Christmas Sites

Sundar Shadi Holiday Design

ECHS Archive Committee Volunteers at the Shadi Holiday Display. We want to thank El Cerrito Archiving Project members, David Bilyeu, Rebecca Boe, Donna Houser, Roddy Lee, Gregg & Sophie Mayer, Joann Steck-Bayat, and Lu Tipping for contributing their time as 'shepherds' at the monumental December Shadi holiday display along Moeser Lane near Terrace Drive. The community turnout was fantastic and local chatter nonstop!
We look forward to next year and will be looking for other community members to join us in volunteering their time in order to enjoy and cherish the wonderful gift that Mr. Shadi left to our community. We'll keep you posted.
Rebecca Boe 020408
www.wccusd.k12.ca.us/elcerrito/alumni/index.html

El Cerrito's Sundar Shadi Holiday Display on the Moeser Lane hillside at Seaview Drive

Location: maps/google.com

On display this year Dec. 14-26, 2007
As per Vera Sundar 12/16/06. Thank you.

Webmaster Note
I have created this page to secure info about the Shadi Holiday Display in a more permanent fashion. Through the years web pages and photos seem to come and go so this may help preserve the incredible christmas display that I remember since I was a young child back in the mid 60s.

Please contribute by emailing links, photos that you have taken I will credit you. I remember someone had a quicktime video of the display with music that used to play... anyone wanna shoot and send the digital, I'll upload it!




Robertjm
Thu Dec 15, 2005

Description: For over 50 years El Cerrito (Calif.) has been blessed with a Christmas display created by Sundar Shadi. Though a Sikh, he diligently put out his display every year because he saw how it made people happy. Shadi passed away in 2002, at the age of 101.

The local Soroptomist Club has taken to overseeing the project every year, which includes the upkeep of the figures, which people can "adpot" through financial donations. There are lots of figures sitting around in the display, and this gives you an idea of the detail put into the handmade figures.

Shadi used "forced" perspective to give depth. So while this figure is about 2.5 feet tall, others up the hill are smaller. Originally, the display was set up at Shadi's house on Arlington Ave, and many a times I can remember my family taking me up to the traffic jam just to drive by the display. Currently, it is set up down the hill on power company property with plenty of room.

Technical: Shot RAW and converted with Raw Shooter Premium 2006. Some sharpening and color balance in phot, and cropping in Photoshop CS.
http://robertjm.smugmug.com
robertjm.smugmug.com/gallery/1070463





• Posted on Fri, Dec. 08, 2006 CC Times
Crafted holiday display needs help

It's time again for El Cerrito's most beloved holiday tradition -- the Shadi sculptures. They'll be on display every evening from 5 to 10 p.m. at their usual spot, the corner of Moeser Lane and Seaview Drive, Dec. 13-27.

This isn't just any old holiday display. It's a complete depiction of the town of Bethlehem, featuring angels, wise men, shepherds, villagers, more than a dozen camels, 40 sheep and goats and 50 handpainted buildings, minarets and domes.

Each figure was lovingly hand-made out of papier-mâché and chicken wire by one man -- Sundar Shadi, who displayed them in the lot next to his house every year from 1949 until 1996, when failing eyesight forced him to give it up.

Mr. Shadi wasn't a Christian; he was a Sikh. His annual display was his Christmas gift to his neighbors and his city, which he dearly loved.

"To many people in this city, Mr. Shadi was Christmas," says former mayor Jane Bartke.

After his death at age 101 in 2002, the people of El Cerrito decided to keep his tradition alive. The El Cerrito Soroptimist Club took over the sculptures, and they've been on display every year since.

But time and weather have taken their toll.

"The angel has lost his fingers, one of the wise men has lost a foot and some of the little camels have broken legs," says Bartke, who spearheads the project. "And this is probably the last year for the star unless it can be rebuilt."

That means she needs volunteers more than ever -- not only to set up the display and take it down again, but also to help with the repair work after the first of the year.

"And, of course, we can always use money to cover the cost of whatever can't be donated, like electricity, light bulbs, lumber, electrical cords, insurance and storage," she says.

One of the easiest ways to help is to sponsor a sculpture. A shepherd costs $500, a wise man (with camel) costs $750 and the big blue star costs $200.

On the other end of the price scale, sheep are a real steal at only $25.

Tax-deductible donations can be sent to the El Cerrito Community Foundation, P.O. Box 324, El Cerrito, CA 94530. To volunteer or get more information, call 510-235-1315

Reach Martin Snapp at 510-262-2768 or e-mail msnapp@cctimes.com

El Cerrito - Jane Bartke, President Soroptimist Club
www.soroptimistinternational.org
www.sifounderregion.org
Soroptimist International of El Cerrito has undertaken the community project known as "The Shadi Display". Since 1949, Mr. Sundar Shadi has displayed upon his hillside, a scene of Bethlehem from a distant, with shepherds and sheep in the foreground. This has been a very important part of the holiday season, not only for El Cerritans, but also to people in communities as far away as San Jose, who come by bus loads to view the display. The Shadi Trust donated the figures to the El Cerrito Club, which is busy establishing a 501(c)3 (thanks for all the help from Sonoma Valley club) and coordinating the many groups within the city who desire to help with the restoration and display. They are busy raising money for the restoration, storage, and insurance of the folk art figures. Hopefully. they will be ready to display it this Christmas season.
S.I. El Cerrito (07/06) PO Box 324
El Cerrito, CA 94530 Mira Vista Golf & Country Club
3700 Cutting Blvd 1st & 3rd Wed. at 12:10 pm
12/16/06


Contra Costa Times | Date: December 11, 2005 | Author: Martin Snapp

El Cerrito's most cherished holiday tradition will receive its annual unveiling Tuesday when the Shadi sculptures return to their traditional spot at the corner of Moeser and Seaview. Firefighters from the El Cerrito Fire Department will begin hauling them up the hill at 8:30 a.m. , and everything should be in place by noon.

"Mr. Shadi never put them up earlier than two weeks before Christmas," explained former Mayor Jane Bartke , who has spearheaded the effort to continue the tradition since Sundar Shadi died in 2002 at the age of 101.

Shadi was one of the most beloved figures in ...

East Bay Express

Speaking of Christmas: El Cerrito has sadly bid farewell to one of its most famous residents, who died last week at the age of 101. For fifty years, former El Cerrito Historical Society president Sundar Shadi had turned out elaborate lawn displays for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, the latter so extensive it attracted an estimated 70,000 viewers a year. Now a group of Shadi fans led by former town mayor Jane Bartke are trying to find a way to preserve, store, and eventually display his massive collection of seasonal lawn ornaments. Article Published Apr 17, 2002 http://www.eastbayexpress.com/issues/2002-04-17/news/sevendays_2.html


Each figure was lovingly handmade out of papier-mache and chicken wire by Sundar Shadi, who displayed them in the lot next to his house every year from 1949 ...
http://www.witchvox.com/poetry/dt_po2.html?a=usdc&id=25997 12/2006

http://elcerritowire.com/history/pages/sundarshadi.htm 10/1975

http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?archiveDate=04-03-02&storyID=11137 04/02/2002

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/12/17/BAGK4ACP8E1.DTL
12/17/2004

http://www.el-cerrito.org/news/view_article.php?id=83 2002-12-13