Desi Australia Digital Magazine March 2021 by Desi Australia

MARCH 2021

AUSTRALIA’S MOST POPULAR SOURCE OF SOUTH ASIAN MEDIA

“Keeping you connected”

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NEWS I TALENT I HEALTH I TECHNOLOGY I FESTIVALS I RECIPE I YOGA

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WHAT’S INSIDE 08

stories of Indo12 ‘Successful Australians’ Compiled by Harmohan Walia,

launched at Parliament of NSW and reviewed by Neena Bhadwar

Charter Flights from 17 Special India to Australia– “Connecting you back with the land down under”

Got Talent 2021, 20 Students Adelaide

World Economic Forum’s 28 The Study on the Future of Jobs: Is Technological Innovation a benefit or a concern?

Bear Appeal 31 Bandaged Calls for Your Help for Sick Kids Pravasi Bhartiya Divas 32 Pre global virtual conference by Ministry of External Affairs, India Commission 33 High of India events and 37 Aging Ayurveda Download Our App

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ways for Positive 39 5and Healthy Ageing – key to reducing the risk of dementia Heritage Tourism : 40 Part3: Being loyal to the Royal inside me Mother 45 “International Language Day” Afgan Community

46 Farewell to High Commissioner of India to Australia Community Connection 47 Collective Bringing out the Best in the IndiaAustralia Relationship Support Center Inc 51 Indian launches Public Notary Services

52 Connections-Connecting with Rinku Razdan – Breaking 54 “Trikone” the stigma around LGBTQAI+ from the South Asian Community background at Mardi Gras 2021

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Hello Everyone, Welcome to the colourful and multicultural month of March.

With the ease of restrictions and very minimal COVID 19 cases, people could finally get together to celebrate the various community events in the month of March- International Women’s Day, Mardi Gras and Harmony Day are a few to mention. South Asian community is now prepping up for Holi “The festival of colours” spreading the message of love and forgiveness, so if you

have a colour fright and your friends know your door with a palm full of colours then bura na manan Holi hain! As always we have compiled this edition and brought together the stories from major cities of Australia along with highlighting the local talent as we keep the South Asian Communities connected.

Arti Banga

Editor-in-Chief

Stay healthy and safe.

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PUBLISHER

Sales and Marketing:

ACT Editor:

Desi Media Group

Dimple Deez

Rajni Ghai Malhotra

(Desi Australia Pty Ltd)

Victoria Editor:

Western Australia Editor:

Editor-in-chief

Daljeet Bakshi

Ankita Tandon

Arti Banga

Editor:

South Australia Editor:

NSW Editor:

Priya Singh

Harmohan Walia

Daljeet Bakshi

Address: Desi Australia Pty Ltd

PO Box 102, Casula, NSW 2170 • Email : info@DesiAustralia.com

Mob: 0433121339

Disclaimer: All rights reserved. Do not re-use any content and photo from Desi Australia without the prior written permission from the editor. All the material published in Desi Australia, including articles, features, fillers, advertisements, and all other contents, are published in good faith, and the editor or the Desi Australia magazine cannot be held liable for any errors or omissions. All material is published on the understanding that it is copyright free, and Desi Australia accepts no liability for any subsequent copyright issues. We also cannot accept responsibility for and do not endorse views expressed by the contributors.

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Community News | Sydney

The Premier’s Harmony Dinner 2021

he Premier’s Harmony Dinner was held at Grand Ballroom, International Convention Centre (ICC), Darling Harbour, Sydney on Saturday, 13 March 2021.

Photos by: Harmohan Walia

Hosted by the Minister for Multiculturalism Geoff Lee, in the presence of the Hon. Gladys Berejiklian MP, Premier of New South Wales, the Premier’s Harmony Dinner is a glittering gala to recognise and celebrate the significant contributions made by our multicultural leaders.

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Community News | Sydney

ing the Premier’s Multicultural Community Medal winners and those honoured individuals who have been inducted onto the Multicultural Honour Roll. This is an opportunity to celebrate their outstanding achievements in contributing to and building the successful multicultural society we enjoy today. Premier said “It is my pleasure to welcome you to the 2021 Premier’s Harmony Dinner. Harmony Dinner is an important celebration of community and it is wonderful to be able to come together again. As Premier of NSW, I am proud of our successful multicultural society based on equality of opportunity, tolerance and respect. The event was attended by the representatives of our diverse State.

dress or black tie dinner, featuring incredible special performances.

The evening was a sit down cultural

A special part of the night is recognis-

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I would like to thank you for supporting the measures put in place to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Your actions have kept people safe.”

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Holi Special

Bura Na Mano Holi Hain Urvee and her little family celebrated Holi with colours and waters. They play little Holi between the family friends in their backyard with full on loud music and dance. They get lunch catered from outside and spend lunch afternoon with family friends. By Poonam Naik

Vaibhavi and her family celebrate intergenerational Holi in the temple and among community events. They were lucky to celebrate

Holika Dahan Puja this year. Her visiting mother celebrated Holi with Vaibhavi and her daughter. Little hands putting Holi colour on Nani is worth reminiscing, says Vaibhavi’s mum. They then, wrap up their lunch with the traditional gujarati undhiyoo puri. Nidhi celebrates traditional Holi with her family. Both her daughters wear nice white to beige Indian attire, seek blessings from their par-

oli is the time you can easily say – your colours, your story and yours to create. So, what colour story are our friends from the community creating? Last year there was no communal celebrations around Holi because of COVID pandemic. This year things have been different from many past years but not dull and pale like 2020.

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Holi Special

ents. And then, they go out and play with Holi colours in the same hulladh way from past generations. Nidhi says she feels safe her daughters playing Holi in a hulladh way because of friendly neighbours who celebrate each festival from our multicultural Australia. She always cooks malpua and rabadi for Holi along with dahi bhalle. Pritika mentions there is no beauty without colours. Her family rejoice in the spirit of Holi by celebrating with family and friends by playing with colours and eating yummy food. We end the night by lighting diya and praying to Holika goddess. Every Holi, she and her kids prepare her aaji’s family recipe of pumpkin gulgulle. For those hiding away in their rooms because of colour fright, if a friend comes by with a palm full of Holi colour, bura nah manana – Holi Hain!!! Happy Holi to everyone!!

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Receipe

Holi Delecacies

as anyone experienced the Mathura Holi? It is a lifetime experience for believers. Celebrated on the ghats of Mathura – the birthplace of Lord Krishna, you will experience a week long, wildest, yet colorful and sensible revelry. It is in Mathura, where Radha-Krishna love bloomed. Legend has it that Krishna was jealous of Radha’s fairness and used to complain about his ‘dusky’ face to his mother. It was to balance the skin tones of each other that he used to throw colours at Radha and paint her face with multiple colours. This has now become a tradition and has only evolved to be a more colourful and wild lathmar Holi. With sticks, shields, colours, and canons of water, there is no better place to celebrate Holi, than where it originated from.

So, while we are prepping to celebrate this most loved festival this year we present to you one of many Holi delicacies, Urad Dal Kachori with UP style Aloo sabzi( Dubki waale) Ingredients and instructions for Potato curry: 1. 4 boiled potatoes – Drain, peel, crumble by hand and Set aside. 2. I n a deep saucepan, heat 1tbs ghee. Add a pinch of asoefetida. After it sizzles, add 1tsp dry fenugreek, 1/4tsp turmeric powder, 1/2tsp chilli powder, 1tsp cumin powder, 1/2tsp fennel seeds and 1tsp coriander powder. Fry for 1 minute. 3. To this add 1 “ piece of ginger finely chopped and cook for another 1 minute. Then add, 1 large chopped tomato and 2 tbs roasted besan. Cook until tomato turns mushy. 4. N ow add the crumbled potatoes, 1/2tsp dry fenugreek, 1/2tsp garam masala and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. To this, add 1tsp dried mango powder and salt to taste. Cook for 1 more minute. 5. Finally add 2tbsp of finely chopped cilantro and stir to combine and set aside to serve with the kachories later.

