2-4-2013 9_39_08 PM

FREE EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN HICKSVILLE, NY

ROTARY CLUB FREE ADULT LITERACY PROGRAMS  (A Not For Profit Organization)

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Advance Excel for  Business Use Spoken English & Personality  Development Computers for Beginners MS Word MS Excel Citizenship Test Preparation Class

PROGRAMS FOR BUSINESS USE March 03 :  Advance Excel for Business use April 07    : Developing Entrepreneur May 12.    : Entrepreneurial Finance June 02    :  Effective Communication for Business      CONTINUING EDUCATION TRACK March 10 :   Spoken English & Grammar session 1 April 14    :  Spoken English & Grammar session 2 ​ May 05.   :  Prep Program for Citizenship Test ​ June 09   :   Personality Development COMPUTER LITERACY PROGRAMS March 17 :  Introduction to Computers ​ April 21 :   MS Word ​ May 19 :    MS Excel ​ June 16 :   Computers for Daily use FULL  DETAILS ARE AVAILABLE ON  http://rotapaal.com Class Location: Asamai Temple & Community Center 80 E, Barclays Street, Hicksville, NY  To Register: Tel: 516-342 0706                    Email:  rotapaal@gmail.com

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TO REGISTER CONTACT US : TEL: 516-342 0706.        EMAIL: ROTAPAAL@GMAIL.COM

MOTHER'S CRY FOR HELP: A TRAGIC STORY FROM HYDERABAD

Mubina wants to find money for her daughter's costly treatment.

Life could not have been more unfair to Mubina Begum, an educated woman, who is now reduced to seeking alms on the road for her daughter'S medical treatment. On Wednesday, this haLpless young woman was spotted by The Hindu, begging on the footpath abutting the newly constructed railway over-bridge at Lakdikapul. In the perambulator before her was her 13-month-old daughter Habeebunnissa, who looked extremely sick and under-aged. Two older kids played on the footpath. My daughter is diagnosed by doctors at Niloufer Hospital with a hole in the heart. The CT Scan, they said, will cost Rs.1,000, and more money will be needed for blood transfusion,said Mubina, 26, showing the medical reports. Not able to find money for the treatment, she has resorted to begging on the footpath. Incidentally, Mubina is a B.Com. graduate, married off five years ago to a worker in a hotel. Her parents died when she was a child, and she was raised by her aunt who stayed in Chandrayangutta. Nine months ago, her husband died following complications due to excessive drinking at a party after the birth of Habeebunnissa.

Mubina had little means to sustain the family on her own. Two months ago, she was thrown out of the rented house she was staying in as she was not able to pay rent. Her kith and kin too deserted her, fearing the responsibility of taking care of three kids. Since then I have been living in a small shack near Niloufer Hospital and begging to find money for my daughter's treatment. I have neither the Arogyasri card, nor ration card to seek free treatment,she said. Mubina had worked as a sales representative before her marriage and hoped to find some work after things fell in place. Mubina has no contact number. She can be found near Niloufer Hospital in Red Hills.

NOTE: MR. HABEEB AHMED IS TRYING TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH MUBINA AND WE WILL UPDATE YOU WHEN WE HAVE MORE DETAILS.

JOIN US : MAKING GOODWILL & FRIENDSHIPS
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CONGRATULATIONS ON THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY

Dear Fellow Hyderabadis

As we proudly celebrate our first year, it is time to take a stock of the goals we have set at the start of the year, and measure the progress we have made toward them. My HUMBLE GRATITUDE to each and every member of our association; we are on track to achieve what we have set out to accomplish. This could not have been possible without the support of each and every member of the HCA family.

 
 I am great believer in the importance of setting goals that are high but realistic. A worthwhile goal should be within your reach but still require you to stretch. Opening yourselves to a new challenge helps you find out what you are really capable of.

