The Indian Community in Ballinasloe kicked off with their first event of the year BICC EVE-23 acting as a combination of three festivals Easter, Vishu and Eid-ul-Fitr. The event showcased the unity in diversity of the Indian Community in Ballinasloe and surrounds.
The Ballinasloe Indian Cultural Community started small in 2015 with just four families,but has since grown to encompass over 120 families and over 200 members locally. The aim of the group is to cherish social connections and enhance art and culture in the community. Following a two-year break over COVID , the community returned small in 2022 with their Easter-Vishu-Eid festival. The event unites people of all cultures and religion through Christian, Hindu, and Muslim holidays for a fun night of music, dance and storytelling. The BICC only recently elected a new committee for this year with Aju Abraham as President, Dotty Matthew as Vice President, Akshai Kurian and Ajin Alex Antony as Secretaries, Devu Sabu and Don Bosco as Joint Secretaries, Ajith Mathew as Treasurer, Shiju Philipose and Priya Susan as Program Co-ordinators, along with the Executive Committee Members of Ajeesh Joseph, Salu Sabu, Robin Daniel and Jithin John. The group hopes to completely reform their committee every year with new representatives for the community for each period. The EVE-23 was the first event of the current committee hosted in Moore Community Hall on April 22 and was a resounding success, becoming the largest Indian program in Ballinasloe post pandemic. Senator Aisling Dolan inaugurated the event who, along with the BICC committee and Fr. Bernie Costello and Fr. Michael Malloy, lit the ceremonial candle inaugurating the ceremony and the new board. The highlights of the night included electrifying dance performances by both children and adults representing the rich culture of India. Couple dances, Fusion dances, Songs and Instrumental sessions additionally contributed to the vibrant night along with feature act DJ Darshan. Committee President Aju Abraham was grateful for this community gathering expressing: “We don’t get many opportunities to get together, so this event is great in that regard, especially for the kids”. Aju thanked M6 Motors for acting as their major sponsor for the event and for playing a significant role in making the event possible. In summary of their EVE celebration, Aju shared: “This event exemplified how diversity can bring people together and strengthen community bonds.” Although the annual EVE occasion is their largest annual gathering, the BICC will host events in August/September, late in December, and are also hosting online platforms with kids learning activities. The BICC Committee have also created a Facebook page under “Ballinasloe Indian Cultural Community” where you can find regular updates about upcoming and ongoing activities with the group.
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February 2025
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