1. In a large mixing bowl take 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt. 2. To this, add 3 tablespoons ghee and combine the mixture well. 3. Then add enough water (little at a time) to make a soft dough. 4. Cover with a moist cloth and keep aside for 30 minutes.

Ingredients and Instructions for the Kachori dough:

Ingredients and Instructions for the Urad Dal Kachori filling: 1. Rinse and soak ½ cup urad dal in water for 3 to 4 hours or overnight. Drain and Grind well to get a coarse paste (You can add about 2tbsp of water). Keep the paste aside. 2. Heat ½ tablespoon ghee in a pan. Add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and let them sizzle. 3. Then add 1 teaspoon chopped ginger, 1 teaspoon chopped green chilli. Mix for 1 minute. 4. Keep the flame to a low and add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon red chilli powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder, pinch of asafoetida (hing), ½ teaspoon crushed fennel seeds or fennel powder. 5. To this add the urad dal paste and salt to taste. 6. Mix again and with frequent stirring cook the urad dal paste till it thickens and dries a bit.

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7. Then make small balls from the urad dal mixture. Instructions for making urad dal kachori 1. Spread some oil on the dough and make the same number of round pastries (5 to 6 inches in width) from the dough per year dal mixture balls. 2. Flatten the stuffing and then place it on the pastries. 3. Pleat and join the edges bringing them to the center. 4. Press the top and seal the edges properly. 5. Prepare all kachoris this way. Keep them in a large plate covered with a moist kitchen cloth. 6. Once done, Heat oil for deep frying in a pan. 7. Gently place the kachoris in the hot oil. Fry at a low-medium or medium flame until golden brown on both sides. Serve hot with the Potato curry. While celebrating Holi this year, let us remember to stay safe yet remembering all the different significance of this festival like victory of good over evil, meeting others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships. Wishing you a Safe and Happy Holi! www.DesiAustralia.com

Mag Corner

FREE PARKING for visitors who shop or dine in Parramatta CBD

iners and shoppers in Parramatta can park for free as part of a joint initiative by the City of Parramatta and Transport for NSW to encourage people back into the CBD and support local businesses. Until 30 April 2021, visitors who spend $20 or more at participating venues will receive a parking voucher for Council’s City Centre and Eat Street carparks. Free parking is avail-

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able from 11am on the date of purchase until 3am the next day, Monday to Saturday. “It’s wonderful to see our City coming back to life, and I hope the incentive of free parking ensures both residents and visitors come and enjoy the many retail and culinary offerings available in Parramatta,” City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Cr Bob Dwyer said. “These small businesses and the

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people behind them are the heart and soul of our City, and they have faced a particularly challenging year with the pandemic and Parramatta Light Rail construction. We want to ensure they’re still around at the end of all of this, so we are doing what we can to help support them.” Four hours of free parking is already available at Council’s car parks on Sundays. A flat rate of $10 is charged for stays over four hours.

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‘Successful stories of Indo-Australians’ Compiled by Harmohan Walia, launched at Parliament of NSW and reviewed by Neena Badhwar

A Review by Neena Badhwar armohan Walia’s coffee table book ‘Successful stories of 50 Indo-Australians’ is making waves in Australia. Walia has been able to gather stories and struggles of Indians, the trials and triumphs, the accounts by the fifty select group that include some who have charted inspiring journey of migration to the land down under with forefathers of some who came over a 100 years ago to other arrivals as recent as in this 21st century.

Yet the common element in all their account is of a curiosity laden adventurous spirit to go see foreign shores, with an ambition and a drive to make it successful, thus a transition in their life to succeed financially as well as help settle as a family while contributing their youth to the new land, imparting their value system through food, language and culture. In the olden days men came first leaving their wives and children back in India. Whereas hundred years hence when Australia opened its doors to Asian migration, families landed lock, stock and barrel, with spouse, children all landing together, some even with offered jobs from abroad. Story of Baljinder Singh is quite heartrending account how he came and went looking for his grandfather Mehnga Singh who had come

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Harmohan Walia and his wife Manbeen Walia at the book launch with Consul General Manish Gupta, Geoff Lee MP, NSW Opposition Leader Ms. Jody McKay, and Dave Passi

here in 1920 having left his grandma behind who stayed true to her husband never seeing him and died waiting. Ultimately Baljinder came armed with his grandfather’s letters that he had written to his grandma, finally him finding his grandfather’s unmarked grave in Liverpool. Then there are others who just came and struggled to get their qualifications recognised and found it hard to adjust with no Aussie job experience and learnt the ropes as they proceeded. Some

changed their career all together. I remember a friend who was teaching at an Indian university English, switched to teaching Maths when he arrived here, only because we Indians are quite good at it, he used to say, “Angrezan nu me ki angrezi padani ye.” He went on to write over thirty books on the subject of Maths from year 6 to year 12 NSW students. Stories of first gurdwara, first temple, how the pioneering Indians

Baljinder Singh looked for his grandfather him having come to Australia in 1920. Baljinder after a long and painful search found an unmarked grave in Liverpool of his granddad Mehnga Singh and installed a plaque in his memory there.

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Molly Johal (in red dress), a fourth generation Indian , and a successful farmer herself, her great grandfather Sardar Gurbachan Singh Sanghera came in 1890

Mangal Singh Bains came in 1893, recounts his great grandson Gian Singh Bains

acquired by collecting funds from their petty salaries, cooking themselves holding social parties and dinners, picnics and holding festival celebrations. These are the services which we take for granted in the current Australia of hundreds of Indian restaurants, spice shops, dress and jewellery shops that dot the place with little Indias cropping up in Harris park, Liverpool, Blacktown, St. Mary’s and many other places. Indians, wherever we go, we work hard, have strong family values and contribute through sincere commitment to work ethics and try to help ourselves prosper as a family unit with second generation who is well integrated in terms of education, careers having made inroads into the mainstream society. An Indian’s proud moment is when they glowingly and proudly talk about their children of how well settled they are, job, career and finance wise. Walia’s picks include, in this first

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effort, he says, “Already there is great interest for a second volume. Also these fifty are not just the only ones among many hundreds who have led inspiring and successful life and career.” He recently launched this glossy 180-page hardbound colourful book in NSW Parliament house, a function that was attended by politicians, leading members of the society as well as some who are the select fifty in the book. Hon. Jody McKay, Opposition Leader NSW, congratulated Harmohan Walia when she said, “These are extraordinary and amazing stories of achievements and struggles and a direction for the future generations of the growing Indian community in Australia. I know most of these people featured in the book”.

to multiculturism in New South Wales. I congratulate Mr Walia for this huge effort”. Mr Manish Gupta, Consul General of India said, “Mr. Harmohan Walia is a friend of many friends, always cheerful and a torchbearer of community spirit.” In the book, the story tellers have related their accounts of their lives here, which give the readers an insight into their struggles of all kinds, for example where they found a spice shop which could sell them spices, rice and flour, their struggles in finding a relevant job suited to their qualification or if not, then how they went about volunteering for jobs just to get local experience. Names such as Moses Spice Centre in Bondi keeps on cropping up, here and

