individuals working together 

Acharya Vivek. 

to understand each other help to remove ignorance and eliminate blind 

hatred that ends in violence like that happened at Tree of Life. 

Law enforcement officials from the Penn Hills and Monroeville 

municipalities were present at the gathering. Doug Cole, Monroeville 

municipality’s Chief of Police, told the audience that events like this go 

a long way to bring communities together. 

It was noteworthy that the minimal, but appropriate comments by the 

two emcees, Nangali Srinivasa and Visala Muluk, enhanced the solemnness 

of the occasion, as did the translations of the Sanskrit hymns recited. •


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“To Lend A Helping Hand, All You Need To Do 

Is Stretch Out Your Hand For Henna!” 

By Priya Matreja, McDonald, PA 

For a girl my age — I am fifteen — I feel incredibly 

lucky to get opportunities to promote Indian culture with 

my henna skills and be able to raise funds for charity. 

Hello, I am Priya Matreja, a sophomore at South Fayette 

High School. Along with school work, I participate 

in extracurricular activities, Indian classical dance, and 

volunteer at various places. But I never hesitate to spare 

time even on a school night for raising funds for charity 

with my henna skills. You may wonder how I learned my henna skills. 

I casually tried to decorate my hands using henna by watching videos 

on YouTube in 2016. Slowly I started getting interested in the art and kept 

practicing it on my sister’s hands and sketch papers. It was not very long 

before I decided to make my passion a way to raise money. 

Well, what exactly is henna? Henna, also known as mehndi, is 

an herbal plant-based paste used to decorate hands and feet and 

other parts of the human body with beautiful designs. These gorgeous 

designs last from about a few days to a little over a week. It takes a lot 

of effort to create even one 

design. First, I must practice 

multiple times before I present 

it to customers. 

Doing henna also requires 

immense patience because 

Mehndi with Sundari toy at the South Fayette Twp Library. 

the lines do not 

always come 

out the way 

you want them 

to. Further, to 

do any design, 

you must sit 

for hours creating 

the design 

12


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while keeping the customer from 

moving and ruining the pattern. My 

henna designs are shown here. 

I have spent countless hours applying 

henna tattoos during Ganesh 

Chaturti, Teej, Karwa Chauth, Navaratri, 

Deepavali, and other functions. 

I also raised money through 

events such as “Asha” of Nandanik 

Dance Troupe and Durga Pooja of the 

At work with a very young customer. 

Bengali Association of Pittsburgh. 

It gives me great satisfaction when I donate everything that I earn. 

So far, I have raised about $400 towards the Kerala Flood Relief 

fund, the KDKA Turkey Fund (which provides 

Thanksgiving meals to the needy), Toys for 

Tots (which gives Christmas gifts to kids who 

cannot afford them) and others. 

I also demonstrate my henna skills, share 

information about it, and create awareness 

about Indian culture 

in various places. I 

was given the opportunity to present my henna 

designs at the South Fayette Township Library’s 

launch event for cultural awareness, featuring a 

new doll named Sundari. It’s gratifying to see the 

amazement on peoples’ faces when they find the 

variety of beautiful designs and discover how easy 

and pain-free it is to get the henna tattoo done with mehndi. 

I think I have made significant progress in my journey as a henna artist, 

thanks to all my patrons who have encouraged me 

to come this far. I hope to continue this, because 

I realize that there are always innovative ways 

to help mankind. 

One of the members of the Bengali Association 

of Pittsburgh helped me come up with a 

quote for my endeavor “To lend a helping hand, 

all you need to do is stretch out your hand for 

henna.” 

My request to all my readers is to consider me for their henna needs 

in the future to support my endeavor. Thank you. Jai Hind!! God bless 

America!! • 

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16


Chinmaya Mission Organizes 

Chinmayananda’s Mahasamadhi Day in 2019 

Ganesh Krishnamurthy. Regional Coordinator 

Chinmaya Mission Pittsburgh 

He was waiting, searching and looking to strike. This was the mighty 

and powerful monkey king Vaali of Kishkinda. He was looking to defeat 

and destroy Sugreeva, his younger brother. A small misunderstanding was 

the cause of the enmity. Sugreeva was safely lodged in the Rishyamukha 

mountains on the outskirts of Kishkinda, because Vaali had a curse that 

he would drop dead if he set foot anywhere near Rishyamukha, which in 

Sanskrit means the abode for many Rishis and their ashrams. 

