LONG ISLAND, NY (TIP): The Rajasthan Association of North America (RANA) New York celebrated its 26th Annual Deepawali Gala with great enthusiasm and grandeur in Long Island. The event was attended by over 400 distinguished guests, including prominent members of the Indian diaspora and local dignitaries from various walks of life. Deepmahotsav Chairman Dr. Raj Bansal warmly welcomed the guests.
Among the esteemed dignitaries were:
- Ambassador Binay Pradhan, Consul General of India in New York
- Vishal Harsh, Deputy Consul General
- Surendra Adhana, Indian Foreign Service Officer serving at the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations
- Mrs. Shalini Singh, Head of Air India USA & Canada
- Mr. Dilip Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner at the New York City Mayor’s Office
For the first time ever, the Rajasthan Ratan Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Dr. Narendra Kukar, who has been residing in the United States for nearly six decades.
The Excellence in Medicine Award was conferred upon Dr. Bharat Gupta, and the Young Achiever Award went to Ms. Nidhi Laddha.
RANA New York announced 2025 as the International Rajasthan Tourism Year and invited essays on Rajasthan Tourism from all age groups. Five winners were awarded ₹25,000 each along with Certificates of Appreciation.
In his inspiring address, RANA President Prem Bhandari stated:
“Rajasthan is geographically larger than 133 countries among the 193 UN member nations. Our state holds immense potential for solar energy and investment opportunities.”
Bhandari commended the Consulate General of India, New York, for being open 365 days a year, and praised Ambassador Binay Pradhan and his 70-member team for their exemplary service to 2.4 million (24 lakh) of the 5.4 million (54 lakh) Indians living in the United States. RANA founders K.K. and Chandra Mehta presented a ₹1 crore cheque to Prem Bhandari for charitable and humanitarian projects.
RANA’s annual souvenir featured the Jaipur Police Commissionerate on its cover page, recognizing Jaipur as India’s second safest city and appreciating the tenure of recently transferred Commissioner Biju Joseph. Commissioner Joseph was also presented with a Certificate of Recognition by Nassau County for transforming Jaipur into one of India’s safest cities.
RANA Secretary Ravi Jargarh shared that Prem Bhandari humbly declined to accept the Nassau County recognition, stating:
“Until I ensure that the mortal remains of Ajit Choudhry from Alwar reach his village from Russia, I cannot accept this honor.”
During the gala, the audience gave a standing ovation to both Dr. Narendra Kukar, recipient of the first-ever Rajasthan Ratan Award, and Prem Bhandari for his exemplary humanitarian service.
Prominent Doctor and Philanthropist Dr. Deepak Nandi Pledges Jaipur Foot Camp in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
At the RANA Deepmahotsav celebration, prominent doctor and philanthropist Dr. Deepak Nandi pledged to sponsor a free artificial limb fitment (Jaipur Foot) camp in his birthplace, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, dedicated to the memory of Veer Savarkar.
Prem Bhandari, Chairman of Jaipur Foot USA, welcomed the noble initiative and said:
“We will be happy to organize the camp in Andaman & Nicobar Islands through Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS), Jaipur, India — which is already partnered with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, with the best wishes of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.”
Under the ‘India for Humanity’ initiative launched by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), nearly 36 Jaipur Foot camps have been organized by BMVSS across Africa, Latin America, and Asia, fully sponsored by the MEA.
BMVSS is the world’s largest NGO serving the differently-abled, providing artificial limbs and mobility aids free of cost, spreading India’s message of compassion and service to humanity.
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