Hon. Geoff Lee MP said at the launch, “Australia India relations are very strong. Australia is the best place for multicultural communities. The book showcases the pioneering nature of people from the Indian community which is inspirational. The Indian community is quite strong in Parramatta and contributing

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Dr Gurbachan singh Sidhu with his wife

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Neville Roach AO with previous Consul General to Sydney Vanlal Vawna garlanding Gandhi’s bust at NSW university

there, of the one and lonely Indian restaurant in those early days, of IndoAustralian cultural Society, of recession of the nineteen nineties and scarcity of jobs, or how the cane cutters used sign language to communicate while cutting cane seven days a week, as they made life-long friends with their employers who acted as their guardians even. Stories of Bains and Johal family are quite inspiring and depict an era of Australia hundred years ago, then stories of some who came under the Colombo Study Plan in the 1950s who contributed through their academic skills such as of Dr. Sidhu, a scientist whose work centred on Sea Food processing, Prevention of Milk Oxidation, Lowering

cholesterol absorption and much more. Banana farmers, teachers, doctors, scientists, lawyers, managers, IT professionals, businessmen, property developers and other varied professions, they all make up an inspiring yet a formidable bunch. Neville Roach, AO who helped in his hey days on formatting multicultural policy for the government of those days which, of course, has helped Australia into a successful multicultural and a harmonised society living peacefully with people from over 130 nations who made Australia their home. Indians surely have played a big part, are a growing population with close to sixty gurdwaras and 75 temples. They top the skilled migration list of people arriving in Australia with Hindi, Punjabi, Ben-

gali and Tamil languages also growing in number along with them. Stories are interspersed with pages devoted to the vibrant Indian society made up of artists, well known people, cultural groups, sports personalities, Indian consular services with a table on bilateral trade between India and Australia and much more. The fifty of Walia’s successful stories are a window to many more hundreds and thousands who struggled in the community who came here in the last

Community with NSW Premier Ms.Gladys Berejiklian

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125 years as Australia is still a desired country of many an Indians who wish to make this place their second home. For all those who plan to come this book is a good guide of what to expect if and when they arrive here. There are typos here and there with some accounts and choice of people which seems a bit preferential but then as Walia puts it, “I did contact many

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and worked on it for a year, obviously deadline had to be set somewhere.” Also there are some who have been given six pages of their account while others got just one page. Publisher: Harmohan Singh Walia, 0402 842 375 Printer: Guangzhou Co-Dream Printing PP: 180

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About the Writer: Neena Badhwar is the editor of The Indian Down Under newspaper who has been publishing the print paper since 1987 and now running website: www.indiandownunder.com.au Neena is also a writer and a poet who has written many short plays for the Sydney Short+Sweet Theater festival

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Reuniting 10,000 Indian Families Stuck in Australia

hose days were very hard when Indian people were stuck in Australia, unable to return home due to pandemic forced the borders to be closed. Then Gaura Travel came and for rescuing people and flew around 10,000 people families back in India. On February 5th,2021 Ashwini Sonthalia and his brother Abhishek of Gaura Travel streamed into the room at ‘Mint O Mustard of Dockland’ in Melbourne memorialized a feat that wouldn’t have been possible a few months ago. There were many passengers who got trapped due to pandemic but Gaura Travel brothers helped to save them and lift them back to India safely. The brothers narrated a heart touching story of a few among the 10,000 people left in Australia due to pandemic. Gaura Travel started chartered flights to Delhi and other parts of India following the Vande Bharat Mission(VBM), which the Indian government launched to help people who were stuck across the world including Australia. Akash Vijay Rajput, a student who had completed his five year studies. He was booked to fly to Mumbai in economy class, but Gaura Travel gave him a free upgrade into business class. Download Our App

should be proud of them, he said, addressing their mother, Mrs Renu Sonthaliawho was also present, to be greeted by the round of great applause. Abhishek recalled about those days and remembered how he and his team had become the barrier of the families. He said about attending all the needs of the travellers, from carrying their bags to fulfilling their every basic needs.

Statiscally, 18,000 flew out from Melbourne, 15000 by chartered flights and 3,000 under VBM with Air India flying and Gaura Travel accounted for 10,000 people. Amazing job said by Mr Kumar and chairman Mr Arun Sharma also cherished their efforts commending Ashwini and Abhishek for “human face”, they imparted to their business when it was most required. You MARCH I 2021

Speaking at the get-together, the Consul General Of India in Melbourne, Mr Raj Kumar remembered about the days when Gaura Travel started their chartered flights to Delhi and other parts of India. Abhishek said that the idea of starting chartered flights came from Dr. Jagvinder Singh Virk, who had operated the first chartered flight from Sydney in April. He also remembered the beautiful thought said by Mr Kumar that ‘You will get many opportunities to earn money, but this is the time where you can earn blessings’ and for the brothers that was inspiration enough to go ahead and they just did exactly the same. It was not about flying, it was all about reuniting the families. So, what next, someone asked of Ashwini. Surprisingly the reply was,”25000″. What more would you expect from someone who always thinks ahead. Flight of faith, shall we say? Said by Ashwini. www.DesiAustralia.com

Mag Corner

Special Charter Flights from India to Australia–“Connecting you back with the land down under”

aura Travel is Introducing Special Charter Flights from India to Australia Want to travel back to Australia from India? Don’t worry Guara Travel has taken the responsibility to bring you back to the land. In the hard times, when there were no commercial flights operating from Australia to India, Guara Travel took the initiative to take you to India to your loved ones. They left no stone unturned to reunite 10,000 families during the pandemic.

After the successful reunion, Guara Travel has been approached by numerous people stuck in India, wanting to return to Australia, to begin flight operations from India to Australia. And that is why the company came up with charter flights from India to Australia. If you are also one of those people, who want to travel back to the country, make sure to book a seat at the earliest, as they have limited seats only. Gaura Travel has also been acknowledged by the High Commission of Australia In India. The High Commission has also updated about their Charter Flights Operations on their social media handles.

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Community News | Melbourne

Largest Granite Hindu Temple in the Southern Hemisphere Opened in Melbourne

ictoria’s oldest Hindu temple, Sri Vakrathunda Vinayagar Temple is undergoing a historic transformation, making it the largest granite Hindu temple in the Southern Hemisphere, Opened on 25 January 2021. Sri Vakrathunda Vinayagar Temple, home to Hinduism’s most-loved deity Lord Ganesha, has been designed by Australian temple architect (Stapathy) Purushothaman Jayaraman (Puru). Puru drew inspiration from the UNESCOlisted Chola temples and sourced the granite from a single quarry in Tamil Nadu, India. South Indian Hindu temples are reconsecrated once every 13 years and this granite transformation has been successfully completed despite the global pandemic. The main shrine for Lord Ganesha alone is built from 17 layers of granite, all carved by hand. The roof of the Moolasthanam (the shrine where the main deity resides) is constructed in a conical shape which amplifies the sound of the chanting so that it can be heard around the temple. The roof is capped off by a 6 tonne dome made from a single stone, similar to the UNESCO-listed Brihadeeswarar Temple in Tanjore, Tamil Nadu. Hand carved Ganeshas, elephants, peacocks, lions and lotuses adorn the walls, corners and panels of each shrine. Granite is a stone that has all the five elements of nature - air, earth, water, fire and space - in optimal proportions. Hindus have always constructed temples using this stone. This age defying stone, which is strong and scratch proof, is believed to absorb the divine vibrations and the daily chanting in a temple. The temple is designed to precise mathematical calculations on paper to ensure that when each stone is laid, it is done in Download Our App

such a way that the weight transfer takes place to the sides of the structure. The drawings and designs were sent to the Indian Institute of Technology in Chennai and the calculations were verified and validated by UNESCO-approved civil engineers. They were then rechecked by qualified Australian civil engineers and appropriately certified. A combination of traditional and modern sculpting tools was used to carve every stone. The figurine is initially drawn on paper, then transferred onto the stone by way of markings. The stone is hollowed out using sculpting tools such as a chisel and hammer as well MARCH I 2021

as modern stone cutting and grinding machines. Depending on the sculptors’ imagination, intricacy and complexity of each design as well as the desired outcome, this process can take from a few days to months. At the end, exceptionally fine cement and water are used to hold all the pieces together which make the final form look continuous and flawless. In India, where the carving and sculpting was done, the project spanned three locations and involved more than 1,200 granite stones weighing from 200kg to 6 tonnes. Close to 100 artisans were involved in the work in India. www.DesiAustralia.com

