Count Your Blessings: An Eastern Fare initiative

(From Merinews)

Members of Eastern Fare at Anandashram
EASTERN FARE Music Foundation, a premiere music institute in Bangalore, India, added a splendid twist to their Diwali celebrations this year. In continuation with their philanthropic initiative ‘Count Your Blessings’ established earlier this year, the students of the institute visited senior citizens home cum orphanage called ‘Anandashram’ on November 7, 2010.

Anandashram is a society for senior citizens, destitute children and also empowerment of underprivileged women. Situated opposite Jal Bhawan in Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore, the society houses nearly 30 elderly residents and around 20 destitute children and provides training on tailoring and knitting to underprivileged women. The society neither has any government funding nor any major corporate aid. However, the managing ladies Dilshad and Fathima mentioned that they can avail subsidised rates at various hospitals and medical institutes for the treatment of the elderly. In appreciation of their efforts, Eastern Fare Music Foundation made a sizeable donation with generous contributions from its students and members. Few of the members, who visited the ‘Anandashram’ on Sunday were Jim Ankan, Anand PM, Parmita Borah and Ajay Shankar.

The initiative ‘Count Your Blessings’ by Eastern Fare Music Foundation was established earlier this year in recognition of their social responsibilities. Although in its nascent stage, the members have engaged in many noble initiatives. In the month of October, the members of the ‘Eastern Fare Music Club’ donated the entire cash raised from a concert organised at Olio, one of the fine dining pubs in Koramangala, Bangalore.

Eastern Fare Music Foundation is the brainchild of Jim Ankan Deka, a noted musician from Assam. He is a familiar face in the Western/rock music scenario with his band 'Eastern Fare' and his Fusion band 'Veenar' (a blend of Jazz and Carnatic music) with Carnatic vocalist Suchethan Rangaswamy is gaining popularity by the hour. In the recent past he has also developed a flair for the digital media and has created many information databases on the North-eastern states of India on Facebook, blogspot and Twitter.