Sanatana Dharma or Hinduism is replete with beautiful symbolisms 

from our sacred texts. In this case, Sugreeva is our individual 

identity or ‘Jiva.’ The terrible Vaali signifies distractions of the world’s 

negative forces acting on us. Rishyamukha signifies ‘Satsang’ or the 

company of pure-hearted and learned people to help us attain ‘moksha’ 

or freedom from the ill-effects of worldly distractions. 

This also is a subtle pointer that the only cure for the maladies of the 

world is spiritual education. Individuals are the thread woven to make the 

fabric of the community, society, country and ultimately humanity. 

One of the foremost modern Vedantic masters, Swami Chinmayananda, 

said, “Worldly problems can be solved only by spiritual solutions.” The 

Swamiji, through the Chinmaya Mission he founded, dedicated his entire 

life for imparting spirituality to people’s lives through Gnyana Yagnyas and 

Spiritual camps. He emphasized the balance of head and heart, pointing out 

selfless work, study and meditation as the cornerstones of life. To celebrate 

the life and teachings of this ‘second Vivekananda,’ the Mission organizes 

an annual ‘Chinmaya Mahasamadhi camp’ for the entire family. 

In 2019, Pittsburgh’s Chinmaya mission hosts the camp from July 29 

to August 4, 2019. Children will be in Balavihar classes and fun activities 

in the camp while adults get to be in Satsang, mingle with like-minded 

people in a Sattvik ambience. The topics covered in the camp will be on 

‘Sri Krishna Leela,’ Ramayana and the Bhagavad Gita. 

For registration and other details, visit www.Mahasamadhi2019. 

org. Please register to take advantage of the early-bird registration. 

There is also an option to spread the payments over six months. 

We in Pittsburgh have a divine opportunity to engage in this week-long 

spiritual retreat/camp/festival. We hope that everyone takes advantage 

of this and extends their support, because remember — “He is waiting, 

searching and looking to strike.” • 

17


My Experiment with Cold Showers 

By Kollengode S Venkataraman 

Like everybody else, I have done my share of crazy things in life — 

like getting married, as most people have done. If that was not enough, 

I went to graduate school for over four years in my 30s with a wife and 

a newborn baby. This was after an eight-year gap 

after my bachelor’s, a long gap in which my grasp 

of the sciences and mathematics had evaporated. 

Then, in my 40s, over two decades ago, I started 

this magazine while holding on to a full-time job 

— with no experience whatsoever in editing, proofreading, 

or copyediting; software skills for myriad 

things, Bulk Mailing, selling ads, bookkeeping… … 

And this when my older daughter was getting ready 

to go to college. Ignorance was bliss. 

hat have these to do with Cold Showers?” you may won- 

But this preface sets the stage for what follows. Out of 

“Wder. 

necessity, I use the Internet for fact-checking, etymology of words... In 

this, I’ve come across nuggets of fascinating information. This is identical 

to the story in Yoga Vaasishtha of a man assiduously searching for 

a lost copper penny, fortuitously ending up with Chintamani, the wish 

fulfilling gemstone. But in my search, I am content if I get a nugget, if I 

get anything at all. 

The one I got was on the health benefits of Cold Showers, defined as 

taking bath in really, really cold waters, at temperatures going as low as 

50 o F or lower. The health benefits claimed are many, some psychosomatic, 

others physiological: reduced stress, better alertness, long-term 

weight loss when done daily, increased testosterone and sperm count, 

better immune resistance and blood circulation, antidote for depression, 

better sleep, muscle recovery after injury, better skin and hair… All kinds 

of information is available on the Internet. Samples: 

Scientific Evidence-Based Effects of Hydrotherapy on Various Systems 

of the Body by A Mooventhan and L Nivethitha (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ 

pmc/articles/PMC4049052). 

Here is a website on the subject: www.coldshowers.com 

Here is another: www.medicaldaily.com/benefits-cold-showers-7- 

reasons-why-taking-cool-showers-good-your-health-289524 

These are only the tip of the iceberg floating on cold waters. 

was skeptical, but when I learned more, my curiosity got the better 

I of me. I wanted to try Cold Showers, not in summer, not in fall, but 

in this winter, when the outside temperatures were in the 30s o F. 

