{"id":35422,"date":"2024-09-02T12:20:04","date_gmt":"2024-09-02T10:20:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/?p=35422"},"modified":"2024-09-02T12:20:04","modified_gmt":"2024-09-02T10:20:04","slug":"a-celebration-of-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/blog\/2024\/09\/02\/a-celebration-of-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"A celebration of CULTURE"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Vishwa Shakti Community Trust is an NPO in Tongaat that embraces heritage, while looking to the future.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Twenty years ago, Kamal Maharaj, a teacher from Tongaat, dreamt of creating a safe space where young people could come together to celebrate and explore their culture. Despite having no money and limited resources, Kamal and his wife, Vanita, also an educator, embarked on a journey that would ultimately lead to the establishment of The Vishwa Shakti Community Trust. Over time, more and more like-minded people joined, and today, the organisation is a thriving registered NPO that offers youth and adults the opportunity to practice meditation and yoga, learn traditional dance and musical instruments, participate in discussions, and engage in community projects.<\/p>\n

Kamal\u2019s philosophy of passion over profit has fuelled Vishwa Shakti\u2019s success. Over the years, the organisation has managed to sustain itself while touching many lives. “Since we started, we\u2019ve turned over around R10 million, through various projects\u201d he says. \u201cEvery bit of money we make goes back into the organisation and we make sure that there’s capital for each project.” Besides cultural programmes, the trust also gives back to the community, most recently assisting with aid following the tornado in Tongaat.<\/p>\n

\"\"One of their latest projects was a theatre production titled \u2018Ram and Sita: An Eternal Love Story\u2019. The show, which ran across three sold-out performances at Sibaya Casino, was a resounding success, with audiences captivated by its heartfelt portrayal of this timeless narrative. Due to its popularity, the cast is now set to perform at Emperor\u2019s Palace in Johannesburg later this month. The show will also return to Sibaya in December. Part of the production\u2019s appeal, says Kamal, is the way in which they chose to tell an ancient story in a fun, modern way, incorporating Bollywood songs and stunning costumes sourced from India and Bali.<\/p>\n

The organisation\u2019s approach to culture and community is inclusive and holistic. This openness and respect for diversity have allowed Vishwa Shakti to grow and attract a wide range of participants. Activities aren’t limited to traditional practices; they also include creative and fun initiatives like yoga camps, creative arts camps, and workshops for students.<\/p>\n

