Our Pattni Member takes on the Trekking challenge

Pran C. Arjan - Editor

For more photos click - Photo Album

Manjulaben Prabhudas Dharmashi Pattni of London with her colleague friend Tara Champaneri embarked on a fantastic Himalaya trek with a visit to India’s exiled Tibenan community.

Manjulaben and Tara took the two week trip to raise money for the children’s charity Whizz Kidz, a registered charity that provides customised wheelchairs, tricycles and other specialised mobility equipment, wheelchair training, information and advice to change the lives of disabled children across the UK. Such specialised equipment gives them independence and freedom that changes a disabled child's life, literally overnight.

Planning and sponsorship collection started in January, when Manjulaben advertised for support from her work as well as through our Pattni Connection website. “I was very proud of myself for undertaking this challenge, as it was physically difficult and I would be joining a trekking group of people I didn’t know,” said Manjulaben. Her colleague Tara saw her advertisement and decided to join her on the trip.

Two ladies had to raise Ł3,000 each for the trip. “We raised money in a number of ways and people were generous, ”said Manjulaben. “We held dinner and dance at Masti in Wembley, with raffle prizes donated to us from my department store manager Zara Blaymires,” she added. This event was extensively promoted by our Pattni Connection website and many our community members supported the event. Apart from helping the charity, we also had a fantastic time and good fun! Our community support was highly appreciated as the high attendance helped them reach their target.

Once all the money was raised, the two ladies took off for their unique expedition. The challenge began and ended in Dharamsala at the heart of the world's highest mountain range and the home of Dalai Lama’s Tibetan government in exile.

The Indian Himalaya particularly the areas of the western Himalayas, has been looked upon as a spiritual abode by the Hindus and Buddhists since the time memorial. In 1971, the three major areas of the Himalaya were merged into one political entity to create the state of Himachal Pradesh, which contains the areas of Kinnaaur, Spiti-Lahaul and Kullu Kangra. Together they form some of the most inviting trekking areas in India with their vastly different cultures, geography and history. Dhaludhar, a mountain and a wall separates the Kangra and Kullu Valleys. The passes over these ranges were the preferred bridle routes in the days before tarmac roads were constructed.

Baijnath Mandir (Shiva Mandir)

The temple built in the year 804 AD is the seat of Lord Shiva, the most prominent among the 12 Jyotirlingas. This temple is among oldest Shiv temples in the country. Shiv Ling is worshipped here as Vaidyanath or the Lord of Physician, one of the twelve Joytrilingamas in India.

The original temple here is said to have been built by the Pandava brothers and the present temple is believed to date from 804 AD.

As per a legend, it is believed that the King of Lanka, Ravana had worshipped Lord Shiva in the main Baijnath Temple. He sacrificed his head ten times at a place marked out in the temple.

The route took in Hindu settlements and temples as well as isolated Buddhist monasteries.

They spent a night beside nomadic shepherd encampments, and another in the luxurious Taragarh Palace, home of the Maharaja. Their final day was spent exploring the Taj Mahal - one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Manjulaben and Tara appreciated the help and support from colleagues, family, friends and our Pattni community as without their support it would not have been possible for them to take the trek and raise money for Whizz Kidz. “We are both grateful for the support we received” said Tara. “Thank you to everyone who sponsored our trek”.

Hearty congratulation best wishes to Manjulaben and Tara. A marvellous achievement from these marvellous ladies !

- Editor

For more photos click - Photo Album

Message from Manjulaben Pattni regarding the Himalaya trek.

Whizz-Kidz – helping disabled children live a life with no limits

This trek, in aid of Whizz Kidz charity involved climbing heights of up to 15,500 ft. The total minimum sponsorship amount required for this challenge was Ł3,000, which will go to buy 4 wheelchairs for disabled children. In order to raise funds for this challenge I organised a Dinner and Dance at Masti, Wembley.

Our Pattni community support was extremely good and was highly appreciated as the higher the attendance helped us raise more money for these needy children. I thank you all for your support

Regards,

Manjula Pattni

About the charity About Whizz-Kidz

Whizz-Kidz changes disabled children's lives - literally overnight. By providing them with customised mobility equipment, training and advice, we actually give them something much more important. We give them the independence to live a life of freedom.