18


Being used to hot showers, I wondered where to begin and how. The 

best advice I read that suited me was to phase myself into it. So this is 

what I did, step by step: 

Note: I am in my 60s and what follows worked for me, though my wife 

thinks I am crazy. So, after reading this, if you want to be adventurous, 

talk to your doctor before you start. 

• On the first day, before my bath time, I indulged in some serious 

autosuggestion to get ready mentally. I told myself, “Venkat, after all, 

you’ve survived forty years of marriage; you went to grad school after a 

big gap, when you were married and had a baby; you’ve seen two daughters 

through their teen years. You have seen far worse. Cold Showers can 

not be any worse. Besides, it is going to be very brief, only for several 

minutes.” Getting mentally prepared is necessary. 

• Then, instead of starting with hot water (~120 o F for me), I 

started with lukewarm water (~105 o F). While under the shower at this 

lukewarm water, I scrubbed my body head to toe with a washcloth. 

• Then, while under the shower, very, very slowly I lowered the 

water temperature. I stayed there for about 30 seconds, turning around, 

completely drenching my head, shoulder, back, legs, and front so that my 

entire body got used to the lower temperature. This is important. 

• I lowered the water temperature again — again very gently — and 

19


drenched my entire body for 30 seconds to get used to the water. 

• I took the water temperature down like this over 6 to 7 minutes. 

Our normal body temperature is 98.4 o F. So, as the water temperature 

came close to this, the sense of warmth I experienced vanished. 

Then the fun started. When 

the water temperature was 

slightly below body temperature 

(around 94 o F), I had the first sense 

of discomfort. I told myself to get 

used to the discomfort. I stayed 

at the lower temperatures for 30 

seconds, turning around for my 

entire body to get used to the colder 

water. Surprisingly, I got used to 

it, and I felt OK. 

Then, I made the water colder 

by one more small decrement. I went through the same cycle of experience. 

As the water got colder, I had a initial discomfort for each step down, but 

I got used to it. Strangely, I even felt a sense of mild exhilaration. The 

temperature-time profile was like shown in the sketch above. 

Then, as the temperature got colder (in the 70s o F, much colder than 

20


98.4 o F), the initial discomfort became acute. I was gasping for breath, 

breathing deeply and more frequently. But I got used to this too after ~30 

seconds, till the temperature was so low that the 

discomfort was unbearable. This was my lower 

temperature limit for that day. 

Along the way, I screamed with choicest profanities 

in Tamil, Malayalam, English and Hindi. 

After the showers, I completely dried myself. 

During this whole sequence, I was fully alert, 

living every second in the ETERNAL NOW. I 

was mentally detached from everything else. 

After my shower, I felt incredibly fresh 

and energetic. I was exhilarated, almost 

euphoric for no reason. Strangely, paradoxically, 

and contrary to my fear, I felt a great sense of warmth in my body. I did 

not feel cold at all. I am sure there are physiological explanations for this 

in terms of better blood circulation, better use of more oxygen through 

diaphragmatic breathing, and hormone secretions... 

With each passing day, I lowered my lower temperature a little. I am 

now in the 50s o F for over a month. I intend to stay on this for several 

months till I go all the way to ~40 o F. I don’t know if I can reach there 

though. All temperatures were measured using a bimetal thermometer. 

already saw another benefit: My wife, who showers after me, now 

I does not complain about not having enough hot water for her shower, 

and we no longer have disruptive behavior towards each other!!!! 

I am in my 60s, and Cold Showers worked for me so far. But then, 

I’ve done many crazy things in life. So, if you want to try this, talk to 

your doctor first. The experience — the exhilaration, energy, euphoria and 

the sense of well-being that stays for hours after the shower — is worth 

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21


Akshaya Kumar: A Pittsburgh Native Working 

for U.N.’s Human Rights Watch 

By Rashi Venkataraman, Washington DC 

e-mail: Rashi1220@gmail.com 

This spring, Rashi Venkataraman, a native of Murrysville, PA talked to Akshaya Kumar, 

the Deputy UN Director for Human Rights Watch in Washington. A graduate from Upper St. 

