Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc. Sponsors Festival of India
For Immediate Release
September 24, 2010
Richmond, VA - Richmond is ripe with festivals. From cultural events to beer tastings, the city has never met a celebration it didn’t like. Many of Greater Richmond’s favorite events have grown in popularity over the years, but few with such gusto as the annual Festival of India.
“It’s a celebration for everyone,” explains Sanjay Thirunagari, chairperson for the growing event. First launched in 1981 by Dr. M.G. Kurup, the first India Bazaar, the event garnered approximately 1,500 from the start. This year organizers predict well over 20,000 will attend the two days of festivities slated for September 25 and 26, 2010. “It’s an opportunity for all cultures to come out to celebrate and explore food, dance, and music,” says Thirunagari.
Hosted at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, the two days of celebration will showcase India’s diverse culture and traditions, with this year’s special theme entitled “Dances of India.” Along with regional food, arts, crafts, the event will highlight classical and modern Indian live performances, as well as East-West fusion dance and music.
Vijay Ramnarain, a festival organizer, says that many participants rave about the different varieties of Indian cuisine on hand each year, such as vegetarian and non-vegetarian treats like dosa, kachori, samosas, tandoori chicken, and sweets. Ramnarain explains that all of the delicacies on hand each year are supplied by local Indian restaurants and families, all prepared fresh in front of patrons.
The lively event also receives rave reviews each year for its smorgasbord of traditional Indian clothing, jewelry, movies, music and other colorful souvenirs. Ramnarain says that another highly anticipated aspect of this year’s festival is its cultural program competition that attracts participants of all ages to come and exhibit their unique talents including crowd-pleasers such as Bollywood and Bhangra dances.
New to the festival this year is event sponsor Health Diagnostic Laboratory (HDL, Inc.), a new advanced testing facility located in the Virginia Biotechnology Research Park. The addition of the local laboratory this year will add a special health focus this year, with doctors and health coaches on hand to discuss the alarming trend of South Asians developing heart disease. “Studies show that if you are South Asian you are four times more likely to be impacted by heart disease,” explains Satya Rangarajan, Chief Operating Officer of HDL, Inc. Rangarajan points out that his lab is focused on educating South Asians at the event, with the goal of combating what the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control, and the Coronary Artery Disease among Asian Indians (CADI) Research Foundation are calling a global epidemic.
“We now know that South Asians are predisposed by genetics for a higher probability of heart disease. Today there is an opportunity for better health due to a monumental shift in the scientific understanding of the role of low-density and high-density lipoproteins in Coronary Heart Disease events. Heart disease has become preventable and treatable. We’ll be at the Festival of India to tell people that there’s good news if you talk to your primary care physician, cardiologist, or healthcare practitioner and make some simple life style changes.”
By combining art, culture, and education, this year’s festival is predicted to be the largest and most comprehensive to date. Festival organizers encourage all Richmonders to visit the Greater Richmond Convention Center for this free event. “Get ready for a good time. You’re sure to experience a celebration as never before seen in Richmond. We can’t wait,” concludes Rangarajan.
About Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc. : www.myhdl.com
About the Virginia BioTechnology Research Park: The Virginia BioTechnology Research Park is currently home to a unique mix of more than 58 public and private bioscience companies, research institutes affiliated with the VCU Medical Center, and major state and national medical laboratories. These companies are housed in nine buildings totaling more than 1.1 million square feet of space, representing an employee base that exceeds 2,000. The Park’s Biosciences Commercialization Center has been created to take incubator graduates through commercialization to M&A or IPO, giving the Park’s tenants full-scale business assistance. The Commercialization Center is now the home of twelve companies from the Israeli life science community and continues to expand its resource base. It has created alliances with leading incubators in Israel. To date, the Park’s incubator and commercialization center have graduated three companies that are now publicly traded. www.vabiotech.com.
Contact:
Paul Spicer
Director of Public Relations and Marketing
Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc.
Phone: (804) 343-2713
Email: PSpicer@hdlabinc.com
Courtney Skunda
Marketing and Communications Manager
Virginia BioTechnology Research Park
Phone: (804) 827-2137
Email: cskunda@vabiotech.com
