Parsippany Vidyalaya Sunday School Celebrates Annual Mela (Fair)

Vidyalaya Sunday School, Parsippany Celebrates Mela

Vidyalaya, a
School of Indian Languages, Culture and Dharma in Parsippany, New Jersey,
celebrated its annual event in a grand style on June 1st. Upholding its tradition, the school hosted a fair titled “Vibrant India” in the
Parsippany High School that was attended by over 600 guests . The event
ncluded cultural information booths, live music, fashion show and stage
performances by students of Vidyalaya. The cultural booths presented a spectrum of information about India’s diverse and vibrant culture – from the richness of Indian mythology to the latest advancements in science and technology.
Bollywood dances and Fashion show were well liked by the audience.

The
event was attended by Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen, Parsippany Mayor James
Barberio, Assemblyman Jay Webber, Parsippany Troy Hills Councilman Michael DePierro,
NJ Secretary of Higher Education Rochelle Hendricks, Morris County Human
Relations Commission Yvette Long, and Coordinating Supervisor of World Languages - ESL, Vicky Santana.


Mr. Barberio,
the Mayor of Parsippany, said, “ I am impressed by (the school’s) initiative to
provide a children’s cultural program and to see Vidyalaya volunteers taking
time to impart their heritage to the Indian American children which I believe
will help prepare them for life amidst Parsippany’s diverse society.”


Vidyalaya is a
heritage school which is operated by over 200 volunteers from the local area.
It offers education to over 250 students in three Indian languages, Hindi,
Gujarati and Telugu. The language curriculum is based on the New Jersey Core
Curriculum standards and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign
Language standards. The curriculum is accredited by Parsippany Troy Hills and
Morris School Districts, and the Vidyalaya students can receive high school credits for completing foreign language study requirements. It also offers
Culture classes along with numerous cultural immersion opportunities celebrating
festivals from across India such as Garba, Raas, Holi, Pongal and Lohri. Several other extra-curricular classes are also offered such as Orators R Us, a
public speaking course and Beyond GPA, a stimulating course for middle and high
schoolers. Vidyalaya also offers special courses for adults to learn
conversational language skills and financial management skills.


Vidyalaya has
been in operation since 2008 in one of the public schools in the Parsippany
Troy Hills School District and meets once a week on Sundays from 9:30am to
11:45am. It is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. For further
information please visit www.vidyalaya.us.