Clair, Akshaya attended George Washington University and then earned her law degree 

from Columbia University. Her academic and professional work has taken her to London, 

Egypt, Sudan and South Sudan. Akshaya Kumar currently lives in New York City with her 

husband. Rashi went to Franklin Regional High School and earned her BS and MS from 

Carnegie Mellon University. She spent a year in Indonesia as a Fulbright Scholar. After 

working for the Veterans Administration for several years in different capacities, she now 

works for a nonprofit outfit in the healthcare-related field. 

Rashi: Tell me a little bit about your current role. 

Kumar: Since 2015, I’ve worked for Human Rights Watch, one of the 

largest human rights organizations in the world. Human Rights Watch is 

focused on reporting and shedding light on human rights conditions around 

the world. The United Nations has the power and authority to affect and 

address human rights in many parts of the world, and my role is focused 

on helping the UN do their job better. 

22


Rashi: Since the administration change in the US in 2016, what are the 

biggest challenges you face doing your work in 2018? 

Kumar: One of the great things about the Human Rights Watch is 

that our work has never solely relied on the United States as a vehicle 

for positive change in the world. More broadly, the United Nations is 

based on the principle of nations coming together from all over the world 

to inspire change. While there are disagreements about what that change 

might look like, there’s a shared sense of principles and intentions. And 

it’s in that shared spirit of trying to do the right thing to improve peoples’ 

lives that we are able to work with our counterparts at the UN on different 

initiatives. 

Rashi: Beyond the standard accomplishments question, what is the 

coolest project you’ve worked on? 

Akshaya: Well, the one that probably excited my family in India the 

most is the Op-Ed piece in the New York Times I co-authored with George 

Clooney and John Prendergast. It was great to shed light on the conflict 

in Darfur. It’s great when you can harness the power of celebrity to shed 

light on an important topic. 

Rashi: What advice would you give young Indian-Americans growing 

23


up in Pittsburgh that might be interested in your career track? 

Kumar: Pittsburgh can feel like a small town when you’re growing up 

and interested in international affairs. I didn’t even know a job like this 

existed when I grew up in Pittsburgh! There’s no reason to feel like you 

have to operate in a certain lane. I went to law school and got my law 

degree, but you don’t have to practice law if you don’t want to; there are 

ample opportunities to take that legal training to create your own niche. 

I’ve found that my law background and training has been a great foundation 

for doing the international justice work that is my passion. 

Rashi: What do you miss most about Pittsburgh? 

Kumar: I left Pittsburgh about fifteen years ago when I left to pursue 

my degree in Washington, DC. Further academic pursuits and jobs have 

taken me to New York, London, Egypt, Sudan, and South Sudan. When 

I think about growing up in Pittsburgh, I think of the tight-knit Indian 

community there that had so many common experiences to really bind us 

all together. I definitely miss the familiarity of seeing the same families at 

the temple during the weekend; it really fostered the sense that we were 

all part of a community. I’ll always feel really grateful for that and look 

forward to paying that forward to future generations. • 

24


Ouvaiyyaar, the Grandmotherly Tamil Poet 

Ouvvaiyaar is a legendary— even mythical — poet in Tamil literature. 

With the name meaning in Tamil “The respectable Old Lady,” one can 

imagine the exalted place her name occupies among Tamils, scholars and 

commoners alike. Literary historians believe that more than one person 

went by the name. She was a Saivite, grandmotherly, austere mendicant, 

full of wisdom on the way of the world. Here is one of her pearls of 

wisdom in the meter of Vennbaa. Her message transcends time, place 

and cultures: 

Rice paddy is threshed to get the rice grains. The husk is discarded. 

Without the husk intact in the paddy seed, it never can germinate. 

No matter how intelligent, strong and capable a person is, 

Without critical subordinate help, one accomplishes nothing. 