Community News | Melbourne

The carved stones were then packed in expensive silver oak wood to avoid pests and shipped to Melbourne. Once in Melbourne, specifically skilled stone masons were brought from India to assemble each stone to produce this magnificent temple. Pulling off this project took almost two years, from selecting the temple architect to the final completion. This was done by the 15-member Management Committee of the Melbourne Vinayagar Hindu Sangam (MVHS) which runs the Sri Vakrathunda Vinayagar Temple. Specifically, highly-skilled project consultants, architects and engineers generously volunteered their time to bring this historic project together. The entire project, from fund raising to managing the various aspects of the running of the temple, is done by the Management Committee headed by the executive committee - Balaa Kandiah (President), Shan Pillai (Secretary) and Sivanathan Thamboo (Treasurer). A Brief Look into the Temple History The Sri Vakrathunda Vinayagar Temple in The Basin was first conceived in Download Our App

1989, when a breakaway group moved away from the Hindu Society of Victoria, frustrated at the slow progress in the development of a Ganesha temple. The Melbourne Vinayagar Hindu Sangam was founded, and a pro-tem committee was formed with trustees, members, and volunteers, and with donated funds, the process of building the temple began in 1990. When pro-tem committee member Shan Pillai and his wife went to India to source a deity blessed by the Kanchi Shankaracharya Swamigal, they could not find one. They paid a visit to the Shankaracharya Swamigal regardless and were pleasantly surprised when he offered them a deity. It was the first of many miracles they encountered. The deity was named Vakrathunda Vinayagar and brought back to Melbourne, and lived in the home of trustee S. Somasundaram until the temple was built. The deity was taken to a community hall every month for worship. On 20th April 1990, the Management Committee successfully purchased a plot of land at The Basin in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. The site had formerly housed the disused St. Mary’s Anglican Church. The foundation stone for the Sri Vakrathunda Vinayagar Temple was laid in 1991. The first brick was blessed by Sri Jayendra MARCH I 2021

Saraswathi Swamigal and flown from Kancheepuram to Melbourne, and laid in November 1991. The temple building was completed in 1992 with its Consecration held on 11th October 1992, making it the first Traditional Hindu temple in Victoria. The second Consecration was done on 17th June 2007 when a Raja gopuram was built partly in granite and extensive renovations including shrines for Durga and Murugan were completed. Sri Vakrathunda Vinayagar Temple is also the first temple, and continues to be the only temple, that takes the Thaer (Chariot) out in the streets of Melbourne. The Temple also participates in community events in the City of Knox such as the Knox Global Cooking Show, provides about 20,000 free meals a year and contributes to The Salvation Army Appeal. In 2020, the temple was given $500,000 by the Victorian government as part of its multicultural infrastructure fund. The third Consecration will see the Temple become the largest granite Hindu temple in the Southern Hemisphere with all its 11 shrines in granite, intricately carved by hand, inspired by the great Chola temples of India and permanently transforming the multicultural landscape of Melbourne. www.DesiAustralia.com

Community News | Adelaide

Students Got Talent 2021 , Adelaide International Students Entertain Audiences Worldwide from Her Majesty’s Theatre

Daljeet Bakshi

outh Australia is known as Festival state of Australia and the capital city Adelaide hosts major events throughout the year . Though due to Covid 19 restrictions ,last year major events couldn’t happen but small events with small numbers and some events were able to make it through virtual platform . With the lifting of restrictions , now the events with public attendance are allowed with capped numbers and line up of events like Chinatown Lunar new Year street party , Fringe and Womad are going ahead . Adelaide Festival Centre hosted its first of the kind “Students got talent” competition in Adelaide at Her Majesty’s Theatre. Adelaide Festival Centre is celebrating the success of Students Got Talent and its winners who were crowned on Saturday 13 February at Her Majesty’s Theatre. A sensational evening of quality performance of the diverse, musical and talented students we have right here in Adelaide. Jason Chong, Adelaide comedian Hosted the event , the 11 finalists performed to a full house of more than 900 tickDownload Our App

etholders at Her Majesty’s Theatre. The livestream on Adelaide Festival Centre’s Facebook page and Channel 44’s website attracted more than 7,000 online audience members and engagement from international viewers from countries including Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, India, Malaysia and China. The judges for the event were Hon Jing Lee MLC , Assitant Minister to the Premier , Susannah Sweeney, Adelaide Festival Centre producer ,Creative Producer - DreamBIG FesMARCH I 2021

tival , Elsy Wameyo, award winning SA Singer-songwriter , Bruce Djite, International Football Star, Director of Football, Adelaide United. First place and $5,000 in prize money was awarded to 19-year-old singer Estée Kitingan – the Malaysian-born student is studying a Bachelor of Popular Music at The Elder Conservatorium of Music at The University of Adelaide. Estée Kitingan said she was honoured to receive the award: “Being a finalist was www.DesiAustralia.com

Community News | Adelaide

such a great and honouring experience! I think the best part about it was the friendships and connections I made with the other contestants. I feel very blessed to have won and my plan is to just save the money for anything that comes my way in the future.” Beatboxer and Flinders University student, Zhiyi He from China was awarded second place and $3,000 in prize money while Indian dance group Malwai Bhangra Academy Adelaide came in third place winning $1,000. The audience also voted for their favourite performance with the People’s Choice Award presented to Filipino singer Marjorie Tacsanan, who won $500 after receiving the loudest cheer. Hon Jing Lee , “The quality of performances tonight has made our job as judges very difficult. We were super impressed by the level of talents showcased by students from different countries who have chosen Adelaide as their study destination. The Marshall Government launched an International Education Sector Strategy in 2019, with targets to attract new students, as well as encouraging the best and brightest to stay. While the international education sector has been hit hard by COVID-19, South Australia’s standing as a leader in international education remains strong. We are confident that once international borders open up, our state’s excellent health response and our nation-leading support for international students will act as a beacon for Download Our App

motivated and energetic people from all over the world. Adelaide Festival Centre has always welcomed members of our multicultural community, reaching out to new audiences and cherish the rich artistic traditions they bring. Sincere thanks to Douglas Gautier, Chief Executive Officer, Adelaide Festival Centre and all his team for their support of our shared vision to embrace international students and make them all feel welcome and reach their full potential.” Adelaide Festival Centre CEO & Artistic Director Douglas Gautier AM: “We have been proud to support international students this year by partnering with StudyAdelaide’s Summer in Adelaide program. It has been wonderful to see so many people embrace and welcome these talented international students into our community, with this event attracting such an enthusiastic crowd and buzz. We thank everybody involved and look forward to continue supporting, connecting, and uniting Adelaide’s international students through the arts and entertainment in the future.” StudyAdelaide CEO Karyn Kent: “Students Got Talent was the first in Australia to unearth and showcase the amazing talents in the international student community. We’d like to thank Adelaide Festival Centre for creating this event and giving our students the unforgettable opportunity to perform on a major capital city stage. The extra step to live stream this special experience speaks volumes to their friends and family overseas that South Australia is welcoming and supportive of MARCH I 2021

international students.” City of Adelaide Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor: “It’s been a challenging time for many international students in South Australia and all over the world. The City of Adelaide is proud to be able to support the Adelaide Festival Centre’s Students Got Talent and provide some entertainment for Adelaide’s 30,000 international students impacted by COVID-19 travel restrictions during this difficult period.” A remarkable presentation of talent and inspirational, uplifting , motivational for international students who are coping up with the pressure of Covid 19 effects on studies, jobs. Hopefully , in future we can see more of this kind events engaging the wider multicultural participation. Desi Australia team congratulates the organisers , the winners and the judges.

