Sweet 16 Gala: Live life as a celebration!

Sahasra Deepika held a Sweet 16 Gala at Tysons Corner in celebration of our 16th anniversary! Thank you to everyone who came to visit and helped Sahasra Deepika, as well as the one one-hundred and fifty guests that gathered for a fabulous night filled with foods, friends, dancing, and more.

People of all ages have dressed in their best. Here is one of our favorites of the night. #SDGala #livesenlightened pic.twitter.com/ammkMyJgpE

— Sahasra Deepika (@SahasraDeepika) November 9, 2014

Daniella Cohen, a 16-year-old from Highland Park, Illinois, kicked off the night by sharing her story,”The Birthday Gift.” “I have learned new definitions of friendship and family,” Daniella said, reflecting on how much she has learned from the Ramakrishnas, Sahasra Deepika’s founders. Cohen, who has been involved with Sahasra Deepika since she was nine-years-old, said the Ramakrishnas taught her about compassion and changing the world. Along with the Ramakrishnas’ grandson Partha, Cohen founded her project GIVE.

After Daniella’s speech, dancer Rajashree Ranganathan performed a classical Bharatnatyam piece, Ananda Nartana Ganapathi. This beautiful invocation dance asked Lord Ganesha’s blessings on the occasion.

Next is a great performance by Rajashree Ranaganathan. #SDGala pic.twitter.com/cGrHN3rTXe — Sahasra Deepika (@SahasraDeepika) November 9, 2014

Guests enjoyed dinner catered by Indique Heights and NYU Khalbali, a troupe of nine dancers from New York University, took to the stage to perform a classical fusion piece. The audience loved it!

Amazing dancing by the NYU Khalbali dance team!! That was great to watch! #SDGala pic.twitter.com/nbIGkCt30E — Sahasra Deepika (@SahasraDeepika) November 9, 2014

The highlight of the evening was Supriya’s Sweet 16, a short film in which Supriya, a girl at Sahasra Deepika, talked about how her life had been transformed from one of hardship to one of hope. This was followed by an interview with Sahasra Deepika’s founders, T.V. and Vijaya Ramakrishna, moderated by board member Supriya Challa. They discussed the many programs in place to help students adjust to life at Sahasra Deepika. To learn more about those programs, click here.

At Sahasra Deepika, we want girls to live life as a celebration, and we’re so thankful that our guests could celebrate this special night with us!

A wish for the girls is to “Live life as a celebration.” What is your wish for the girls? #SDGala #livesenlightened pic.twitter.com/YK3Dk1OoQf — Sahasra Deepika (@SahasraDeepika) November 9, 2014

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