This month HCA founders will embark on yet another major challenge as we rollout the 2013 VISION PLAN. The founding members have set a simple and vital goal: to do the most we can with all the resources we have. To do this, we will focus our service in the areas where we know we can have the most impact.
The VISION PLAN will encourage and foster ideals of community through social and cultural activities. Secondly, this will encourage our community to serve in areas of Education and Community Development in a serious, lasting way. These are areas in which our friends in Hyderabad and around the world have already been working for many years, and in which we have experience and confidence.
It is a prudent approach that I believe will lead to a foundation more capable of doing good in the world.

We look forward for a wonderful year 2013. I thank you and congratulate you, Hyderabadis, on the first anniversary of this wonderful organization. To gather we shall take this association to the next level.

Mohammed Abdul Quddus

President

Building Goodwill & Better Friendships

BIDRI METAL CRAFT

The Bidri craftsman use fine inlay of silver on blackened alloy of zinc and copper. The metal craft originated between the 13th and 15th centuries under Bahamani Sultans. This craft is widely practiced in Hyderabad.

Each step in the art of making Bidri is an art in itself. Historically, among the popular bidri crafts were in forms like water jug and basins, spherical belly hookahs, vases, urns, spittoons and perfume containers but today we see its contemporized version features like cufflinks, name plates and jewelry boxes. Dr M.A. Nayeem in his book "The Heritage of the Bahamis & Biridis of the Deccan" describes the history and the art of making bidri metal craft.

The art of encrusting one metal on another in the form of wire came from the original tradition at Damascus Syria. The tradition travelled to Deccan during fifteenth century with the migration of one expert craftsman Abdullah Bin Kaiser who travelled Khawaja Mohiuddin Chisti from Iraq/Iran to Ajmer. After few years Abdullah Migrated to Bijapur, which was then the provincial town of Bahamani Kingdom and began trade.

Dr. Nayeem writes in his book that these beautiful gifts were presented to Sultan Abdullah Alaudin Ahmed II (1436-1458) on his coronation. The Sultan was fascinated with the sparkle of the silver design against the contrasting black background. The craftsman Abdullah was invited to settle in Bidar, which was the capital of Bahamis. But it was Mahmud Shah Bahmani, the son and successor of Abdulllah who took interest in this art and flourished it.

The Bidri was part of the collection of princes and aristocrats as noted in writing of 1885 in which the Kings of Bidar used during religious rituals. The Russian traveler Althanasius Nikitin who visited Bidar during 1470-74 took several Bidri ware craft for presentation to the Russian Emperor.

The basic material of Bidri ware is an alloy of metals composed of zinc 83.5 percent, lead 3percent. The process is divided in stages; the mould making, the smelting and the inlaying. The constituents are melted and poured into a mould of blackened clay; which are broken when the metal is cooled and the shapes have solidified. The surface is then smothered and rubbed black with a solution of sal-ammoniac and salpeter. Ornamental designs are then delicately etched or incise on the black surface with a sharp pointed instrument of steel and clipped of deftly to receive the silver inlay. Then with a hammer and punch, fill the cavities with small foils or plate of silver or gold. This makes the luster of the inlay stand out.

Bidri ware is delicate but does not rust. This art, Bidri will continue to be — and will always be — made beautifully, thoughtfully, and locally in Hyderabad.

REMARKABLE DIASPORA: MR. MOHAMMED YOUSUF

 

A CHAMPION OF DISABLED OF INDIA

Sitting quietly behind the computers of the US Department of Transportation in Washington DC, Mr. Mohammed Yousuf design the next generation infrastructure to improve our lives. But more importantly, he devotes his life helping improve lives of the millions of disabled men and women around the globe. This makes him the greatest Engineer of our time and a Champion for the disabled.

Mr. Yousuf moved to the USA in 1990 after graduating in Engineering from Osmani University in hyderabad. “I was the witness of the treatment towards disabled as no one was willing to give me a job”, says Mr. Yousuf.

