The India garden organized or participated in the following events in 2009:

Mother’s Day Peace Party

On May 10, 2009, the India Garden hosted the second annual Mother’s Day Peace Party at the garden site from 2 to 4 PM.  The event was co-sponsored by Cleveland Peace Action, and Women Speak Out, highlighting the origins of Mother’s Day as a symbol of peace against the backdrop of war.  The event also paid tribute to India Garden delegate Vijaya Emani, who died in a tragic automobile accident earlier in the year.

The event featured Sherrie Tolliver of Women in History who portrayed Rosa Parks, highlighting the link between Mahatma Gandhi and the civil rights movement.  Attendees were treated to music, food, a chance to learn to make origami cranes (a Japanese symbol of peace), and to have their photographs taken beside the Mahatma Gandhi statue.

Mahatma Gandhi Birthday

On October 2, 2009, the India Garden hosted a prayer session at the garden site at 6 PM to celebrate Mahatma Gandhi’s 140^th birthday.  Children sang his favorite prayer songs, and read many of his famous quotes.  Several India community members shared their favorite stories about Mahatma Gandhi.

The event received prior publicity on local TV Channel 3, which aired a short segment about the India garden and Gandhi’s birthday during the evening news on Sept. 23.

Gandhi’s Relevance in Today’s Times

Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, Jr., Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Rep. Marcia Fudge and community leaders Maurice Small, Greg Coleridge, Sudarshan Sathe and Indra Shah were the featured speakers at a public forum about Mahatma Gandhi’s relevance in modern times.  The event was held at 2 PM on October 3, 2009 at the Martin Luther King branch of Cleveland Public Library in observance of Gandhi’s 140^th birthday.   The India Garden, the University of Akron Gandhi Leadership Scholars, and the National Association of Asian American Professionals sponsored the event.

Attendees enjoyed a video about Gandhi’s life, a session of meditation, and lively discussions about Gandhian principles, followed by Indian food provided by area restaurants.

Maltz Musem Exhibit

The India Garden also participated in the exhibit entitled “A Celebration of Cultures” at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage held in December, 2009.

Clean-up and Maintenance

Weeding and clean up of the garden was done during several weekends in the spring, and mulching of the flower beds in May.  The annual cleaning and waxing of the Gandhi statue even attracted coverage in the Plain Dealer, with a photograph by Gus Chan published on Sept. 10.

Friends of India Cultural Garden Group on Facebook

The group currently has 107 members, and is used to share news and publicize events planned for the garden.

CSU audio project

Raj Pillai recorded about 30 minutes of audio for the CSU project; some clips are already available at the web site.

Adult Education Class

Raj Pillai spoke about the India Garden to students enrolled in Mary Hamlin’s class on the Cleveland Cultural Gardens (offered through Baldwin Wallace).

Fundraising

One more sponsor came forward in 2009 to underwrite the cost of the granite gate being planned for the India Garden.  Additional sponsorships are still needed to make the plans a reality.

Raj Pillai, India Garden Delegate   January 4, 2010