ANUBHAVI-2020
“Behind
every soldier, there is an even stronger woman who stands behind him, supports
him, and loves him with all her heart.” – Lauren Tamm
She stood
in the storm, and when the wind did not blow her way and it surely has not, she
adjusted her sails.—Elizabeth Edwards
Said Queen Elizabeth, “If a Naval officer loves
you, Raise your head and walk like a Queen. ! " Beauty and Grace are two essential ingredients
that a Naval Wife is composed of. Even as the Sailor is guarding the maritime
frontiers onboard his man-of-war, She is
indeed the Hero back home.
Navy has always cultivated a lasting bond with
our Veteran fraternity and has endeavoured interactions with them. In
their strive to strengthen the bond and stay connected, they have been entreating
the Veterans and ladies at various events conducted during the Navy Week and yonder.
One such event is ‘Anubhavi’ an Annual
gala, wherein the First lady of NWWA
(Naval Wives Welfare Association) of each command invites the ladies of the
veteran officers and the Veer Naris for fun, frolic and games. Over a month in advance, the NWWA coordination
team, sent a word across to Navy Foundation Mumbai Chapter to promulgate to its
members to save the Date 28th
Jan for the ‘Anubhavi 2020’ Coffee
Morning. Additionally, they emailed the programme to each lady personally. ‘Red
and White’ was the theme for this splendid gathering. Buses were organized for pick-up and drop from Kharghar, Powai, CST and Churchgate.
Come the morning of 28th Jan, a
lustrous and radiant aura descended over South Mumbai and settled over IMSC, preceding
the angels gliding down from Heaven to greet about 250 charming Navy
Queens of Mumbai and suburbs, elegantly
attired in ‘Red and White’. The Organising Queens were in classic Yellow Sarees.
As the graceful Queens stepped into the Arch of IMSC, the Best 15 were
shortlisted and numeric badges clipped on their tops. The event kick-started
with a Cat-walk of the select Queens in the neatly decorated Sea Lounge, even
as the spectators applauded from their round tables. It was a Fashion show at
its best. The Judges unanimously crowned Mrs Urmila Bhatia as the Winner amidst
a huge round of applause. Other games included
Group Toran making contest and a Game of Housie or Tombola. The hosts in
yellow mingled around with the guests in Red and White. A Lark that flew in
inadvertently has reported of an exquisite Garden of Yellow marigolds
interspersed among the Red & White Roses.
The
organisers had setup NWWA stalls that boasted of varied handicrafts, embroidery
and titbits from different States, one could buy. The Lunch was indeed
delectable with varied cuisines to choose from.
Time compression was encountered as the magnificent ladies got
completely engrossed in the captivating events planned by Team Anubhavi, for
which they deserve rich praise and accolades. The Navy Queens bid farewell to the Organisers and each other, thoroughly satiated with a tremendous amount of pleasant and blissful moments
that they carried along with them to reflect back in footprints of time to
come.
The event would not have been triumphal and glorious sans the involvement of the
Anubhavi Coordinators Mrs Geetika, Mrs
Amrita, Mrs Rashmi, Mrs Shylon and Mrs Seema under the expert guidance of Mrs Sunita
Ajit Kumar, Mrs Priya Pandit and Mrs Srinivasan.
Mrs
Archana Marya, One of the Anubhavi Coordinator has elegantly summed it up, “Anubhavi is not just an opportunity to meet old
friends but an experience in itself. When the responsibility to organise this
year's event came our way, there were apprehensions and self-doubts to measure
up to the expectations and standards of the ladies who have always been looked
up to. The preparation commenced under the able guidance of Mrs SRINIVASAN. It
was a roller coaster ride that brought the ladies of the yard much closer and
also gave them a perspective into various facets of organising an event of this
stature. While all the preparations were in the place, there were still
butterflies on the D day. However, all our doubts vanished and the gleeful
atmosphere dawned when the Anubhavi ladies made an entry into the venue.
Thereafter the event was a breeze both for the guests and the hosts. The biggest takeaway from the event was the learning that you may go out of Navy,
but Navy does not go out of you ..Once a Naval wife, always a Naval wife.”