As Vishwa Shakti moves forward, its mission remains clear: to offer a space where individuals can explore their culture, develop personally, and contribute positively to the community. As Kamal so eloquently puts it, “Change starts with changing ourselves. Be the change you want to see in the world.”
\nDetails: www.vishwashakti.co.za<\/a>; 082 929 9609; kamal131161@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Vishwa Shakti Community Trust is an NPO in Tongaat that embraces heritage, while looking to the future. Twenty years ago, Kamal Maharaj, a teacher from Tongaat, dreamt of creating a safe space where young people could come together to celebrate and explore their culture. Despite having no money and limited resources, Kamal and his […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":115,"featured_media":35412,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41,479,18],"tags":[11347,11346],"class_list":{"0":"post-35422","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-leisure","8":"category-people","9":"category-whats-on","10":"tag-community-trust","11":"tag-vishwa-shakti"},"yoast_head":"\nA celebration of CULTURE - Get It Ballito & Umhlanga<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/blog\/2024\/09\/02\/a-celebration-of-culture\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A celebration of CULTURE - Get It Ballito & Umhlanga\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Vishwa Shakti Community Trust is an NPO in Tongaat that embraces heritage, while looking to the future. Twenty years ago, Kamal Maharaj, a teacher from Tongaat, dreamt of creating a safe space where young people could come together to celebrate and explore their culture. Despite having no money and limited resources, Kamal and his […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/blog\/2024\/09\/02\/a-celebration-of-culture\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Get It Ballito & Umhlanga\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GetItMagNC\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-09-02T10:20:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/08\/Urmilla-and-Luxman-Sanjana-Maharaj-and-Khiram-Singh-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1248\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Editor | Jennifer Campbell\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@GetItMagNC\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@GetItMagNC\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Editor | Jennifer Campbell\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/02\\\/a-celebration-of-culture\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/02\\\/a-celebration-of-culture\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Editor | Jennifer Campbell\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/c37185ab1e181ae984e02feec3b5ab1c\"},\"headline\":\"A celebration of CULTURE\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-09-02T10:20:04+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/02\\\/a-celebration-of-culture\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":428,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/02\\\/a-celebration-of-culture\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2024\\\/08\\\/Urmilla-and-Luxman-Sanjana-Maharaj-and-Khiram-Singh-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Community Trust\",\"Vishwa Shakti\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Leisure\",\"People\",\"What's On\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/02\\\/a-celebration-of-culture\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/02\\\/a-celebration-of-culture\\\/\",\"name\":\"A celebration of CULTURE - Get It Ballito & Umhlanga\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/02\\\/a-celebration-of-culture\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/02\\\/a-celebration-of-culture\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2024\\\/08\\\/Urmilla-and-Luxman-Sanjana-Maharaj-and-Khiram-Singh-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-09-02T10:20:04+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/c37185ab1e181ae984e02feec3b5ab1c\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/02\\\/a-celebration-of-culture\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/02\\\/a-celebration-of-culture\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/02\\\/a-celebration-of-culture\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2024\\\/08\\\/Urmilla-and-Luxman-Sanjana-Maharaj-and-Khiram-Singh-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2024\\\/08\\\/Urmilla-and-Luxman-Sanjana-Maharaj-and-Khiram-Singh-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1248},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/02\\\/a-celebration-of-culture\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"A celebration of CULTURE\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/\",\"name\":\"Get It Ballito & Umhlanga\",\"description\":\"Lifestyle Magazine\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/c37185ab1e181ae984e02feec3b5ab1c\",\"name\":\"Editor | Jennifer Campbell\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/Jen-Campbell-scaled-96x96.jpg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/Jen-Campbell-scaled-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/Jen-Campbell-scaled-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Editor | Jennifer Campbell\"},\"description\":\"jennifer@getitnc.co.za\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/ballito-umhlanga\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/jenc\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A celebration of CULTURE - Get It Ballito & Umhlanga","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/blog\/2024\/09\/02\/a-celebration-of-culture\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A celebration of CULTURE - Get It Ballito & Umhlanga","og_description":"The Vishwa Shakti Community Trust is an NPO in Tongaat that embraces heritage, while looking to the future. Twenty years ago, Kamal Maharaj, a teacher from Tongaat, dreamt of creating a safe space where young people could come together to celebrate and explore their culture. Despite having no money and limited resources, Kamal and his […]","og_url":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/blog\/2024\/09\/02\/a-celebration-of-culture\/","og_site_name":"Get It Ballito & Umhlanga","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GetItMagNC","article_published_time":"2024-09-02T10:20:04+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1248,"url":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/08\/Urmilla-and-Luxman-Sanjana-Maharaj-and-Khiram-Singh-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Editor | Jennifer Campbell","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@GetItMagNC","twitter_site":"@GetItMagNC","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Editor | Jennifer Campbell","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/blog\/2024\/09\/02\/a-celebration-of-culture\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/blog\/2024\/09\/02\/a-celebration-of-culture\/"},"author":{"name":"Editor | Jennifer Campbell","@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/#\/schema\/person\/c37185ab1e181ae984e02feec3b5ab1c"},"headline":"A celebration of CULTURE","datePublished":"2024-09-02T10:20:04+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/blog\/2024\/09\/02\/a-celebration-of-culture\/"},"wordCount":428,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/blog\/2024\/09\/02\/a-celebration-of-culture\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/08\/Urmilla-and-Luxman-Sanjana-Maharaj-and-Khiram-Singh-scaled.jpg","keywords":["Community Trust","Vishwa Shakti"],"articleSection":["Leisure","People","What's On"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/blog\/2024\/09\/02\/a-celebration-of-culture\/","url":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/blog\/2024\/09\/02\/a-celebration-of-culture\/","name":"A celebration of CULTURE - Get It Ballito & Umhlanga","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/blog\/2024\/09\/02\/a-celebration-of-culture\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/blog\/2024\/09\/02\/a-celebration-of-culture\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/08\/Urmilla-and-Luxman-Sanjana-Maharaj-and-Khiram-Singh-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2024-09-02T10:20:04+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/#\/schema\/person\/c37185ab1e181ae984e02feec3b5ab1c"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/blog\/2024\/09\/02\/a-celebration-of-culture\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/blog\/2024\/09\/02\/a-celebration-of-culture\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/blog\/2024\/09\/02\/a-celebration-of-culture\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/08\/Urmilla-and-Luxman-Sanjana-Maharaj-and-Khiram-Singh-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/08\/Urmilla-and-Luxman-Sanjana-Maharaj-and-Khiram-Singh-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1248},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/blog\/2024\/09\/02\/a-celebration-of-culture\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A celebration of CULTURE"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/#website","url":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/","name":"Get It Ballito & Umhlanga","description":"Lifestyle Magazine","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/#\/schema\/person\/c37185ab1e181ae984e02feec3b5ab1c","name":"Editor | Jennifer Campbell","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/08\/Jen-Campbell-scaled-96x96.jpg","url":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/08\/Jen-Campbell-scaled-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/08\/Jen-Campbell-scaled-96x96.jpg","caption":"Editor | Jennifer Campbell"},"description":"jennifer@getitnc.co.za","url":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/blog\/author\/jenc\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35422","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/115"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35422"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35422\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35569,"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35422\/revisions\/35569"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35412"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35422"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35422"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35422"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}