Author: Lavina Melwani

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will host its first ever World Culture Festival on Saturday, November 5, from noon to 5 p.m. with the theme of Epic Stories.

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ -There could be few better ways to spend 170 minutes – it’s like traveling in an air-conditioned spaceship to another dimension where there is only beauty, youth and wealth. Jobs, work and family hassles don’t exist – it’s the proverbial Bollywood NRI golden life – dance, music, money.

Rarely do you get to see that strong silent stunner Ajay Devgn in person. And when he’s accompanied by his wife, the wonderful Kajol, that’s a double bonus! The two celebrities were in New York in September to promote Ajay’s new film ‘Shivaay’ and the press got to meet them at a luncheon at the Pierre on Fifth Avenue

Mansion, the official home of the Mayor of New York, had probably never seen so many Indians or cooked up such a big batch of samosas!

Hundreds of Indians from all walks of life – diplomats, community bigwigs, journalists, artists, chefs and business people had all gathered in a huge tented space on the lush lawns of Gracie Mansion, overlooking the East River. This was the biggest Diwali bash in memory and included so many faces from the Indian-American community of New York.

At Hope in Hyderabad Gala, it was an evening which celebrated the past and the future. While rich rust and gold draping, minarets and images of the Char Minar and the art, crafts and cuisine of this fabled city emphasized the past glories of Hyderabad, the evening was really about the youth, its potential and the future.

The upcoming IAAC Lit Fest has not one, not two but three Tharoors! It’s being billed as a Trio of Tharoors and promises to make for some intriguing conversations: Shashi Tharoor and his twin sons Ishaan and Kanishk.

In our hi-tech, virtual world where blogs, tweets and e-mail rule, is there place for a good old-fashioned story lovingly told? Seduced by smart phones and I-pads, TV and laptops, can we still revel in a classic, slowly unfolding story – and that too on a blog?
The stories we read and the stories we write help shape us and create the scaffolding for our world. So let’s end this year with a beautiful piece of fiction by the great Bengali writer Leela Majumdar – a story about love, compassion and humanity.

Little could Indian immigrants have dreamed that technology would connect them in many ways – and their own efforts would finally bring them a US Diwali stamp to put on the letter to the homeland, making them feel truly at home in their adopted home.

How would you like to go to Hyderabad – without ever leaving New York? Visit the famous Char Minar, the colorful Lad Bazaar and taste some of the traditional cuisine – and also help educate and empower the children of this city.

Far from the 3 hour plus Bollywood extravaganzas, this little film is just 89 minutes but it packs a punch. It is in Marathi and set in small-town India where both lives and dreams are modest. 1000 Rupee Note is about the cost of being human, the price set on values.

There’s guaranteed to be a huge thought explosion when Shashi Tharoor, Somini Sengupta, Suketu Mehta, Barkha Dutt and other major literary names gather under one roof!

I’m not monkeying around! There really is an Onam feast for monkeys – the guests seem to be having a monkey of a time!
Of course, monkeys are especially beloved because of Lord Hanuman, the monkey god and diehard devotee of Sri Rama. In any Indian town or city, monkeys can do a lot of mischief but get away without punishment due to this divine connection.
During the festival season of Onam, there is a special feast for these honored guests. Watch the video!

The sadness of 9/11 persists. Today morning watching the names being called on television, I remembered the sheer helplessness of that day, the surreal quality of the world. Today too I go to New Jersey for a memorial for the beloved son of dear friends whose life changed forever on this day. I share with you an earlier piece about 9/11 and how we must never forget.

The event was the outdoor IAAC Erasing Borders Festival of Indian Dance which showcased topnotch talent from India and New York, turning the waterfront into a dance arena with hundreds of New Yorkers learning about the intricacies of Indian dance. Even Lady Liberty watched!

What better way to start a new blog than with Ganesha, the Lord of New Beginnings? Give him whichever name you choose – He is that consciousness that is within us and around us and in the very breath we take.

Some people infiltrate a country to conquer it. My invasion was simply to – eat it! To swallow it whole, the foods, the tastes, the spices – to make it a part of me.
I’ve been popping pieces of India into my mouth since childhood – and it’s an insatiable hunger for more and more. This year my trip to India was about reliving the past and enjoying the present, when it comes to the ever changing and unchanging world of Indian food.

Whether you live in India or the US, there’s a chance to get a full tuition MBA scholarship at New Jersey City University, thanks to the Patel Scholars Program.

News That  You Can Use: You could get an annual scholarship of $4000 to study in India  Are you Indian American? Want to learn more about your family’s culture? Interested in studying abroad in India and meeting Indian students? Need a scholarship for higher education? If you answered yes to any of these questions, Mother India is thinking of you!  There’s now a Scholarship Program for Diaspora Children and a chance to study at a top university in India. India hosts a range of highly developed higher education facilities, many of which are not well known to students pursuing undergraduate…

Ah -technology! It sure gives you options. When the powerful State Bank of India Chairman, Arundhati Bhattacharya, came to New York people heard her ground-breaking ideas and thoughts in different ways.

Who are we as a people? Do we eye others simply through the prism of race, color and religion? Are we guarded or open? This video for a commercial venture shows that you can gain knowledge or goodness anywhere, even from an ad!