Surat, March 30 – The Sindhi community in Surat marked the celebration of their New Year, Cheti Chand, with religious fervor and cultural pride under the collective efforts of various Sindhi organizations including Puj Surat Sindhi Panchayat, Surat Sindhi Cloth Association, Sindhu Seva Samiti (Trust), Jhulelal Sindhu Seva Yatra Samiti (Trust), and Sindhi Samaj Trust Directory Family.
The day began at 10:00 AM with a puja at the Sindhu Bhavan Panchayat office in Nanpura, where prominent members including Panchayat President Vasudev Gopalani, Minister Ghanshyam Khattar, Gordhan Chhatani, Mahesh Bulchandani, Raja Mulchandani, and Nankaram Atalani lit the ceremonial lamp in front of Lord Jhulelal. After the rituals, the sacred lamp was respectfully taken to Prem Prakash Ashram in City Light.
Meanwhile, the Sindhi Cloth Association, led by President Harish Lalwani, performed similar rituals at Gopi Market and also brought a lamp to Prem Prakash Ashram. Both lamps were then taken to the Aathwa Party Plot near Umra Police Station, where a grand dome was set up for public darshan.
At 1:00 PM, cultural artist Kamlesh Kapoor from Ulhasnagar presented a vibrant program inside the dome, followed by a community feast (bhandara) for attendees. Later in the evening, at 5:30 PM, a grand procession began from the Aathwa Party Plot featuring a decorated tableau of Lord Jhulelal, accompanied by traditional band music and a lamp-lit parade.
The procession moved through prominent city points including Umra Police Station, Chowpati, Aathwa Gate, Timliyawad, and the old SBI Bank before concluding at Nanpura Navdi Ghat by 9:00 PM. Here, the final worship of Lord Jhulelal was conducted, and ceremonial lamp immersion was performed in the river. The Directory Family organized a distribution of hand-prasad at the site, which was warmly received by the devotees.
The event was coordinated by a dedicated organizing team comprising Vasudev Gopalani, Ghanshyam Khattar, Nankaram Atalani, Rajkumar Mulchandani, Govardhan Das Chhatani, Mahesh Bulchandani, Vasudev Sadhwani, Shobharam Gulabwani, Trilok Thadani, Madan Gopal, Pratap Gopalani, Murli Ghar Lilani, and other executive members. The celebration exemplified unity, devotion, and the vibrant cultural traditions of the Sindhi community in Surat.