— By K S Venkataraman • 

Perfect 

Weddings 

EVENT PLANNING 

INDIAN CATERERS 

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25


PIC-5K Raises $58k in Fun-filled 

Annual Walkathon Event Last Fall 

Suresh C Ramanathan, Volunteer for the PIC-5K Event 

e-mail: sramanathan@koryak.com 

Five years ago, the Pittsburgh Indian Community and Friends (PICAF) 

Nonprofit was established to bring the entire community together across all 

languages, religions and social and cultural groups around a single event, 

Some of the volunteers in this year’s 5k Event. 

the PIC-5K Walk/Run. Its purpose was simple and straightforward: to try 

to make a huge impact in the lives of people in the region where we live, 

work, study, and raise our families through a fun-loving fundraising event 

in the fall. All the money raised through donations in this annual event 

goes to nonprofits. Volunteers cover all the operational costs. 

These last five 

y e a r s , P I C - 5 K 

has raised about 

$250,000, including 

the operational 

costs that are covered 

by volunteers 

who run this unique 

event. Thanks to 

the generosity of 

donors and the frugal 

approach of the 

Pittsburgh’s Chinmaya Group’s booth at the Walkathon. organizing volun- 

26


teers, this year, PIC-5K 

raised nearly $58,000 in 

the September 22 event. 

And the organizers will 

distribute the $58,000 

raised in the event to 

various community organizations. 

Great efforts go to due 

diligence for identifying, 

vetting and selecting the 

non-profits in the Greater 

Volunteers at the East End FitBit Program booth. 

Pittsburgh area mitigating 

homelessness, helping with healthcare and education for the needy, and 

emergency first responders. We request award recipients to use all the 

funds we donate to deliver programs to the deserving individuals in our 

region. We try to ensure that the recipients of our funds follow-through 

by requesting outcome-based reports following our funding guidelines. 

You have helped us make a huge impact over the last four years and it 

shows! With your help we have impacted many local programs including 

but not limited to: 

• After-school education program that helped 525 homeless children 

• Nutrition program targeting low-income families 

• Helping adults finish high school 

• Exposing 500 underserved girls to arts and culture 

• Mobile employment training to homeless people 

• Setting up computers for use by the homeless 

• Shoot, Don’t Shoot VR training program for 900 Police officers 

• Book donations for underprivileged children. 

PIC-5K’s community investments from fund raised in 2018: 

1. Mary’s Market Program, a stop-gap food pantry for the needy 

2. Home Again Program for moving homeless to their next home 

3. AP/EA Program to bridge the gap of textbooks for needy students 

4. Mother & Son Program to bring them together and make them more 

responsible and successful 

5. Additional incremental funding for Backdraft Simulator 

6. Books for needy children 

So, PIC-5K needs you in the walkathon event, and also your material 

support in 2019! Next year’s PIC-5K event will be on September 

14, 2019. Looking forward to seeing you there!! • 

27


The ‘Burgh’s Brand New Organization for Seniors 

By Arun D. Jatkar, Monroeville, PA 

E-mail: ajmarathi@yahoo.com 

Founded by Pittsburgh's senior citizens to serve the interests of Pittsburgh's 

senior citizens and open to all senior citizens regardless of creed, 

color and country of origin, here is the United Seniors Association of 

Pittsburgh (or USAP for short). 

USAP was founded in December 2017 and registered as a non-profit 

organization in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It has also received 

approval as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charitable organization from the U.S. 

Internal Revenue Service. 

USAP's mission statement reads: 

To promote healthy aging through education, participation and 

social support, and thus, dignity, independence and longevity of 

its members in their senior years; and provide a forum that would 

encourage able seniors to help fellow seniors in need, with goal 

to minimize their dependence on society. 

Two hundred and fortytwo 

senior citizens of 

Pittsburgh have already become 

members of this rapidly 

growing organization. This 

includes 31 life-time charter 

members. USAP members 

are vibrant professionals from 

all walks of life — doctors, 

engineers, computer specialists, 

teachers, businessmen, 

entrepreneurs — with wide 

interests and passions on diverse 

topics. 

During 2018, its first year 

of operation, USAP organized 

Current office holders L to R: Rajnikant Popat, 

Chetan Patel, Subash Ahuja, and Dilip Desai. 

fourteen well-attended, well-received informative and entertaining events. 

These included, among others, informative talks by professionals on 

healthy aging and financial and social wellbeing. Topics included : 

• Yoga, meditation, and physical fitness, 

• Ayurvedic approach to healthy eating and living, 

26


• New tax laws affecting senior citizens, 

• Health insurance, protection of personal identity, 

• A music gala, a bowling bash, introduction to bridge and other card 

games, a golf outing, and 

• A three-week organized tour of eastern Europe! 

