Newsletter – Sep/Oct 2025
| Dear LOTUS Ohana and supporters: Summer is officially over and welcome to the Fall. Many events are in the South Asian calendar for the rest of the year and we in Hawaii have the opportunity to participate in many of them. Information about these are in this newsletter, so please do look through the whole publication. LOTUS sponsored event for Diwali will be on November 9th at the UH Campus Ballroom. We anticipate opening the tickets for the event by September 10th. With respect to volunteers for participation, guide program development and help with the Food committee, please reach out to Saguna Verma who is taking leadership for the event. We did get many responses for the requested feedback last year after the event, and opening the community the opportunity to participate in shaping a successful event for this year. LOTUS is also welcoming individuals who would like to support underwrite the event. We aim for a cost neutral evening; For interest in donation money to support the event, please contact me. We plan to have the premises of the Wahiawa Shiva Temple cleaned on September 14th at 10 a.m. If you are able to participate in the cleaning of the temple, please reach out to Maiju Kutty. With respect to the Temple, LOTUS has received a large grant from Vidhu and Kiran Paliwal to support our monthly pooja activities. The Board graciously acknolwedges this generous donation towards our temple activities. If you are in contact with any students who are studying at one of our universities, please share this email and encourage them to both volunteer and participate in LOTUS events. I wish all of you a very pleasant rest of the year. Warm aloha V. Balaraman President |
| COMMUNITY UPCOMING EVENTS Honolulu Museum of Arts: Please see their website for details and ticket information  Gandhi Jayanthi events sponsored by GIIP: – LOTUS Diwali Celebrations: We will be celebrating this on at the University of Hawaii Campus Center Ballroom on November 9th between 5 and 9 p.m. Please check out website starting mid September for updates and events details. Temple Activities September 14th 10 a.m. Wahiawa Shiva Temple clean up. September 21st Noon: Our monthly pooja will start promptly at noon. We will have our post pooja community luncheon after 2 PM. .This month the luncheon is sponsored by the Maker Family. Please look at our calendar on the website for updates on pooja and link to zoom connectivity on the pooja day. September and October 2025: September 4 – Onam September 6 – Ganesha Visarjan (Anantha Chaturdasi) September 21 – Wahiawa Shiva Temple Pooja Day September 22 – Navaratri begins (Autumnal Equinox) September 30 – Saraswathi Pooja October 1 – Dusserha (Vijaya Dasami) October 2 – Mahatma Gandhi Day (see above for GIIP event) October 9 – Karwa Chauth October 18 – Dhanteras October 19 – Wahiawa Shiva Temple Pooja Day October 20 – Diwali |
