ALL DRESSED UP: ILPG members pose for a group photo after the fashion show held as part of the 10th anniversary celebrations at Al Jazi Gardens Clubhouse in West Bay.

As the International Ladies’ Potluck Group completed a decade, the

members, from 56 countries, joined in for one big celebration

 

By Anand Holla

 

For the womenfolk of the International Ladies’ Potluck Group (ILPG), spectacular gatherings celebrating their unity in diversity are a monthly affair.

What set Thursday apart is that it marked a milestone, the 10th anniversary, of a collective that has been a torchbearer for expat ladies in Qatar boasting of 320 members from 56 countries.

Bustling with laughs and chatter of ladies draped in exquisite saris, or clad in elaborate chaniya cholis and adorned with traditional Indian finery, the expansive hall at the Al Jazi Gardens Clubhouse in West Bay had turned into a melting pot of cultures, and happily so.

The morning kicked off with the recognition of long-standing members by presenting 10th anniversary souvenirs to them, and cutting the grand anniversary cake; courtesy Aririang Bakery. Chhaya Arora, wife of the Indian ambassador to Qatar, Sanjiv Arora, lit the traditional oil lamp.

A series of neatly choreographed dances highlighting India’s cultural heritage was on show, and so was a fun dandiya dance session. Dancing to popular Bollywood numbers, as it almost always does, saw a lot of ladies join in.

What stole the dance programme though was a fabulous Odissi performance (a classical dance form that originates from the state of Odisha in India) by three young girls Anchita, Tiana, and Disha, who are between the ages of seven and nine.

Their teacher and ILPG member Lekha Mohanty, who has learnt the art from the Odissi legend Kelucharan Mohapatra, said, “I have been teaching Odissi ever since I moved to Doha six years back. It is performances like these that keep me going.”

With so much effort and excitement spent in raiding the wardrobe and dolling up in style, it was only fair that a fashion show be held for the ladies to top it off. Chief organiser of the ‘India Day’, Saroj Shukla said, “It’s wonderful to see the effort and time these ladies from across the world have invested to come dressed in traditional Indian clothes today.”

In fact, the pains taken by the members of ILPG to make each of their monthly gatherings a success is perhaps what keeps this close-knit, ladies-only version of a global village going, and growing.

Every meeting to showcase their countries through traditional arts, handicrafts, jewellery, and authentic food, is converted into an opportunity to come closer, understand each other better and engage in precious culture-exchange endeavours. What explains “potluck” is that the women bring a typical dish of their country so as to get the other members to savour it.

Thus far, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bolivia, Chile, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Turkey, USA and Venezuela have hosted such events.

As for the anniversary event, the ladies weren’t done having fun. The evergreen fixture of a raffle competition saw them frantically hope to have their ticket numbers matched.

The stakes were high, of course. The first prize was a return air ticket to Dubai on FlyDubai donated by Mannai Travel, and also there were eight watches donated by Damasco, and vouchers handed out by Indian restaurants Moti Mahal and Aalishan to be won.

Hannelore Seckel, a Doha-based German artist, kept ruing about how she always buys raffle tickets but never wins any. “I don’t mind though,” she said and smiled, “It’s for a good cause, and it is fun.”

Just then, her ticket number was called out. Seckel jumped up and stepped forward. Clutching a restaurant voucher, Seckel walked back with the enthusiasm of a schoolgirl, and said, “This is perfect. I love Indian food anyway.”

The rush of activities had the ladies make a beeline for the final treat – a scrumptious Indian buffet lunch. Looking around the hall, Madiha Khater-Szewc from Egypt, said, “There is so much variety in Indian culture, as can be seen in these beautiful dresses. ILPG is all about celebrating cultures, and it feels great to turn 10.”