Newsletter – October 2024
| I have the pleasure of sharing messages from our Vice-President and one of our long time community advisory board member sharing her challenging journey in the last couple of years. I solicit such write ups from others to share in this forum, so please feel free to send your thoughts and comments to LOTUS. V. Balaraman President |
| Vice – Presidential Message – Saguna Verma Hello dear LOTUS members! As we have stepped into the festive month of October and look forward to November, I am thrilled to present you with the latest edition of our community newsletter. This issue is packed with important community updates and a special invitation to our upcoming Diwali Cultural program. From monthly temple activities to opportunities for engaging with our local community, this newsletter is your resource for staying informed and enjoying all that this island and vibrant festive season has to offer. So please keep reading. We all have our special memories of Diwali celebrations in India and here in Honolulu. My favorite Diwali memory as a kid is firecrackers on the streets. The memories of young Sarini and Samarth enjoying firecrackers in the Balaraman backyard on Diwali evening are also special. I miss that since they have been rightly so banned in Honolulu and many parts of India due to the pollutants they release and fire hazards. I have heard that the Indian government is promoting Green Fireworks these days, and my curiosity led me to ask – what are these Green Firecrackers? I am sharing what I have found about them. What are green firecrackers? Green firecrackers are eco-friendly fireworks made with less polluting materials than traditional fireworks. Traditional fireworks use lithium and barium compounds as oxidizers and to impart red and green color flame, burning of which leads to compounds toxic to the lungs. Green firecrackers instead use aluminum and potassium nitrate, and they produce water vapor instead of ash. They also use safer additives, like zeolite and boric acid hydrogel, which reduce particulate matter and gaseous emissions. Green firecrackers are also quieter and produce sounds between 110 and 125 decibels compared to 160 decibels. They can be identified by a distinctive green logo from the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute and the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization. Some Indian states, like Delhi and West Bengal, only permit the use of green firecrackers during Diwali. Are they really safe? My personal opinion is that they are a better option for the environment and should be promoted (even in Hawaii), but that said, they still have some issues associated with any kind of fireworks. First, they can still be a fire hazard if improperly handled; second, some people can be allergic to chemicals that may cause breathing problems; and lastly, experts believe they still cause some pollutant release in the air. So, in the future, if given an opportunity, please go for green firecrackers. More information on the Diwali and temple activities are listed below. However, other interesting activities on the island that can be enjoyed include Several Pumpkin and Halloween Festivals, the Annual Hawaii Food and Wine Festival, and Ke Ao Lama Exhibition, a selection of exhibits dedicated to celebrating the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture at Capitol Modern, Hawaii State Art Museum. Thank you for supporting LOTUS, we appreciate your feedback and kind words! I look forward to seeing you all at the Diwali festival on November 3rd. |
| Community Corner – Savitha Kutty A Season of Gratitude As we approach Thanksgiving, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has touched my life. The past few years have been particularly challenging as I navigated the loss of both my parents and my beloved furbaby, Roxy. Your compassion and support during those times have meant the world to me, and I am truly grateful. Hawaii has been my home for the past 24 years, a place where I feel deeply connected and fortunate to belong. Growing up in Palakkad, Kerala, I never imagined I would one day call this beautiful island home. Discovering the presence of Lord Shiva and ISKCON temples here feels like a divine blessing—perhaps Lord Shiva knew I wanted His presence wherever life took me, continuing to be my eternal source of energy and strength. Pursuing my passion for education and serving the community as a teacher has been a dream come true. I am especially thankful to my parents for the values they instilled in me, which have shaped my journey. I am also forever indebted to Gopi Uncle and Vijaya Aunty, whose encouragement to pursue a Master’s in Education and join the Department of Education was life-changing. Their gifted candle, still glowing in my classroom, remains my cherished good luck charm. Over the years, I’ve been blessed with the unwavering support of families and friends, whose generosity has directly impacted my students’ well-being and am deeply grateful to them for their kindness and contributions to the students. Your care has truly brought light into my classroom. As I reflect on the journey so far, I am especially grateful for Maiju, who accepts me as I am, and for the joy my beautiful daughters—Sree, Meena, and Lilo—bring into my life. My in-laws’ unconditional love and support have also been a constant blessing. Thank you all for your kindness, friendship, and generosity. Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful and blessed Thanksgiving! Om Namah Shivaya! Jai Bholenath!  |
| LOTUS UPCOMING EVENTS Annual Diwali Celebrations will be on November 3rd at the Campus Center Ballroom on the UH Manoa Campus. If you have not already purchased your tickets for the event, please do so as we are just two weeks away from the event. Please visit the LOTUS website to get your tickets. We are limited by the Campus Ballroom size so once we reach our capacity, the ticket sale will automatically close. |
| Temple Activities – October 20th, 2024 Our monthly pooja will start promptly at noon at the Wahiawa Shiva Temple. Lunch for this event is being sponsored by the Maker Ohana. Please feel free to bring fruits and prasad for abhishekam and sharing with all. There are many new subscribers and hope to see some of you there.  Temple Decorations – September 16, 2024 |
| October/November 2024: Wahiawa Shiva Temple Pooja – October 20th Karwa Chauth – October 19th United Nations Day – October 24th Global Media and International Literacy Week – October 24th – 31st International Day of Care and Support – October 29th Diwali and Lakshmi Pooja – October 31st LOTUS Diwali Event – November 3rd CC Ballroom UH Manoa. Tickets available here World Tsunami Awareness Day – November 5th World Day for Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence – Nov 18th Wahiawa Shiva Temple Pooja – November 17th World Children’s Day – November 20th International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women – November 25th |
