Gurjar of New England

GURJAR – Gujarati Association of New England, a non-profit organization, officially formed in April 1977. Gurjar primarily focuses on cultural and educational and charitable activities. Gurjar stands strong and reinvigorated at the epoch of its 41st anniversary. Gurjar’s growth and strength lies in the commitment of the volunteers that run the organization, both past and present, plus the selfless devotion of its members and sponsors. For the past 40 years we have hosted an annual free cultural event. Our efforts have been to provide a platform for the next generation to present their talent and stay connected with the Gujarati culture and our Indian heritage.

Some of the highlights from the past four decades include: the 20-year old college scholarship program for children of life members, sports tournaments (Cricket, Volleyball and Table Tennis, etc.).

Meeting with the needs of times, our Youth Club and the Grandparents Club was a driving force at one time that bridged the gap between the generations. We now have several senior centers in the Boston area and we support them by inviting the members to our events at a discounted rate. Our pioneers have taken Gurjar to the Museum of Science for India Heritage event. Our youth club members have been part of many national dance competitions though out the country. Gurjar has always been the first in line to help with various fundraisers in the community. We also reached out to the local communities, supporting food pantries and soup kitchens’ in the NE area.

Moreover, Gurjar is committed to helping those in need. In 2001, after the earthquake in Gujarat, we raised over $350,000 to help the victims of this tragedy. We adopted several villages and helped with the housing and the needs of the artisans to help them sustain their livelihood.

The annual program usually in May is free for all members as it coincides with our Annual general body meeting. To avoid repetition the youth program has been sometimes replaced by Super-Mom competition and Boston’s got Talent. Our biggest attraction is still our Raas-Garba night, the hall packs up with both, young and old, enjoying the Navratri festival.

Our much awaited annual Diwali dinner is never disappointing, the formal sit down dinner with a live band from India is a super hit every year.

We at GURJAR try to meet the needs of our times, and as we celebrated our 40th anniversary with two special events. Our Casino night in the spring was a tremendous success. Our Heritage fest, last fall became the talk of the town, the Lowell city officials were so impressed they insisted we make this an annual event and promised to provide any help needed.

The feather in our cap on our special year came from India New England, INE multimedia honoring Gurjar as the best non-profit organization in the New England area.

Staying ahead of our times and providing quality programs has been the hallmark of Gurjar’s evolution.