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Johannesburg, Aug 9 (PTI): A South African non-profit marked National Women's Day on Sunday by honouring prominent Hindu women leaders at an awards ceremony, followed by a fashion show featuring traditional attire from various Indian states.

The Mathaji Foundation hosted the Hindu Women of the Year Awards at the BAPS Swaminarayan temple in Johannesburg.

Led by Swamini Mathaji Dr Kali Samrakshini, the event brought together 42 organisations and over 1,000 attendees, beginning with cultural performances before the main presentations.

South Africa's National Women's Day is celebrated annually on August 9, commemorating the 1956 march by about 20,000 women to the Union Buildings in Pretoria against the apartheid government's oppressive pass laws.

The event honoured Hindu women who have built temples, provided free funeral and wedding services, promoted yoga and wellness, and launched community television broadcasts.

Pandita Lucy Sigaban and television producer and presenter Yashika Singh received the award in the Sanatana Dharma category.

Yoga expert Maya Bhatt won the Health and Wellness award, while Anusha Pillay and Shirley Naran received Arts and Culture honours. Yogini Pillay and Rogini Naidoo won the awards in the Business and Education categories, respectively.

Jeannie Naggar was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her efforts in supporting temples in areas where the Hindu community was denied residence during the apartheid era.

Keynote speaker Jolene Raison, a white South African children's author and linguistics academic, described her transition to Hinduism not as a rigid conversion but as a natural "coming home" to her original spiritual identity.

"In South Africa, we really can't separate ourselves from what has happened in the past, and I was nervous about that, but I realised that Dharma has no borders and just disintegrates the sense of 'otherness' that I thought I would feel, but I never felt," she said, adding that the Indian Hindu community had always been welcoming whenever she visited temples.

Following the awards, a fashion show titled 'From Kashmir to Kanyakumari', coordinated by Rashmi Haribhat, founder of the Women Empowerment League, showcased traditional attire from different parts of India.

"I feel sometimes, distance actually makes you love India even more. That emotion really was the heart behind our Traditional Fashion Show on Women's Day," Haribhat said.

"We are so fortunate here in South Africa to have people from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, each bringing their own beautiful culture, heritage and traditions," she said.

Haribhat said the participation of women from the Indian diaspora touched her the most as they took part despite having babies, jobs and other personal struggles.

She added that participants worked hard to find traditional clothes, jewellery and other items representing their respective states. PTI FH SKS SKS SKS

(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)