Mr. Yousuf stopped walking at the age of about 2 years; the polio that attacked his body left most of it paralyzed but for his spirit. The social norms, unfriendly society, lack of access to school and transportation, pretty much left him house bound, in isolation and segregated. He went to school for the first time at the age of 12; and since never looked back.

The challenges, the barriers, the accessibility and inclusion issues faced by him left him a deep desire to fight against the same issues that once challenged his very existence. His disability and the experience of dealing with his own society have left him exposed in some cunning ways to the gaps, challenges and the opportunities in disability development and inclusion.

In 2001, Mr. Yousuf started EquallyAble Foundation with few friends in Michigan. Ten years later, the foundation has done some remarkable work to make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities, not only in India, but also in the USA and many other countries.

He serves on many other committees to empower people with disabilities.

Mr. Yousuf lives with his wife, a daughter and two sons in Fairfax, Virginia.

Dear Friends: Join Hyderabadi Cultural Association and support our Gift of Hope program to help disabled.

 

Numaish: The Exhibition

 

The “Numaish” or All India Industrial Exhibition will be celebrating its 73rd event this year. Started in 1938 with a small group of graduates from Osmania University, with 100 stalls, primary objective to sell the local products. Sri. Shankerji  (below) was the founder member of Osmania Graduates Association and Honorary Secretary of the first Exhibition Committee. He is remembered as the driving force that propelled the Exhibition Society over three decades.

The Numaish Masnuaat- e-Mulki meaning exhibition of local products started as the local bazaar of indigenous trade and crafts festival with entertainment like mini-train, the ferris wheel, and the rides. Food vendors include chaat , pani-puri, samosa and then no celebration is complete without sweets. The original venue was Public Gardens. The Numaish last for 46 days in an area of 23 acres in the heart of Hyderabad. The original name “Numaish” was changed to All India Industrial Exhibition. However, in 2009,  again the name was changed back to its original name Numaish.

Today, Numaish has come to be recognized as one of the biggest displays in the country for trade, commerce and industry, with participants from all over the country.

 

EXHIBITION SOCIETY IS HELPING COMMUNITY:

Entry charges for 2013 are just Rs. 20 per head from Rs 10 until last year.  The revenues from Numaish support the activities of the Exhibition Society, including the management of 20 educational and vocational training institutions that serve over 30,000 students of Hyderabad and the surrounding districts. It is estimated that in 2011 over 21 lakhs visitors attended the Numaish. Above: HE The Niza visiting the Numaish.

Newspaper: Nizam had 350 kg of Diamonds

Shared Moments; Naimathullah & Arshia

“CELEBRATING EID WITH HYDERABADI FRIENDS IS LIKE NOTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD” says Mr. Naimath Mohammed, Secretary

For this Year Awards Night -Flair & Sophisticated Looks

                  
Two acclaimed honorees -who know how to make a statement -will show you how to dress with distinction as they stand at the podium to address two hundred or so guest who came to attend the annual event of Hicksville Chamber of Commerce at the Westbury Manor. Dr. Dev Ratnam received Presidents award and Mr Hussain Baqueri for the Community Service.

Dr. Dev Ratnam, is an entreprenuer and the President of the Rotary Club of Hicksville. He is also very well known in the community as a philanthropist and he serves on the board of several non profits. He is on the board and as a Trustee for Interfaith Nutrition Network since 1995. Had been on the Board of Indo American Cancer Foundation under and thanks to his efforts have an outstanding Cancer Hospital in Hyderabad. Associated with South Asian Council for Social Services in Flushing, New York as an enthusiastic supporter of its services for the recent South Asian Immigrants who need help in settling down in America. Dr.Ratnam, a Phd from Penn State University in solid state science, is originally from Hyderabad and presently lives in Brookeville with his wife Dr.Runi Ratnam and two children.