One might think that all this must amount to a big fat membership 

fee that a middle-class senior living off his or her limited life 

savings and Social Security income can only dream of. Nothing could be 

L to R Standing: Dolly Luthra, Juginder Luthra, Dilip Desai, Subash Ahuja, Chetan Patel, 

Bakula Patel, Sudhir Patel, Jayant Mirani, Ved Kaushik. Seated: Bharti Popat, Rajnikant 

Popat, Girish Thakar, Veena Makim, Lakshmi Mirani, Kirtida Desai. 

Absent: C.D. Ladani, Chandrakant Pujara, Harsha Pujara, and Kiran Bakshi 

further from the truth! Now get this: It is only $30 per person for 2019. 

This number was at the insistence of the all members because refreshments 

and snacks are served free of charge at these events. Beverages like tea 

and coffee are always on the house at all events. And one could go for 

Charter Membership by paying only $ 500 per person. 

Organizationally, four officers run USAP: Mr. Chetan Patel (President), 

Mr. Dilip Desai (Vice President), Dr. Subash Ahuja (Secretary) 

and Dr. Rajnikant Popat (Treasurer), with these committee chairs: 

Mr. Girish Thakar (Life and Finance Planning), Dr. Chetan Ladani 

(Health and Fitness), Dr. Ved Kaushik (Hobby and Sports), Chetan Patel 

(Cultural, Social and Humanitarian), Dr. Kiran Bakshi (Tours and Travel), 

Mr. Jayant Mirani (Membership) and Dr. Juginder Luthra (Social Media 

and Publications). 

When I asked Dr. Ahuja, the secretary of USAP, what he would like 

to tell the as-yet-uncommitted seniors of Pittsburgh, his face lit up and 

without any hesitation he said, "Join USAP, ASAP!" 

More information is available at www.usaofpittsburgh.org. • 

29


Natyakriya Celebrates Ten Years 

By Srujana Kunjula, Wexford, PA 

e-mail: srubru@rediffmail.com 

Srujana was born in Tirupathi and had her schooling at Anantapur, 

in Andhra Pradesh. After her MA in Political Science from Hyderabad 

Central University, she completed her MPhil and PhD from Jawaharlal 

Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. She teaches political science and 

sociology at the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) at 

North Campus, and lives in Wexford, PA. 

The founder of the dance school Natyakriya, 

Shobhitha Ravi (picture below), with fifteen of 

her students, presented the dance program, Sri Vidya Shakti, on October 

6, 2018, at North Hills Middle School, cele-brating ten years of teaching 

Bharatanatyam. The theme of the production Sri (wealth), Vidya 

(knowledge) and Shakti (strength) was in praise of 

Devi, the universal mother in Hinduism. The program 

coincided with the Navaratri festival in which 

Hindus celebrate Devi in the form of Lakshmi (Sri), 

Saraswati (Vidya) and Parvathi (Shakti). 

The program was divided into three sections, 

each focusing on one theme with the dancers in 

traditional bright costumes performing three items in 

Shobhitha Ravi 

each section. The young dancers were good with abhinaya, a coordinated 

combination of movements of the legs and footwork and hand gestures to 

rhythmic music and facial expressions, all to convey stories. 

L to R Top: Somya Thakur, Sherin Puthenpurayil, Bhavana Kolla, Mitali Belambe, Meghana 

Vemulapalli, Sruthy Miriyala, Malini Harinath, Sanjana Harish, Kavya Balakumar, Nanditha 

Ganesan, Akshara Murali, Jothika Gorur, Anagha Arunkumar. Bottom: Keerthana Samanthapudi, 

Harsha Mikkilineni, Inu Miriyala. 

30


Akshara Murali, Bhavana Kolla, Jothika Gorur, Nanditha 

Ganesan, and Malini Harinath. 

It was a ticketed 

event, with all the proceeds 

benefiting EKAM 

USA Foundation, a 

non-profit organization 

committed to providing 

healthcare to needy 

babies and mothers 

in India to reduce the 

mortality of mothers & 

infants at child birth. 

