Author: Lavina Melwani

Indeed, the maharajas had an appetite for every kind of jewelry: when the British refused to let them wear western-style crowns, they simply wore tiaras over their turbans!

Once in a blue moon, these stars descend to earth and actually come and mingle – somewhat – with the common man, the diehard fan. This happened in the hot month of July, when IIFA came to New York and New Jersey with a whole gaggle of stars from Salman Khan to Katrina Kaif to Alia Bhatt.

Jyotsna Singh, grand-daughter of the Maharaja of Patiala, recalls a bygone time: “Naniji was exceedingly beautiful and at a young age she was married to Maharaja Bhupinder Singh and had two daughters Elsie (my mother) and Angela (her younger sister). The English names were given by the English governesses who could not pronounce the Indian names of the children. And there were a lot – 52 siblings, a pack of cards my mother would tell me…..Though the mothers lived at the palace and spent time with the children, the children were really brought up by the governesses. My grandfather lived in the main Motibagh Palace with his wives and his older children.”

So there we all sat at an elegant black-tie dinner at Pier Sixty in Manhattan with the movers and shakers of the tri-state area, all listening in pin-drop silence to Mamta Mahato, a 28-year-old sahiya from the village of Dasiyadih in Jharakand. She totally believed in herself and her work and dressed in a simple white and green sari, she related how she, a 10th class pass married wife and mother, got the courage to change the village for the better and actually save infants from ill-health and death.

Had your fill of chana masala? Now you can turn this Indian special into chana masala burger! Watch the Eater video!

Few things are as beautiful or have such a convoluted history as Paris Gara – the gorgeous embroidery which came to India by way of Persia and China through the Parsi traders dealing in opium in China. These traders who journeyed to China in the 19th century discovered distinct hand-embroidery and carried it back to India.

A majestic decorated elephant lumbering down the streets of Washington DC, with an Indian bridegroom ensconced like a maharajah on top; scores of chanting, dancing wedding guests causing a traffic jam on New York streets as they accompany the bridegroom in the ‘baraat’ or wedding procession, dancing the bhangra to the beat of village drums. Hundreds of guests in a man-made Gujarati village in New Jersey especially set up for a wedding celebration, with stalls, carts and even mud huts!

Yes, all this has come to pass as Indian immigrants have brought their Big Fat Indian Wedding to America.

3595 people reached on Lassi with Lavina Sabina Beri, Anu Hazra and 7 others  like it on Lassi with Lavina Lassi with Lavina Video of the Day – When Hasan Minhaj Met Preet Bharara [dropcap]F[/dropcap]eeling down, overwhelmed by the craziness of the world? Well, here’s Hasan Minhaj to lift your spirits with his cheeky interview with Preet Bharara, former US Attorney  who was fired by Donald Trump (What else is new?) This breaking news interview happens on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. No question is too outrageous for Minhaj who cajoles Bharara with his big, big eyes and…

‘The Big Sick’ is a story for our times and what makes it kind of cool is that it’s a real life story – it actually happened and is not the figment of someone’s imagination. Yes, immigration, love, breakup and marriage, sickness and coma, terrorism and multiculturalism all come into it but it’s always upbeat, always funny. Big ambitious topics for a sweet little romantic tale but ‘The Big Sick’ pulls it off.

It’s a far cry from the ornate Indian restaurants of the past with their sandalwood elephants and their samosas.

You’ll find neither at aRoqa.

Many couples are not aware of their options and that surrogacy is a possibility.This is an issue that a lot of South Asian couples need to be more open about in sharing their experiences. Komal sat down for a detailed Q and A with Lassi with Lavina as she feels it is an extremely tough process for couples and the more support they get the better.

Cocktails and Conversation with Chandrika Tandon was a small informal event organized by CHI’s junior board CH2 through which young professionals get started in helping the less privileged and creating a future for them through education.

Calling all Yogis and would-be yogis! International Day of Yoga is around the corner and it’s time to stretch into a new lifestyle! There are activities in all parts of the world but New York has some very special events in the beautiful Battery Park.

The first thing I spotted was rows and rows of footwear lined up outside the door, neatly stacked. I dutifully shed my sandals too, and going inside found an Indian-style behthak in progress with silk cushions scattered on the woven carpet.
Arts lovers, some with babies in tow, were already sitting cross-legged, facing the empty expanse of a large wooden floor. Musicians were tuning up their instruments, in anticipation.

The space is the Anamika Navatman Studios, an innovative organization for South Asian Arts and the production was Bhinna Pravaaha: Memories of a Performing Artist – Maya Kulkarni. This is a first undertaking to record and pay tribute to the noted artists of the past.

Narasimha, the mighty God Vishnu in his half man-half lion avatar, sits with his frontal arms relaxed in meditation, his two rear arms bearing the chakra disc and the conch shell, which is now missing. Around his tautly crossed legs one is amazed to find a yogapatta – or yoga strap!
For many contemporary practitioners of yoga who consider the yoga strap to be a part of their daily routine in a studio, this brilliantly executed Chola period bronze sculpture is an eye-opener. It shows that not only did yoga originate in India but goes all the way back to the Hindu gods.

He breaks into people’s homes. And if that’s not outrageous enough, he even opens their refrigerators and checks out the contents! He makes middle-aged Indian men remember their youth – and young Indian kids conquer the world.

So who is Rahul Walia and what does he really do?

Jacques Torres is certainly building up good karma! After all, what can be more life-affirming than making humanity happy by feeding it chocolate every day? Torres, who is affectionately known as New York’s Mr. Chocolate, creates a massive 200 tons of artisan high-end chocolate in his 40,000 square foot factory in Brooklyn.

12057 people reached on Lassi with Lavina FB page Shivanya Singh, Pratiksha Chavan and 52 others  like it on Lassi with Lavina FB page Priyanka Chopra’s Legs and Other World Issues Terror, refugee crisis, hunger, environmental chaos: The world is going to the dogs and yet Twitter is all a-twitter over – Priyanka’s legs! Should she have met the Indian prime minister Modi with her legs fully exposed? Should she have perhaps worn trousers or a saree or a Punjabi suit to camouflage the truth – that she has legs?  Somehow, the trolls on social media just cannot…

Faith in a higher power infiltrates all of life in India. When things are tough or challenging, you see God is at every corner. There are countless ways spirituality merges into all aspects of life from small roadside shrines to massive temples; how nothing begins without the invocation to Ganesha, be it a new store, a new film or just a school examination.

4551 people reached on Lassi with Lavina   Piya Thakur, Megha Megha and 67 others like it on Lassi with Lavina 2744 views on LinkedIn & 17 likes Baywatch – Summer Fun in the Sun – And Priyanka Chopra too! [dropcap]I[/dropcap]t is a saga of beach action, well-sculpted bodies and beautiful babes. If you are a follower of the original Baywatch TV series you’ll know this movie won’t change your life or solve life’s pressing problems but will certainly while away a summer afternoon! It’s popcorn-induced voyeurism at its best as you oogle the great bodies, gorgeous looks and fabulous…