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Community News | Adelaide

Women’s Day celebrations by BAPS

Monica Sharma

Daljeet Bakshi

APS Swaminarayan Sanstha organised international women’s day event at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Adelaide on March 20 in which women from different fields participated. Women speakers talked about the topic of the day Forgiveness- The virtue of women. Special Prayers and a small skit was also presented on the theme.

Mayor Gillian Aldridge OAM

organised special event at the Salisbury Community hub, to celebrate the International Women’s Day

he theme for the celebrations was “Choose To Challenge – a challenged world is an alert world”. The event was a tribute to 100 years of service to Australia by the Royal Australia Air Force. The mayor said the theme was to encourage each one of us to remember that “Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions - all day, every day.” Mayor in her speech said “ Every baby that is born regardless of gender deserves to grow up in a society where everyone enjoys the same opportunities the same rights and the same obligations.” She added “Believe in yourself and tell yourself how awesome you are and You will become what you believe,” As part of the celebrations Wing Commander Maria Jovanovich, Flight Lieutenant Sarah McLaren and Leading Aircraft Download Our App

woman Mikaela Sim shared their stories inspiring other women. MARCH I 2021

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Community News | Melbourne

Melbourne Women celebrated IWD 2021 A celebration of Womanhood

Daljeet Bakshi

very day is a special day, still in a calendar year there are few days which are specially marked and one of them is International Women’s Day , a day full of celebrations of womanhood . Melbourne women celebrated International Women’s day with high spirits over a drinks / dance & dinner function hosted by Nancy Gupta and Manpreet Walia. The event highlights were unique titles that were offered to women to feel empowered as well as be proud of the uniqueness they always took for granted. The Gala event witnessed participation of around 200+ women with one theme and chose to challenge to empower each other ,be there for each other. Reetu Sethi, a Melbourne woman who lost her parents at young age back in India

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MARCH I 2021

arrived to Australia on her own and chose to remain unmarried with no kids, was awarded WOMAN OF THE YEAR as she was fighting all odds and stood strong all these years of life. Also present was Jasbir Kaur, a 58 year old retired principal from india who lost her husband in early life and is now a permanent resident of Australia, studying certificate II in English and aspire to be a VCAL teacher in Australia. She was awarded the SPIRIT OF WOMAN. The event saw enormous support from men and women alike in business and services. The celebrations rolled up with 50+ dishes on menu at Santuaty Lakes Hotel , and 272+ gifts distributed amongst all present finished off with high intensity music by DJ ASH. The memories beautifully captured for life By Kulbir Cam from Cam Studio saved the event as one of the highest rated women celebrations in the recent past. Until next the hosts Nancy Gupta & Manpreet Walia wish everyone that everyday is a women’s day and own it like a rockstar. The event was successful and remarkably executed in an efficient professional way.

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Life Experiences

No Place Like Home “The achievements of exile are permanently undermined by the loss of something left behind forever”. Zia Haider Rehman

By Ravinder Kaur Bali

he poignant words above, from In the Light of What We Know rightly echo the experience of most migrants; for at heart, exiles are us. Uprooted from the motherland, either through our own decision to experience life elsewhere, or by the religious/social/political upheavals in that same motherland, for most of us, there is no going back. Over time, what was left behind grows a halo and a rosy tint, and the longer the exile, the deeper the tugging at the heart-strings. The question that we inevitably face is: how do we reconcile this heart-ache with our desire to seek the best for ourselves and our children? An obvious answer is to be found in new friendships and in community. We are inevitably drawn to those from our own communities, and for most Indians, our places of worship become the focal points of our lives, much for extending the fragile hold on what we lost, as for anchoring us in our new surrounds. Building new friendships and social connections provides much of the cohesion desperately needed to ease the uncertainty in the early days of finding our feet, be it finding jobs, settling the kids, or enrolling in courses to up-skill ourselves. These new ‘early days’ friendships go a long way towards lifelong relationships that establish us socially. And yet, even 20-30 years after migrating, there are those who say they feel rudderless and lost. This disenchantment can afflict anyone, though it is more apparent in those who migrate in their fifties, at the peak of their careers in their homeland. Sadly, this leads further into isolation that thwarts the very community-based support that is available and can help overcome it. Download Our App

A very simple solution may lie in a single word. Give. I am reminded of my own father who spoke from personal experience when he insisted that one can truly belong to a place and its people only when one learns to give. Find something that moves you, he said, makes you weep with the sheer beauty of it, and give. Does not matter what you give; time, effort, money, advice, even a shoulder for someone to cry on; give, and you will belong, no matter where you are. Yes, that does hold true: anywhere in the world. A world more fractured now, where MARCH I 2021

we are increasingly more isolated while being more connected. Perhaps, we needed the tragedy of a pandemic to remind us that ‘we are all in this together’. That this planet is home, and we all global citizens, even if only Pico Iyer confesses to being one. And we will be more so when we are pandemic-free, having learnt that isolation is so the sick may heal, and for the healthy to be able to help. That we need to give, and to share, including toilet paper among citizens and vaccines among countries. One sure way to restore our ‘sense of belonging’. www.DesiAustralia.com

Mag Corner

The World Economic Forum’s Study on the Future of Jobs: Is Technological Innovation a benefit or a concern? By Santhoshi Machanagari

he COVID – 19 Pandemic has affected humankind in many ways from lockdowns to creating a highly uncertain outlook for the labour markets. In addition to this, Artificial Intelligence, Robotic Process Automations (RPAs) and the Internet of Things are creating further panic among many of us who are concerned about our existing jobs and skillsets. To address these concerns, a number of research companies are publishing Reports by aggregating the views of business leaders – Chief Executives, Chief Strategy Officers and Human Resource Professionals. Mckinsey and Company published a Report in March 2019 on ‘Australia’s automation opportunity – Reigniting productivity and inclusive income growth’ addressing the impact of automation on the existing workforce. https://www.mckinsey.com/featuredinsights/future-of-work/australias-automation-opportunity-reigniting-productivity-and-inclusive-income-growth Recently in October 2020 the World Economic Forum published “The Future

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of Jobs” shedding light on https://www.weforum.org/reports/thefuture-of-jobs-report-2020 1) The pandemic-related disruptions thus far in 2020, contextualised within a longer history of economic cycles, and 2) The expected outlook for technology adoption jobs and skills in the next five years. For this article, I would like to highlight the summary of ‘the Future of jobs” and what it means to Australia’s workforce. As per this Report, the Australian working age population is 17.3m i.e. 68% of the total population of Australia (25.6m). The above chart shows that 97% of the surveyed companies are willing to adopt Artificial Intelligence, 94% for internet of things and so on. Only 58% of the companies are interested in 3D and 4D printing and modelling.

