The Telugu community of Hamilton, Waikato was given a big surprise when Tollywood actress Manju Bhargavi showed up at the Ugadi celebrations in Hamilton last week.
Ugadi is one of the biggest festivals for the Telugu community and is observed with traditional music and dance in huge community gatherings across the globe. The festival is a way to welcome the new year and enter into a new calendar month as per Hindu calendar.
Some of the practices of this festival are visiting the temple, buying new clothes, giving charity to the poor visiting and inviting guests and sharing and distributing fruits and sweets as a gesture of welcome into the new year.
The guests are usually served with a ‘pachadi’, a traditional mango drink that is sweet, sour, salty and bitter- representing the four tastes or flavours of life.
The event in Hamilton witnessed the enthusiastic presence of over 250 community members, especially women and children who wore colourful sarees and festive dresses on occasion.
The community members eagerly greeted Tollywood actress Manju Bhargavi who applauded the efforts of the community members for organising a big Ugadi celebration and keeping the spirit of the festival alive even outside India.
Actress Manju Bhargavi is also a renowned Kuchipudi classical dancer who has performed in several events across the globe and played a variety of roles not just in Telugu cinema but also in Tamil and Malayali films. She is best known for her work in Telugu blockbuster films Sankarabharanam and Nayakudu Vinayakudu.
Ms Bhargavi was felicitated by the New Zealand Telugu Association Waikato executive committee members and president Ravinder Reddy Boddu at the event.
“When our chief guest actress Manju Bhargavi arrived at the event centre, the whole community hall erupted with applaud, and they gave the actress a grand welcome,” Ravinder Reddy Boddu said.
“She [actress Manju Bhargavi ] praised the work of the community in New Zealand and encouraged the youngsters present at the event to keep participating in such events with all enthusiasm and strive to spread the richness of classical music and dance alive everywhere,” Mr Boddu added.
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