The program was a 

success with good attendance 

helping a social 

cause. Shobhitha’s solo dance was impressive and her students were energetic, 

enthusiastic, and talented. Their hard work and love for dance was 

evident throughout. The master of ceremonies, Sandhya Rao, impressed 

the audience, describing the dance pieces and relating them meaningfully 

to the nine-day Navaratri celebrations. Carol Schneider, the World Languages 

teacher at Shady Side Academy Senior School aptly remarked, 

“The dances were stunningly beautiful and exquisitely choreographed. 

The movements, the music, and bright costumes combined to make the 

experience enchanting and enriching.” 

Natyakriya, founded in 2008, strives to preserve and spread Indian art 

and culture here. From a small base of eighteen students, the school now 

has over 100 students. Over the years, ten students have completed their 

arangetram under Shobhitha, a disciple of Natyakalavathi Jaya Mani, who 

trained Shobhitha in the Kancheepuram Ellappa Pillai tradition. 

With a passion for dance and patience, Shobhitha mentors and inspires 

her students. We wish her well for continued success in the years ahead 

in teaching Bharatanatyam and touching the lives of many children and 

parents in such a profound manner. • 

For Free Copy in the Mail or for Writing Articles 

The magazine is mailed free every quarter to nearly 2000 homes and 

businesses. To get your copy in the mail, 

send your name and mailing addresses to: 

thepatrika@aol.com 

For enquiries for writing articles on events 

in your neighborhood and on other topics, contact the editor at 724 327 

0953 or e-mail your enquiries to: thepatrika@aol.com • 

31


Fresh whole fish from all over the world 

delivered everyday to 

Wholey's Market 

Please visit us in the Strip 

where we will be happy 

to assist you. 

Or order online at your convenience. 

We will hand-select your order with the greatest care. 

Open seven days a week 

1711 Penn Ave. 

Pittsburgh, PA 15222 

1-888-946-5397 

www.wholey.com 

32


Midterm Elections ... ... Continued from 6 

the population of the nation. Since the population of Pennsylvania as a 

percentage of the U.S. population has been declining, 

the number of House members from Pennsyl- 

Number of US House 

of Representatives 

vania in the US Congress has been shrinking. We 

from Pennsylvania in 

had 30 members in 1950s; now, only 18. See the 

the US Congress: 

table. 

1953 – 1963: 30 

1963 -- 1973: 27 

1973 -- 1983: 25 

1983 -- 1993: 23 

1993 – 2003: 21 

2001 – 2013: 19 

2013 -- 2013: 18 

Current: 18 

Republicans, with their majority in the General 

Assembly in Harrisburg for long time, have skewed 

the redrawing the maps of the congressional districts 

favoring themselves. Again, remember that 

Pennsylvania is a moderate state: we have elected 

people from both parties to state-wide offices; 

and the vote split in state-wide elections is generally 

narrow, 55-45, swinging either way. In this 

background, here are the numbers of GOP and 

Democratic Congressmen from the state: 

Election Year 2010 2012 2014 2016 

GOP-Dem split: 12-7 13-5 13-5 13-5 

Thus, Republicans had 67% of the state’s 18-member Congressional 

Delegation to the US House, even though the state votes 45-55, swinging 

either way in presidential and Senate races. The highly skewed split between 

the two parties in the Congressional delegation from Pennsylvania 

favoring the Republican Party is nothing but a scandal. 

Finally, with the state Supreme Court’s order to redraw the maps, 

in the midterm elections in November 2018, the split in the 18-member 

Congressional delegation is 9/9, in line with the state’s moderate ethos. 

This gerrymandering is not unique to Republicans. Democrats too 

indulge in the same perversion where they rule the roost. • 

For Free Copy in the Mail or for Writing Articles 

The magazine is mailed free every quarter to nearly 2000 homes and 

businesses. To get your copy in the mail, 

send your name and mailing addresses to: 

thepatrika@aol.com 

For enquiries for writing articles on events 

in your neighborhood and on other topics, contact the editor at 724 327 

0953 or e-mail your enquiries to: thepatrika@aol.com • 

33


The Fillings in Life 

Someone with a cynical sense of humor has developed a new version of 

the different stages of life: 

• 0 to 5 years: SPILLS 

• 6 to 15: DRILLS 

• 16 to 25: THRILLS 

• 26 TO 50: BILLS 

• 51 to 65: ILLS 

• 66 to 76: PILLS 

• Over 76: WILLS 

• Thereafter: Remain STILL 

Archana, a middle aged woman, was at her new dentist’s office in 

Mumbai. The dentist’s name seemed familiar her. She remembered 

the name as a handsome tall, lanky young fellow student she has seen at 

the college she attended decades ago. 