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The Report also highlights the jobs that are emerging and those made redundant in the next five years. The top 10 emerging jobs in order: 1. AI and Machine Learning specialists 2. Data Analysts and Scientists, 3. Information Security Analysists, 4. Big Data Specialists, 5. Process Automation Specialists, 6. Digital Transformation Specialists, 7. Remote Sensing Scientists and Technologists, 8. Organisational Development Specialists, 9. Mechanical Engineers and 10. Internet of Things Specialists rank the last emerging jobs. On the other hand, the jobs that are going to be redundant (in order) are: 1. Data Entry Clerks 2. Administrative and Executive Secretaries,

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3. Accounting, Bookkeeping and Administration Managers, 4. B usiness Services and Administration Managers 5. General and Operations Managers, 6. Assembly and Factory Workers, 7. Credit and Loans Officers, 8. C lient Information and Customer Service Workers 9. Accountants and Auditors and 10. Cashiers and Ticket Clerks. IS IT A CONCERN OR A BENEFIT? From the employer’s point of view, the displacement of jobs through technological innovation is an economic benefit because replacing humans by Robots reduces overhead charges. For customers, it offers more choices at reasonable prices. And is also a great opportunity for young graduates to learn new technologies to increase their employability in the market. What do you think the major concern would be? The above mentioned redundant jobs list creates mild panic in the hearts of those professionals who are already in that field. I am one of them who falls under the category of Accountants and Auditors. However, I do not consider this as a threat. Let me explain why: Five years ago, I was working as a Budget Accountant for one of the large Health Organisations. My colleague Subra who worked with me had more than 25 years of experience as a Senior Accountant in Australia. As a curious Budget Accountant, I asked him one day “Subra, what was your role as an Accountant before the evolution of computers?” He said to me that they used to write cheques, prepare ledger, Profit and Loss and Balance Sheet Accounts using pen and paper. It was a time consuming process. One mistake during the process would take number of hours to fix. Since the inception of computer technology, salient information has been transferred onto computers. Even though the computers did not have adequate applications to integrate all processes within the System,

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they made the Accountants job a little easier. Later, integrated system applications were developed. The Accountant’s role was to enter the details into one system and through an integration process, the profit and loss account and balance sheets were generated automatically. I remember in my early days of Accounting 16 years ago, that the Accountants role was only to upload journals, analyse the data and submit the Reports to senior management on a monthly basis . During the last 5 years, this scenario has changed. Now the Accountant’s role has changed into a Finance Business Partner role. The systems perform all data entry, upload and generate Reports. Now the Accountant’s role is to analyse the data and provide professional advice to the management that aids in their decision-making processes. If you meticulously analyse an Accountant’s role. The role has changed from merely a clerk to a partnering role where decisions are made. During this process, the Accountant has learned number of new skills such as adapting to the new technological, analytical, negotiation and communication skills. These all helped the role to perform the job more efficiently and effectively. This has further aided to educate a number of stakeholders on various financial aspects/issues of the organisation. How hard is to adopt to new technologies? A decade ago, we did not have smart phones. Think! How hard was it for you to adapt to that new phone? This answer indicates how good you are at adopting new technologies. Now after a decade, 80% of the population in Australia uses smart phones. People still queue up to buy the newest version of smart phones and gadgets. Considering the change in technology, companies also have plans for educating the staff to their standards. As per the World Economic Forum Report, the surveyed companies said 44.6% of them provide internal learning and development. Now you know what to ask for when you are joining the new

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company. 30% of training is through public educational institutions and private training providers and the remaining 30% from external, public and private training institutions. The good news is 97% of the companies said they retain existing employees with only 48% looking to outsource some business functions to external contractors. In addition to my story of transformation of the Clerical role into a business advisor role, there are many new jobs created in the last decade. Some of them are Cyber Security professionals, social media managers, Data Scientists and Software trainers. The Report says Employers expect that by 2025, the increase in redundant roles will decline from 15.4% of the workforce to 9% (6.4% decline), and that emerging professions will grow from 7.8% to 13.5% (5.7% growth) of the total employee base of company respondents. Based on these figures, the World Economic Forum estimates 85 million jobs may be displaced by a shift in the division of labour between human and machines, while 97 million new roles may emerge that are more adapted to the new division of labour between humans, machines and algorithms. Filling the newly created jobs may be challenging for some countries. This is due to lack of relevant skills required for the positions. From the Report, emerging job roles require emerging skills as a package. It seems hard to fill this gap. This can be improved through educating the younger generation with the skills required and teaching them the new technologies. As per World Economic Forum, companies estimate that 40% of workers will require reskilling of six months or less and 94% of business leaders report that they expect employees to pick up new skills on the job, as sharp increase from 65% in 2018. Some types of skill keep you in demand

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Mag Corner

irrespective of what specialisation you have chosen. These are called soft skills and can be developed over the time. The Report identified the top 15 skills that it claims s makes you ‘stand out’ along with your technological skills. 1. Analytical thinking and innovation 2. Active learning and learning strategies 3. Critical thinking and analysis 4. Leadership and social influence 5. Technology use, monitoring and control 6. Emotional intelligence 7. Complex problem-solving 8. Resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility 9. Creativity, originality and initiative 10. Technology design and programming 11. Systems analysis and evaluation 12. Service orientation 13. Reasoning, problem-solving and ideation 14. Quality control and safety awareness 15. Troubleshooting What is the best solution to cope up with this situation? Constant upskilling is the new normal for anyone hoping to stay relevant in an increasingly mechanised world. As the HAYS recruitment agency’s survey of 951 employers found, 77% are more likely to shortlist a qualified candidate who upskills regularly. Experts have given 6 ways to take charge of your own development and stay employable. https://www.hays.com.au/careeradvice/upskilling/7-ways-to-upskill Find a mentor: A good mentor is someone who helps you to grow in the right direction. A number of people fall into the trap of ‘self-doubt’ and find it hard to see the future of theircareer especially when it relates to new technology and systems. Mentors experienced in the similar field can

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see more than a mentee can see. This helps to guide the mentee in the right direction. I saw more clarity in my professional future with the help of my mentors. Attend events: Networking events and professional seminars provide insights from the experts in the field. Join a professional association such as CPA Australia for Accountants, Engineers Australia for Engineers or Australian Computer Society for Computer Engineers. These professional organisations hold networking events and seminars and provide updates about the profession on regular basis. Stay tuned in: Follow industry leaders and thought leaders via LinkedIn, YouTube feeds, TED talks and social media. And listen to Podcasts offered by experts in the field. Learn at work: Some organisations offer free in-house courses relevant to your profession. Avail yourself of them and update yourself. These courses generally reflect the skills an organisation wants its workforce to develop. So, acquiring skills and knowledge this way is not only free but also could raise your standing at work. Peer to peer learning is a great way to learn a skill that you want to develop. This can also help you to learn the skills required for your job. A number of Accountants/Auditors work on Excel for various data analysis. If any of your colleagues have expertise in MS Excel, you can also suggest to your manager that they organise a learning session with him/her during a lunchtime talk.

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Employer supported external study: Some organisations support tertiary, professional and university studies. If your company has an open policy to support everyone within the organisation, you would be wise to avail yourself of the opportunity to add a course that is relevant to your profession. Otherwise you must be able to explain how what you will learn benefit the team or the company. Join relevant clubs: Emerging skills have now become an essential. The skills such as communication, negotiation and problem-solving take time to develop. Joining a club such as Toastmasters or Rostrum club would assist you to learn in a stress free environment before transferring them into a workplace. https://www.desiaustralia.com/ how-to-improve-communicationskills-organically-the-best-places-toconsider/ The Report by the World Economic Forum has given a great insight on how the jobs are moving from human based to machine based. This highlights a need for us to be ever ready to mould ourselves to the future needs of our employers. As we can see, this can be managed with constant learning and upskilling of ourselves.

