Pushpaji Celebration of Life:
--submitted by Shiamin Melville
Guests arrived at 9.30 am , and after speeches by Chanda, Sharad, Shiamin, Dr Mundra, Anjali, Maneesha, and Wandana, there was a Bhajan dedication by Sarita Deshpande and beautiful rendition on sitar by Usha Verma. We celebrated what would have been her 90th birthday with Cake and song dedication. Dr Kirti Nagpal emceed and share a video of her in last month, still boyuant full of verve
Brief Synopsis:
We are gathered here today to remember and celebrate the remarkable life of *Pushpa Joshi* — a beloved member of our community, a teacher, a pioneer, a mentor, and a dear friend.
Pushpa ji came to the United States in 1964, leaving behind the familiar in search of new opportunities alongside her husband. Like many immigrants, she arrived with hope,but what she built here went far beyond a life for herself. She helped create a home for *all of us*.
When Pushpa ji arrived, there was no Indian community center, no gathering place for cultural celebration or connection. There were just a few families meeting in each other’s homes, sharing aarti and potluck during Diwali, borrowing Hindi films and creating joy from whatever they had. And there was Pushpaji, right in the center of it all — organizing, connecting, and serving. She once made 100 puris for a community gathering.
She saw ISW grow from a small circle of friends into what it is today — the vibrant, inclusive, intergenerational community center we are all so proud of. Her memories are the story of ISW: hosting bhajans in borrowed halls and then reaching the huge milestone of breaking ground on our very own building in Shrewsbury. She also helped with establishing Learnquest, a premier Musical organization, and helped find the location at Waltham for them
One of her last messages to us was a simple but powerful wish: *that the children attending ISW school today would one day watch their own grandchildren grow up in this same community — rooted in heritage, but always evolving.
Pushpa ji’s legacy is not just in the halls of the ISW center, or the events she helped organize. Her true legacy lives in every child learning their mother tongue, in every elder who finds connection at Humrahee, in every family that finds a sense of belonging here. Her legacy is *us*.
Om Shanti.