The dentist came in. She was totally disappointed to see a bald, outof-shape, 

middle aged man in his dentist paraphernalia. 

After her appointment, she casually asked, “Did you go to Elphinstone 

College before going to dental school?” 

“Yes, indeed, I did.” 

“I remember seeing you at the college.” 

“But I don’t remember taking any class you offered.” 

Son: Dad, we are having a small get-together at school tomorrow. I 

want you to come. 

Dad: Small get-together at school? For what? 

Son: It is only three of us, Dad. You, me and the principal. 

What is the difference between an arranged marriage and a love 

marriage? 

When you knowingly fall into a ditch on your own, it is a love marriage. 

When your parents goad you and nudge you into the ditch, it is arranged 

marriage. Please note that this is gender-neutral. 

Wife: I am going out for a couple of hours. Do you want anything? 

Husband: No. That is all what I want. 

Source: From the WhatsApp forwards I received from my buddy Venkataramani 

who lives in Albany, NY. • 

34


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35


Someone to hold your hand every step of the 

way. 

Engagement or Reception Only Package 

(3) Tray Passed Hors d’Oeuvres OR Crudite Display 

(4) Hours of Open Bar to include (2) Specialty Non 

Alcoholic Drinks 

Champagne or Sparkling Cider Toast 

Fresh Orchid Centerpiece 

Linen Package to include Table Linen, Napkin, Chair 

Cover and Sash in your choice of color 

Dessert Display to include Custom Wedding Cake from 

Bethel Bakery, Fruit Display and Coffee Station 

Complimentary Parking for All Guests on the Night of 

the Event 

Complimentary Bridal Suite for Night of the Event 

Upgrade to Junior Suite at Group Rate for Parents of the 

Bride and Groom 

Kitchen Usage for Caterer, China, Silver, Glassware, 

Servers 

$57.00 Per Guest 

To reserve your special date, contact Lauren 

Soriano at 724 899 6045 or email at 

lauren.soriano@Hyatt. com 

HYATT REGENCY PITTSBURGH 

1111 Airport Boulevard, Pittsburgh PA 15231 

pittsburgh.hyatt.com 

Wedding Weekend Package 

Sangeet/Mendhi 

Fresh Fruit Display to Accompany your Dinner or Desserts 

(4) Hours of Open Bar and (2) Specialty N/A Drinks 


Linen, Napkin, Chair Cover and Sash in choice of color 

Coffee and Tea Station with Dinner 

Complimentary Parking for All Guests Night of the Event 

Kitchen Usage, China, Silver, Glassware, Servers 


Wedding Day 

Breakfast Buffet to include Scrambled Eggs, Cereal 

Station, Assorted Breads, Muffins, Toast, Coffee, Juice. 

Outside Caterers may provide additional items at N/C 


Complimentary Ceremony Space 

Coffee, Tea, Cookies During or After Ceremony 

(3) Tray Passed Hors d’Oeuvres OR Crudite Display 

(4) Hours of Open Bar, (2) Specialty Non Alcoholic Drinks 

Champagne or Sparkling Cider Toast 


Linen, Napkin, Chair Cover, Sash in Your Choice of Color 

Dessert Display to include Custom Wedding Cake from 

Bethel Bakery, Fruit Display and Coffee Station 

Complimentary Parking for All Guests Night of the Event 

Complimentary Bridal Suite Night of the Event 

Upgrade to Junior Suite at Group Rate for Parents of the 

Bride and Groom 

Kitchen Usage, China, Silver, Glassware, Servers 


The Next Morning 

Breakfast Buffet to include Scrambled Eggs, Cereal 

Station, Assorted Breads, Muffins, Toast, Coffee Juice. 

Outside Caterers may provide additional items at N/C 


*Pricing is subject to service charge and applicable sales tax. 

36

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