REMARKS BY GUESTS
It was my first time and I really liked it. The
hosts were very friendly and welcoming. The theme was red and white..we
enjoyed the games-Tombola, Toran making. The best part was the NWWA stalls,
where we were able to buy beautiful sarees, block printed dupattas, ikat work
bags, mobile covers, semi-precious jewellery which were all handmade and very
reasonable. Then there were mehndi, bangles, foot massage and tattoo stalls which
gave a very festive look. There were some interesting spots like a beautifully
decorated frame and a swing for photoshoots and selfies. The food and drinks
were great. It was lovely meeting so many old friends. It was like a reunion.It
was a beautiful sight to see all the ladies in red and white on a bright clear
day near the sea. Then there was a catwalk to choose the best red and white
attired lady. We really felt welcomed. Overall a beautiful day well spent with
happy smiling faces.- Veer Nari Rekha Malhan
"Anubhavi-2020”
, a joyful morning of glitter, glamour n sumptuous snacks .. where the committee members of the welfare association hosted
the veterans. The dress code for the guests was Red & White... and
the hosts draped bright yellow...There were few stalls comprising of
sarees, embroidered linen, handicrafts, trinkets, a special foot massage
spa to soothe the tired veterans, Tarot reading...Wonderful meeting
comrades known to us for decades – Veer
Nari Mukti Ghosh
Anubhavi, as
the name suggests, is an experience in itself. Having been away from the Indian
Navy for years, the iconically named annual Coffee morning to pamper the better
halves of the Navy, brought me back into the fold of fun, frolic, games and
food, all in the breathtakingly beautiful location of IMSC ( Dhanush). And can
one forget shopping when ladies are involved? The colour scheme of Red and White
sparked up my inner Bengali-ness while incorporating a unique sense of fashion
that I associate with the Navy. As a Veer Nari, I am comfortably back into the cocoon of Naval sharing and caring. I eagerly look forward to the coming
Anubhavis! – Veer Nari Nandita Banerjee
Anubhavi Lunch, a yearly feature organised by NWWA ladies is looked forward by all the Ladies of Veterans & Veer Naris, was a different ANUBHAV this time, on Tuesday, the 28th January 2020. The dress code for Anubhavis was red and white.on arrival at IMSC Foyer, it was heartening to see a warm reception with a big smile by our hosts dressed up in beautiful Basanti colour. Anubhavis were all dressed to kill in their best of Red and White attire with accessories, bubbling with excitement and energy, crowding at various stalls and buying beauty items and getting their photographs clicked by Beautiful Meena Dutta herself dressed as Bengali bride in Red and White. It was total excitement, meeting and greeting old friends. As the Anubhavis settled on their respective tables they were treated to an excellent entertainment programme of Music, dance, brain teaser quizzes & games & selection of Anubhavi Diva, along with a constant supply of soft drinks and small eats. Sumptuous lunch followed the programme. In the end, I must say, it was an excellent programme by the NWWA Ladies dressed in Saffron colour, a colour of Sacrifice. JAI HIND -- Veer Nari Dr Kanta Mukherjee
Anubhavi Lunch, a yearly feature organised by NWWA ladies is looked forward by all the Ladies of Veterans & Veer Naris, was a different ANUBHAV this time, on Tuesday, the 28th January 2020. The dress code for Anubhavis was red and white.on arrival at IMSC Foyer, it was heartening to see a warm reception with a big smile by our hosts dressed up in beautiful Basanti colour. Anubhavis were all dressed to kill in their best of Red and White attire with accessories, bubbling with excitement and energy, crowding at various stalls and buying beauty items and getting their photographs clicked by Beautiful Meena Dutta herself dressed as Bengali bride in Red and White. It was total excitement, meeting and greeting old friends. As the Anubhavis settled on their respective tables they were treated to an excellent entertainment programme of Music, dance, brain teaser quizzes & games & selection of Anubhavi Diva, along with a constant supply of soft drinks and small eats. Sumptuous lunch followed the programme. In the end, I must say, it was an excellent programme by the NWWA Ladies dressed in Saffron colour, a colour of Sacrifice. JAI HIND -- Veer Nari Dr Kanta Mukherjee
Friends,
The success of Anubhavi 2020 can be evaluated
by the remarks of the above Veer Nari Guests. Hail the wonderful Ladies of NWWA
and Hail the much-awaited ‘Anubhavi’ year after year. In her ‘Vote of thanks’, Mrs Meena
Dutta on behalf of NFMC thanked the organisers for an exquisitely organised
Anubhavi-2020. The pics below by Meena
convey a lot more about the appeal and charm of the Event than words could ever
convey.
Shano Varuna … Jai Hind !
NFMC PHOTOGRAPHER
MRS MEENA DUTT
VIDEOS
About the Author
Commander
Rajinder Dutta (Retd) has been a Naval Pilot and a Qualified Flying Instructor
with about 3000 hrs of flying on various fixed-wing Aircraft of Indian Navy,
viz HT-2, HPT-32, Kirans, Islander, Super Connie, Fokker F-27 and IL-38.
He is the Hon
Secy of NFMC, a Master of Ceremonies and an avid blogger.
