Abhinav Kishore Jha
NHSF Kings College London President.
The idea of having a ball had been lingering in my imagination for quite a while; it seemed that balls had become all the rage amongst various chapters. But it was thanks to NHSF (UK)’s June Committee Day when we were introduced to NHSF Queen Mary, who also shared our vision, that this was made possible. Together we went on to create London Zone History!
Being King’s College, and Queen Mary, we thought the title of “Maharaja” and the theme of royalty would best suit the ball. The night was all set up with a red carpet and mocktail reception, 3 different themed photo booths, a three course dinner, chocolate fountain, paan and ice gola stall, a fantastic DJ and dhol players. The night was made even more melodious by fantastic singing from Pareen Chhaganlal and Neha Khanderia, and our headline act, Arjun.
You may ask, “How does a ball meet the four aims of protecting, preserving, practicing and promoting Hindu Dharma?” The answer lies within the nature of the event itself. Being a no meat and no alcohol event, people initially hesitated to buy tickets. However on the night itself, a lot of people were pleasantly surprised with how much of a good time they had without alcohol! It indirectly introduced guests to the concept of a more “satvic” lifestyle. Combining forces with NHSF Queen Mary, and being part of London Zone meant that people from several different universities were able to attend, showing the solidarity of NHSF. People were also able to network with each other, leading to lots of new friendships being made on the night. The event attracted people from various different faiths and cultural backgrounds, and they were also able to enjoy the “desi” party style!
Two NHSF chapters working together was a great experience. Each chapter brought with it its own strengths. It showed what great heights we can achieve by working together as one “parivaar”! Through the night we raised awareness of the new charity Husti which helps and supports projects in India. Over four hundred guests attended the night, and they all left with a smile on their face, which is a sign of a good event. We hope that we can bring forward the success in years to come.
