-By Ashok Kale

Walpole, MA, March 19 - Happy New Year on March 19th? Yes - it’s the Marathi New Year, called Gudi Padwa. It signifies the arrival of spring and prosperity and is celebrated by hosting Gudi flags.

ISW Symphony and Sankalp Marathi Mandal joined forces to create new possibilities for sharing and celebrating our culture.

Indoor or outdoor, kids or adults - we’ve got you covered. The practices built up all the excitement. New players quickly learned the beats, syncing up with the rest of the team.

Was this the 39th public performance since inception in 2021? You bet. The team members were brimming with excitement and energy to mesmerize the audience.

Ready, set, go! From the moment the first beat was struck, the entire performance was magical. The kids performed inside the Sai Temple in Walpole. Their performance brought joy, admiration, appreciation, and gratitude.

The adults picked up the momentum and delivered flawless performances in a procession around the temple. There was magic in the air, and the Sankalp team members joined in with enthusiasm - fully engaged in performing lezim and cheering. Once more, and then another, and another - no one wanted it to end. We’ve never had so many encores. The palakhi brought devotion to the entire performance, and the traditional Marathi costumes evoked the spirit of Maharashtra.

You had to be there to believe it! What a way to celebrate Gudi Padwa, a new partnership, and our culture. The pictures offer a glimpse of this joyful experience.

A big thank you to the Sankalp team for being wonderful hosts and bringing a large, energetic audience.

As always, kudos to the Symphony DTL team for bringing in new participants, new beats, renewed energy, and reaching new heights.