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Mag Corner

Bandaged Bear Appeal Calls for Your Help for Sick Kids

E possible.

very sick and injured child, no matter who they are, where they are or their condition, deserves the best care

In March 2021, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation’s Bandaged Bear Appeal is raising vital funds for The Children’s Hospital at Westmead so doctors and nurses can continue to provide the best possible care for sick kids like eight-year-old Vishwa. Born with kidney disease and growing up on the wards of the Hospital, Vishwa spent the first four years of her life receiving dialysis in the hospital, four days a week, five hours at a time. This bubbly young girl has practiced the art of distraction time and time again through her love of Barbie dolls in tough moments and has developed strong resilience at a very young age. This March, the Bandaged Bear Appeal is hoping to raise more than $1 million, which will go towards funding the very latest medical equipment, lifesaving research and essential services for the 87,000 sick kids that visit the Hospital each year. The Appeal relies on the help of the community to reach this mark. As an official launch of the month-long Bandaged Bear Appeal, Bandaged Bear Day was held on Friday, 26 February. Volunteers were out and about to sell Bandaged Bear merchandise at train stations and selected landmarks across Sydney. But that’s not the only time that people can get involved. Throughout the month of March people can also: Buy our Bandaged Bear Appeal merchandise online: In addition to plush

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bears, key rings, pens, and pins, this year’s range has expanded to include bear socks and rulers. Donate online or by phone: bandagedbear.org.au or call 1800 770 122. Fundraise in your school, work or community – hold an event like a Teddy Bear’s picnic, morning tea or mufti day. Sell for sick kids: We have a suite of amazing and fun merchandise for your school to sell to help sick kids. From rulers to socks, bear key rings to pens, it’s the perfect way to support sick kids.

The Bandaged Bear Appeal has been raising funds for sick kids for more than 30 years. Do your bit in 2021 to give childhood back to sick kids and raise funds for The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. Visit www.bandagedbear.org.au for more information or to make a donation.

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Mag Corner

Sydney’s own King o Cultivating the love for Indian classical music amongst the next generation

By: Sheila Dhillon

odestly and humbly touching the hearts of music lovers in Sydney is one of the world’s most accomplished tabla players and vocalists, Aman Pal. Aman arrived in Australia just three years ago and has since been spreading his love for music. He is now on a mission to ensure the forgotten tunes of yesteryears, classical ragas and ghazals are shared with our next generation. “One of the best ways to inculcate our deep-rooted culture in the younger generation here in Australia is by sharing the love of Indian classical music and its rich history. My aim is to identify budding artists and provide them with a platform from

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which they can flourish and grow,” said Aman Pal.

distinctive musical techniques is second to none.

“What I love about meeting new artists and talent is how much I am able to learn from them and expand on my own knowledge. The exchange of ideas we enjoy opens up more possibilities and helps us all become even more creative in our music expression.”

In addition to being an amazing percussionist, Aman is blessed with a soulful voice that is versatile enough to bring out the best in everything from ghazals and songs dating back to the 60’s, all the way to the latest trendy releases and Indo western fusion tunes.

Born and raised in London, Aman’s command in ragas, melodic structures, rhythmic disciplines and mastery of

“I was fortunate that I was born into a musical family and grew up in an environment where we were surrounded

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of Tabla

by music and music lovers. My mother is a vocalist and my father is a tabla player. They both worked hard in our community to ensure the coming generations understood their heritage and culture. I would say that set the foundation of my musical journey.” Aman recalls playing the tabla spontaneously from the age of seven. Noticing his keen interest, his father enrolled him in formal tabla training where he learnt under the guidance of his father, Amrit Pal and Guru, Ustad Tari Khan. “I credit everything I am today to my Guru and my father.” Aman’s first solo performance was at a private function ‘Shri Baba Hari Vallabh’ in Jalandhar, India when he was just 17 years old. “I performed in front of a large audience and felt extremely honoured by the audience reception and acknowledgement that evening.” “Music is my life and I don’t know what I would do without music. It definitely kept me going during the pandemic, and I was heartened to see that many people also turned to music during this time to find peace of mind and as a form or relaxation from their day to day challenges.”

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Now Aman wants to share his passion of music and his love for the tabla and harmonium with as many people who are willing to learn. “The tabla and harmonium are special musical instruments which are unique to our heritage, and with Australia being so multicultural, I truly believe we can build more awareness about our tradition and history through music.” “There is definitely plenty of hidden talent across Australia and we want to bring these individuals forward and give them the skills and tools they need to progress their musical aspirations further.” Aman runs tabla and harmonium

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classes and provides vocal training for all age groups. Whilst most classes take place in Toongabie and Penrith, Aman also travels to students with exceptional circumstances. With many concerts across Sydney already to his credit, Aman is now looking forward to the COVID-19 restrictions easing to entertain and teach broader audience segments. “Ek Umeed, Ranjish Hi Sahi – Ek Shaam Mehdi Hassan ke Naam” was a sell-out, and left the audience fully mesmerised. In keeping with his promise, the concert featured new and rising stars in Sydney. We now look forward to the next instalment of Ek Umeed in November this year.

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Community News | Canberra

Pre Pravasi Bhartiya Divas global virtual conference by Ministry of External Affairs, India By: Rajni Ghai Malhotra

s a lead up to the 16th Pravasi Bhartiya divas (PBD), a pre-PBD global virtual conference was organised by the Ministry of External Affairs, India on ‘Media and Entertainment partnerships to showcase India@75’. Our Editor, Desi Canberra, Ms Rajni Ghai Malhotra presented the Australian perspective as one of the six panelists from across the globe. The conference was chaired by the Hon’ble Minister for External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar.

Photos: HCI Canberra

From Canberra, the conference was facilitated by the High Commission of India. The High Commissioner of India, HE Mr Gitesh Sarma, Deptuty High Commissioner Mr P S Karthigeyan, Counsellor Mr Narendra Rana and Ms Nishi Puri, President GOPIO Canberra were present at the conference.

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Community News | Canberra

High Commission of India events

By: Rajni Ghai Malhotra

26 January 2021 - 72nd Republic Day of India On the occasion of the 72nd Republic Day of India, the High Commissioner of India to Australia HE Mr Gitesh Sarma unfurled the Tri-colour and read the Rashtrapati Bhavan address to the guests present at the covidsafe ceremony at the Chancery. This was followed by rendition of patriotic songs. Feb 2021 – Interactive session on Union Budget 2021-22 The High Commission of India, Canberra hosted an informative discussion session on the 2021-22 Union Budget of India which was announced in February 2021. Professor Raghbendra Jha from Australian National University spoke on the salient features of the transformative budget which was followed by discussions.

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Photos: HCI Canberra

8 March 2021 - International Women’s Day celebration To mark the International Women’s Day 2021, the High Commission of India invited hosted a private screening of the movie ‘Poorna’. The evening saw the High Commissioner of India HE Mr Gitesh Sarma share his thoughts on the occasion and later, guests at the event joined the ladies of the Mission, led by Mrs Ratnamala Sarma in cutting a special cake as a celebration of #narishakti.