Mr Hussain Baqueri, who is a pilot, an entreprenuer and the Executive Vice President of Hyderabadi Cultural Association. He is also the Secretary for Nargis Dutt Cancer Foundation and member of several non profits on Long Island. Hyderabadis know Hussain for his service above self and pleasingly gentle personality. Hussain is married to Noor Baqueri and lives in Albertson.
                                                                   

                         On Your Mark, Get Set, Go & Win

In a separate event Mr Hussain Baqueri won the third place in Entenmann's South Bay 5k half marathon held on Saturday 6 October 2012 at Bayshore Marina. Entenmann promote health, wellness, exercise, and nutrition. Proceeds of the event will be used for Tri-ing for Kids (TFK) an organization of all individuals of all athletic abilities inspired to compete a personal goal for a cause greater then themselves. TFK raises money and awareness by completing endurance events to help provide financial support for children in need.

Remarkable Diaspora: Krishna Madhuri Rallapalli

Humble, at the root. Madhuri Rallapalli is a real role model for inspiring our community. She walks two miles in the rain and cold to the Asamai Center in Hicksville where she volunteers on Sunday mornings. Started by Rotary Club’s philosophy of “Service Above Self”  Rota-Paal computer training Program,  where Madhuri passionately puts in hours of work to teach computers as a structured group instruction in Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook, Keyboarding, and Internet application to the South Asian adult community. Madhuri arrived from Hyderabad last year with her husband and is already making a difference in the lives of several South Asians who need computer skills for employment or for their daily lives. Before coming to the USA Madhuri worked at Capgemini India for their investment banking advisory wing. Madhuri is simply brilliant, dedicated and passionate about community, which is an excellent quality for a volunteer tutor, says Mr. Quddus Mohammed, who is the founder of Rota-Paal along with Mrs Vimmi Sikka, the Charter President of Rotary Club of Jericho Sunrise. "Adult education is challenging and she is a perfect fit for this" said Mrs. Arti Datta, a volunteer tutor for this program. “She is extremely proficient in MS Office but more importantly a uniquely pleasant”. The Rota-Paal programs are aimed to provide guidance and learning to the South Asian adult immigrant Community on Long Island. The level one Computer classes started on September 15th is a six week program with focus on basic MS Office which include Word, Excel, resume writing or flyer making using Word Art Application. The response for the computer class was phenomenal, says Mr. Quddus " Our Service Above Self volunteers will agree with me to continue these sessions throughout the year based on specific skill level – beginner, intermediate, and advanced". The team is considering to start one day programs on specific topics for advance users like how to use Excel Pivot Tables or creating dynamic tables or dynamic charting for work environment. The best part of this program is that it is absolutely free.

Dallas Hyderabadi Association Wishes Eid Mubarak

EID GREETINGS

Socha kisi apne se baat karun,
Apne kisi khaas ko yaad karun,
Kiya jo faisla eid mubarak kehne ka,
Dil ne kaha kyun na HCA of Greater New York se shuruaat karun:)

Mere aur mere ahle-Khana ki janib se aap ko dili

*EID MUBARAK *

Arshad Nizam

Past President of Dallas Hyderbabadi Association

EID MUBARAK

CELEBRATE YOUR EID WITH HYDERABADI FRIENDS

RSVP TODAY AT: HCAOFGNY@GMAIL.COM

HCA Marches in India Day Parade in Hicksville, Long Island

The President Mr. Quddus Mohammed and his wife Seema Zaki were holding the banner of Hyderabadi Cultural Association as they march in the India Parade in Hicksville, Long Island along with Mr Naimath Ullah and other friends.

The Long Island Indian community was extremely excited as they celebrated the first parade. The Bollywood celebrity star Vinod Khanna and his wife were the chief guests and several executives of Nassau County including County Executive Hon Ed Mangano attended the parade. Colorful floats and marchers holding Indian flags and over 2,500 community members marched in the parade as the Hicksville community distributed free water and cold drinks to the marchers as a mark of Indian solidarity.

