Friday Evening at the LHMCAANA Annual Event in Crystal City Aug.26

Opening night GALAMANIA

Friday Evening August 26 2022 at the Hilton, Crystal City.

Submitted by Preeti  Jolly'82.

The evening was called open by Event Chair Vimla Bhooshan '66 and after a 1 minute silence in memory of Late Retd. Lt. Col. Balbir Singh father of Suman Singh ’92.

Radha Ramarutham’81 along with the LHMCAANA Melodies choir sang an opening Bhajan.

Richa Chandra’ 80 President of the  LHMCAANA made a presentation introducing the LHMCAANA Board and the past Presidents, honoring those who were present : Chitra Kuthiala’ 65, Satty G Keswani’50 and Archana Maini’81.

The evening took went on a different  track with a fashion show, which is not just about modeling or display of clothes. Its’ about confidence, attitude and presentation that are critical in day-to-day life. It drew our attention to the women who are all accomplished in their careers and are perfect role models of grace, integrity, laced with elegance.

We put our hands together for our very own HARDONION CAT WALKERS…in a show titled SANGAM

We began with an ethnic collection of the different states of India:

Our models strutted in outfits that were vibrant in color, of original design & a visual treat, that took us back home.

• Nagaland – the land of tribal festivals -Hema Kapoor’76
• Maharashtra-The commercial capital and the land of Marathas, where the model wears a Pathani saree in silk - Neeru Chopra’81
• Manipur-A true Gem of Northeast famous for it’s lush meadows, waterfalls and handicrafts, the model wears a Raslila skirt/ sarong - Shilpa Jain’96
• UP-Home of Taj Mahal, learning center Varanasi and origin of Kathak the model wears a Sharara/ lenga choli…Vibha Kumar’70
• Gujarat-The Land of ‘White Desert’ and the father of the Nation, the model wears a traditional saree ‘Panetar’/ Seedha Pallau saree attire.. Pragna Sutaria’70
• Sindhi-The land of Mohenjodaro civilization with textiles, pottery, in undivided India, Sindhi model….Gita Rupani’72
• Delhi- The capital city known for its food, shopping and political clout but most importantly for LHMC for all of us, the model - Dipti Munjal’81
• Kerala- Gods own country with its backwaters and mouthwatering dishes, the model …Deepika Minnal’92

A Bridal Show followed:

• Bridal mehndi-The ceremony of putting henna paste with positive spirits and good luck, a night before the wedding. This North Indian tradition has made its way into most Indian weddings and Bollywood songs. Here the bride was  Sangita Nagpal ’77
• Punjabi bride- Punjab the ‘Bread basket of India’ also prides itself for its vibrant and fun filled weddings where the modern bride dons a colorful lehnga, tikka and a nath as she makes her way to the mandap- Arun Asha Kalra’63
• Kashmir – The ‘Paradise on Earth’ where the bride wears a tilla work hand embroidered - ‘Pheran’ and the elaborate headgear called the ‘Kasaba ‘,with an embroidered dupatta over that adds to her natural beauty - Preeti Jolly ’82
• Rajasthani-The most colorful state with its equal tales of valour and courage where the bride wore a Ghagra – choli embellished with mirrors 'n precious stones and an Odhni - Archana Agarwal’74
• Bengali-The state that produced Independence warriors, Sangeet Samrats n poets where the bride wears a red and white Benarasi silk saree….Sanjukta Mitra’70
• Tamil Nadu- The state of temples, festivals and celebration of arts where the bride wears a Kanjeevaram saree in hues of colors with contrasting border all woven in silk and gold thread …..Hema Nathan’65 and Radha Ramarutham’81

International

• Baltimore- The birthplace of National Anthem, Johns Hopkins University and the best crab cakes where the model exemplified  casual wear …Niharika Khanna’76
• Dubai  -The land of tallest Burj Khalifa, glitzy shopping malls and man-made ski domes, the model wore a traditional black Abaya and a veil to keep the Arabic enigma alive..Archana Maini’81/ Kishore Seth
• Japan-The ‘Land of Rising Sun’, cherry blossoms, MT fuji, technology, but most importantly for their punctuality the model wears a “Kimono’ with a sash called ‘Obi’- Bhavna Dhillon’98

A pot-pourri of Alumni presentations followed:

• A poem by Sangita Nagpal’77 - a parody on life at LHMC was thoroughly enjoyed by all
• Men’s saree competition- was a hilarious interlude.
• Mike for Melodies - DJ Mohit and Arun Asha Kalra'63 rocked the house

The Grand Finale'

Kalbeliya Entertainer- the unexpected and charming dance by Megha Gupta '98 was a spontaneous success…. and brought the entertainment to a fitting end. The girls were in a mood to celebrate further and the DJ’s took over and had the house shaking out their energy… to a thundering success - having us look for more the next day!!!