Like all children, disabled children need to move around independently and enjoy freedom to enable them to live full and active lives with their families and friends.

The NHS is often unable to provide the mobility equipment, training and advice that they need. Looking after a disabled child can increase the emotional and physical strain on families. Having to spend time and effort to obtain mobility equipment and support services is an additional stress that they really don't need.

This is where Whizz-Kidz comes in. We provide customised wheelchairs, tricycles and other specialised mobility equipment, wheelchair training, information and advice to change the lives of disabled children across the UK.

We are also working to raise awareness of the need of these children so that they get the support they deserve from the general public and from the Government.

Independent mobility enables disabled children to experience the everyday things that many able-bodied children take for granted, often for the first time in their lives. Whether it's going to a mainstream school, joining in at sport or being able to play with friends and family, independence and freedom changes a disabled child's life, literally overnight.

Whizz-Kidz is a registered charity

Himalayan trekking

28th October- 10th November 2006
Join the 2007 trek - 15th - 28th September

This is a unique 2-week expedition which combines awesome Himalayan trekking with the chance to meet, and listen to the teachings of, His Holiness, the Dalai Lama.

Our challenge begins in Dharamsala, at the heart of the world's highest mountain range and home to the displace d Tibetan government.

The route takes in Hindu settlements and temples as well as isolated Buddhist monasteries. We spend a night beside nomadic shepherd encampments, and another in the luxurious Taragarh Palace, home of the Maharaja.

Our final day is spent exploring the Taj Mahal - one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

For further reading please click – Himalayan Trekking

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India Revive Project

Our Proud Parajiya Pattni community has always been at the fore front of community service. This is an ideal opportunity for our budding Pattni actors, singers, dancers and those with technical knowledge in sound/lighting etc to get together and help in this very worthwhile cause.
Volunteers, who wish to help, are requested to contact Chetan Narotambhai by e-mail - czimagine@gmail.com.

From Chetan Narotambhai Pattni, London:-

We need some help with a project, basically me and 2 of my friends are co-ordinating and producing a theatrical performance, scheduled for multiple performances around Oct-Dec 2006. It is set to be a big project and so we have already got the wheels in motion. The 3 co-ordinators are I, and the others are my friends from the university.

We are trying to market our production in order to find budding actors, singers, dancers, people with technical knowledge with regards to sound/lighting etc. who can help out with it. We are ideally looking for actors who can talk and understand Hindi.

The entire project is for charity, therefore the show will require ticket purchases, but everyone who takes part in the production must understand from the outset that it is a voluntary position; no one is being paid, including myself and the other two coordinators.

There is a school in India which houses and provides education for blind children. Currently it holds around 15 children, but the premises are not that good. Essentially, it resembles a shanty house from the outside. They aim to make a proper school for these children, and to expand their accommodation to around 100 boys & girls. This is the cause that our proceeds will go towards. We realise that we may not be able to help with the entire funding, depending on the success of the final show, but we feel that anything that we can do will be a help to those who need it.

We have set up a website for those who might be interested, www.indiarevive.co.uk please feel free to take a look at it for further information about the whole project.

We wish to appeal to anyone who has any ideas of anyone who can help participate in this? We shall appreciate if it is possible to post a message about it on the Pattni Connection site and also mention in the next newsletter. I would really appreciate any help you could provide with this, I think it would be great if we could all help towards this worthy cause.

Please let me know of any ideas or people who can help.

Thanks again,

Regards

Chetan

P.S. We have been busy the past week organising a preliminary get-together of people who may be interested in taking part, which took place on Saturday, 17^th December. I and the other two co-ordinators have a meeting every week, so we are trying to arrange meetings with people who want to take part.

Further such meetings will be scheduled in Jan. I appreciate your interest in this project and would be grateful for any help you can provide. We have the India Revive website, and have made this information page so people can read the info first, then if they are interested, they can find more detailed information on the website.

I have attached the file to this email.

Thanks again for your help!

Chetan.