Yatra: A Mesmerizing Evening of Music, Dance, and HOPE
Fundraiser for Unhoused Middle and High School Students
June 14, 2025 | Menlo-Atherton Performing Arts Center
On the evening of June 14, the Menlo-Atherton Performing Arts Center was packed to the brim. Families, friends, and supporters gathered for an unforgettable event—Yatra, a beautifully curated musical and dance production, put together by the Bay Area’s finest artists in support of Community Seva, a nonprofit dedicated to feeding the hungry and serving the homeless. Yatra was more than musical entertainment. It was a heartfelt call to action to support the growing population of unhoused middle and high school students in Bay Area communities, a growing but often invisible crisis.
This sold-out fundraiser raised a whopping $27,000, all of which will go directly toward essential supplies and support for students experiencing homelessness—things like school materials, calculators, hygiene kits, and basic necessities — giving them hope, dignity, and the foundational tools to succeed. Most importantly, it sent a powerful message: you are not alone, and your community sees you.
The evening was a true labor of love led by Guru Smt. Asha Ramesh, founder of Ragamalika School of Music, who has spent over 33 years enriching the Bay Area’s cultural landscape. Her soul stirring compositions, filled with emotional depth and reflecting India’s multilingual music tradition, were performed with grace and intensity by Asha and thirty of her dedicated students and deeply resonated with the audience. Each piece told a beautiful story.
Accompanying the vocalists were some of the finest next generation instrumentalists in the region—Amit Ranganathan on mridangam, A.V Krishnan on ghatam, Vikram Raghukumar on violin and Guhan Venkatraman on veena—adding stunning depth and rhythm, bringing richness to every piece.
The musicians were joined on stage by Rasika Kumar, Akshaya Ganesh, Sowmya Sridharan, Vani Suresh, and Priyanka Chary—daughters and disciples of legendary dance teachers in the Bay Area and talented dancers in their own right. Their graceful movements and exquisite expressions brought Asha’s music to life and created an experience that was at once meditative, joyful, and powerful.
One of the most powerful moments of the evening came when Nathan Ganeshan, founder and driving force behind Community Seva, took the stage prior to the musical performance and delivered a passionate and moving speech that reminded everyone why they had gathered. He began by thanking the audience for supporting this mission. Yatra, he said, was not just an evening of entertainment but a call to action, an invitation to open our hearts and give generously.
Nathan spoke of “students helping students in need through music and dance”—how the young performers on stage were using their gifts to uplift peers they’ve never met, but whose lives they were touching. He recounted a poignant moment with a student living in a safe parking lot who simply asked for step lights so she could do her homework at night. It was a hauntingly simple request and one that underscored the urgency of the cause.
He reminded us that for these young people in need, it is not just about money and things but something more fundamental. It is about dignity. Every supply kit, every meal, every pencil, calculator, or blanket says, “We see you and we are here for you.” Over the past 12 years, Community Seva has touched the lives of more than 400,000 individuals through hot meals and essential items like socks, shoes, gloves, blankets, and hygiene kits. Now, the focus turns to students—ensuring they have not only what they need to survive, but what they need to succeed and realize their dreams.
Hear Nathan’s full talk from that evening:
The success of Yatra was made possible by the incredible effort of many volunteers who handled everything from decorations and sound to ushering and logistics. We are deeply grateful to our sponsors for their generous support. A special thank you to Mylapore Express, the event’s Diamond Sponsor, for providing delicious dinner boxes that guests enjoyed after the performance. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all our supporting sponsors whose contributions helped make this event a great success. Your partnership is helping light the path forward for unhoused students across the bay area.
Yatra was more than a show—it was an offering of love, hope and community. It reminded us that art has the power not just to move us, but to move us to act. As Asha herself shared earlier, “Yatra is a reflection of my core belief that art must engage the community and make a tangible difference in people’s lives.”
And that it did.
