What was special this year was that for the first time India has a president from the tribal community ( she is the second woman president in India – Pratibha Patil was the first) and Rashtrapati Bhavan is her home. Prebsident Droupadi Murmu renamed the gardens, which were created by the British in 1929, as ‘Amrit Udyan’ meaning ‘Garden of the Holy Nectar’.
Author: Lavina Melwani
Lavina Melwani
Lavina Melwani is a New York-based journalist who writes for several international publications. Twitter@lavinamelwani & @lassiwithlavina Sign up for the free newsletter to get your dose of Lassi!
Hanuman Chalisa is one of the most beloved texts of Hinduism and consists of 40 verses (40 is chalis in Hindi) in praise of Hanuman. It is written by Tulsidas, who is also the author of Ramchaitmanas or the Tulsi Ramayana.
A visit to YO1 Longevity and Health Resort in the Catskills
The South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art auction at Christies achieved a total of $11,978,670.
The top lot of the sale was Manjit Bawa’s Untitled (Durga), which realized $1,980,000, a new global auction record for the artist
An Asia Week Celebration at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
South Asian contemporary and modern art is highlighted at the Christie’s auction during Asia Week in New York
Asia Week comes to New York and some reporters take a walk to 17 galleries to check out some of the art from Asia.
Naatu Naatu wins an Oscar – and a live performance on the Academy stage! RRR was by far my most favorite movie this year from India – and I think it deserved to win a few more Oscars! I have seen it so many times and I never tire of it. However it was a thrill to see that ‘Naatu Naatu’ won the Oscar for best original song for M.M. Keeravni and Chandrabose and it was performed live on the stage at the Oscars. It was choreographed by Prem Rakshith. There was another secret Indian factor – you remember our…
The Elephant Whisperers bagged Oscars for best short documentary for Guneet Monga and Kartiki Gonsalves
A Place in the Oscar sun for South Asians
Black History Month was celebrated at the Indian Consulate in New York to mark the close linkages and common struggles for freedom for both India and African nations.
It’s Holi! An appropriate time to share the exuberance of filmmaker Prashant Bhargavas’s film ‘Radhe Radhe’
On India Giving Day, you will have an opportunity to give – and get rich. Your wealth will come from the satisfaction of having helped the future of India and made a positive difference in lives – be it of the old or the very young just starting out in a challenging world.
“As many of you will come to know in the weeks and months ahead, the door to my office has a sign for all to see every time they walk through my doorway. The sign says, ‘Can’t Is Not an Option.’
These are the words of Nikki Haley, nee Nimrata Randhawa, the feisty new Governor of South Carolina, the Indian-American daughter of Punjabi immigrants. Haley, 38, has gone from being an obscure Southern legislator to a nationally known rising star on the Republican circuit.
Two dads and a daughter make for a very special love story
Foodie Paradise – Indian corn on the cob – take a bite!
Poona Diary – Republic Day in the Homeland – a song of saffron, green and white!
The three hour journey from Abu Dhabi to Delhi is made more satisfying with wine, nuts and food for someone slogging at blogging.
Over 300,000 Indian seniors long for their cultural roots in their sunset years.
Will they find them in a changing America?
a visit to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is a must – it is a testament to faith and reverence for the Almighty, and tolerance for all humanity. This majestic building set on Abu Dhabi Island has 82 domes of various sizes and the largest is located in the centre of the main prayer hall.