Hyderabad'​s Charm Found in Ramadan Delights - NYTimes.co​m

Friday, August 10, 2012

Hyderabad’s Charm Found in Ramadan Delights

By APARNA ALLURI

Mahesh Kumar/Associated PressPeople break their fast outside the Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, July 21, 2012.

 

Hyderabad, the Scottish historian William Dalrymple wrote, hides “its charms from the eyes of outsiders, veiling its splendors from curious eyes behind nondescript walls and labyrinthine backstreets.” But some secrets, like Hyderabad’s sinfully rich food, perhaps its greatest charm, are hard to keep. And the month of Ramadan is ideal for discovering the city’s most indulgent dishes.
A graceful, 400-year-old city, Hyderabad’s aristocratic order has given way to wealth born of industry, real estate and entrepreneurship. Once it became the capital of Andhra Pradesh, families from the traditionally Hindu coastal belts to the east populated the infertile, rocky city; then, with the boom in software and outsourcing, people began pouring in from all over India seeking jobs. Today’s Hyderabad is a curious mix of Hindu and Muslim, of native and settler, of old and new.

But the month of Ramadan, known as Ramzan in India, offers a peek into the city’s culinary past. When dusk arrives during Ramadan, with a shrill siren that signals the end of fasting, the narrow streets of Hyderabad’s old city fill up fast with vendors, shoppers and food buffs. What awaits the hungry are simmering pots of biryani with a distinctly Hyderabadi flavor; endless bowls of haleem — a thick, spicy paste of lamb and wheat, cooked to perfection; dried apricots and fresh cream served together as the wildly popular qubani-ka-meetha; and other flavors that carry the richness of a sultan’s sumptuous meal although they have been prepared in humbler kitchens.

Krishnendu Halder/Reuters“Haleem”, a dish made of wheat and meat, is distributed during Ramadan in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh in this Sept. 22, 2008 file photo.

 

Obscure restaurants light up their signboards promising the city’s best haleem – certainly the most sought-after dish at this time, partly because it’s not easily available for the rest of the year.
Mr. Dalrymple himself has recommended Salim, “the best biryani cook in Hyderabad,” in the opening pages of “White Mughals.” A decade after the book’s publication, Mr. Salim is hard to find, but there’s still plenty to choose from.

Hotel Shadab, a small, locally loved restaurant, is at its hopping best during Ramadan. Started in 1990, it has since added an air-conditioned upper floor for “ladies and families.” Rumored to serve the best haleem and biryani in town, the menu also offers fresh, soft loaves of sheermal and a decadent qubani-ka-meetha. The delicately flavored Pakistani chicken curry is a must.
Four Seasons, a restaurant that should not be confused with the luxurious hotel chain of the same name, is best known for its kebabs and biryani. But during Ramadan, its haleem, slightly spicier than most, is a hit. Fresh garlic naan goes best with the haleem. The almond kheer – milk, rice and sugar boiled together and seasoned with saffron and almonds – is a treat.

Pista House, Shah Ghouse, Sarvi and 555 are all famous for their haleem, doing a roaring business during Ramadan, as one can see from the line of vehicles waiting for takeaway orders.
The venerable Nizam Club is restricted to members only, but it brings so much to the table that it deserves a mention, especially during Ramadan. Few can cook biryani and haleem better than the chefs at this 128-year-old club established by the prime minister in Hyderabad’s erstwhile royal court. And nowhere else can you find some of the dishes on offer here, like dalcha, a sambar of meat and lentils flavored with tamarind, or the spicy, tangy mutton chutney.

But if you happen to find yourself in the city during Ramadan, do try and snag an invitation for an iftar, the evening meal after the fast is broken, or lunch on Id-al-Fitr, the day that marks the end of Ramadan, which falls on Aug. 18 this year. Hyderabad’s best restaurants notwithstanding, nothing can compare to a home-cooked meal. And it’s the best way to taste some of the more painstaking dishes, like sheer korma, a steaming pudding of milk and vermicelli, peppered with dates, which is considered an Id delicacy.