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Yoga

YouGo with Rajni Let’s Be Mindful Series

Celebrating International Women’s Day – Choosing to challenge ourselves to walk the mindful path towards self-care and wellbeing

ing in with myself. I am well, strong and empowered. I have a voice. I have the choice to change, to seek change and to make change happen.

appy Women’s Day to all you lovely ladies. The theme for Women’s Day 2021 is Choose to Challenge. In keeping with that, let us choose to challenge not only inequality and exclusion but also to mindfully nurture ourselves and other women in our sphere of influence, to challenge that deep ingrained habit of neglecting self-care.

Pause for a minute, take a few deep breaths and check in with yourself. Fill your day with multiple minute-pauses of mindful breathing. If you aren’t able to set aside dedicated time to practice mindfulness, challenge yourself to practice the pause at any time of the day that you can. While driving to work, watching the TV, cooking, waiting in line for your coffee – anytime is a good time to pause, focus on your breath and check in with yourself, remind yourself that you are well and that each day, every day you have the choice to change, to challenge and to work towards a bigger collective.

Read on for a few handy mindfulness tips and affirmations that are effective in nurturing yourselves and keeping yourselves more centred and focused.

Walk mindfully – take mindful steps Affirmation: I am a strong confident woman, taking firm long strides in the direction I wish to go.

A mindful pause Affirmation: Hello me, here I am check-

I choose to walk this path with strength and courage and I choose to challenge what

By: Rajni Ghai Malhotra

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does not feel right. Mindful walking simply means taking steps with an awareness of each step and breath. It can be practiced anywhere and at anytime, whether you are alone or in the company of others; as you walk to or from your car in the parking lot; in the grocery store; between business meetings - anywhere at all. Taking steps with awareness helps in keeping them slow yet firm, relaxed yet purposeful and in staying connected with yourself in the present moment. Make driving a mindful experience Affirmation: I am on a journey of healing, nurturing and wellbeing. It is a beautiful journey and I will enjoy every minute of it. Driving- what a wonderful opportunity to practice connecting with yourself, of turning a mindless activity of sitting behind the wheel, half listening to the music playing in the car and half absorbed with multiple thoughts, into a conscious, mindful journey. Often, we cover long distances without realwww.DesiAustralia.com

Yoga

ly noticing the drive. Taking mindful breaths while driving are an effective way to bring yourself back into the present moment. While driving, pay attention to the route, to the traffic, to the passing landscape. Listen to the words of the music that is playing in the car. Mindful driving will enable you to enjoy the drive and reach your destination in a state of awareness, being fully in the now. Drink your tea mindfully Affirmation: I will drink my tea (or coffee) slowly and savour every sip. I am at peace in this moment. Oh, that much desired cuppa! Sometimes a good cup of tea/coffee is all we need to bring us a sense of wellbeing. What if we infused that with a touch of mindfulness? In the words of Thich Nhat Hanh, ‘drink your tea slowly and reverently as if it is the axis on which the earth revolves – slowly, evenly and without rushing to the future’ As you engage in the act of making the cup of tea, guide your thought to this action. When your tea is ready, observe the colour

and the aroma of the tea. As you take a sip, feel the flavour of the tea in your mouth. Feel the warmth of the cup in your hands. Making your breathing calm and gentle, become aware the slow and deliberate act of sipping your tea thereby making the simple act of drinking tea a way to connect with yourself and step into the present moment. Mindful companionship Affirmation: I have strong and committed friendships. I nurture my friends as they nurture me. Women are social and emotional beings. Friendships play a big role in our lives and catching up with our girl friends can go a long way in helping us relax and de-stress. Add to that a touch of mindfulness and feel the magic of connecting with your friends by listening and talking without judgement. Be all there and help your friend to also enter that state of being. There is no better feeling than helping a friend connect with herself.

I can simply be. Here I am. Here is where I need to be. Here is where I AM ME. Here is where I relax, revive, recharge and strengthen myself. This is a powerful tip that can really go a long way in helping you regain your balance quickly and effectively. Identify a spot in your home where you can withdraw for a few minutes of solitude and allow yourself to gently come into the present moment. It can be a seat by the window of your lounge, the study or even a green corner in the garden. Withdraw to your retreat regularly for a few minutes when you feel like reconnecting with yourself. Engage in mindful breathing, repeat the affirmation and allow yourself to just be. There YouGo! You’ve just chosen to challenge yourself and walk firmly on the path of self-care and wellbeing. May your journey be steady and rewarding.

Choose a mindful retreat in your home Affirmation: I am in my safe space where

Yours mindfully, Rajni Follow Rajni on Facebook @YogaWithRajni

YouGo Yoga with Rajni

Yoga & Mindfulness workshops for adults and kids Experience the benefits of yoga and mindfulness through the following workshops: ✓ Beginner’s yoga ✓ Mindful breathing and meditation ✓ Yoga-in-isolation and de-stressing techniques ✓ Yoga-Zing with Rajni: Fun filled, creativity infused workshops for women and children

Rajni Ghai Malhotra | Founder, YouGo Yoga | 0424 434 031 | www.facebook.com/YogaWithRajni *All workshops now delivered in a physically distant, socially connected manner.

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Ayurveda

Aging and Ayurveda Ayurveda has a holistic approach toward all the miseries of man and aging is one of these. It is classified as one of the natural and Yapya (palliative) diseases. aging. Ayurveda was introduced to the earth so that man could enjoy a long and healthy lifespan

Dr Naveen Shukla

t is the process of becoming old and decaying. As age advances, several changes take place in the body, in the external appearance, in the condition of Dosha, Dhatu, Mala, Agni, Oja, and so on, as well as in the mental and cognitive functions. Elderly people are susceptible to several chronic diseases also. The problems of the elderly are becoming a matter of great concern as increased life expectancy due to better medical services and improved technology is resulting in an increasing population of the aged. By the year 2020, the World will have more than one billion people aged 60 and over, and more than two-thirds of them will be living in the developing countries. A major concern related to the rapid increase in the population of the aged is that there will be an increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases and disabilities, both being conditions that tend to accompany the aging process. This burden is increasing day by day. In the Ayurvedic texts, a comprehensive description has been given of aging. The aim of this conceptual article is to compile and re-evaluate the various principles related to different aspects of

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Several types of principles have been described in Ayurveda. A person interacts with various factors, for example, other Panchabhautik (manifested) creations, living or non-living. It is known that at the base of all creation, there are nine Dravya. (causative factors). That is, Panchamahabhuta • Space • Air • Fire • Water • Earth Mana (mind); Atma (soul); Kala (time); and Disha (directions). Panchamahabhuta provide the basic structure for all the manifestations and this manifested creation, is known as the universe. The universe resides within the limitations of Kala and Disha in a clockwise manner. Among all the Dravya, Kala is the most important and potent, as it includes all creation in itself as well as it affects all creation in a clockwise manner, and human beings are no exception. Kala interacts with a human from

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conception till death and this time period is called Ayu (lifespan). On account of the interaction of Kala, various changes occur in the body during the period of Ayu; these are natural and cannot be changed. According to the type of changes that occur, the lifespan has been divided into three parts, also known as Vaya (various stages of life); these are 1. Bala (early stage of life), 2. Madhya (middle stage of life), and 3. Jirna or Vriddhavastha (later stage of life). The major changes carried out in the body during these stages are, growth, achievement, maintenance and decay. Thus, aging is the process of decaying and this manifests in the form of various degenerative changes. Although these changes are natural, they are not pleasant. Everyone is aware that a person who has taken birth must grow and finally die, but nobody wants to grow old and certainly no one wishes to die. It is the nature of a human being. Ayurveda considers all these states, which are not pleasant in nature, to be disease: they cause suffering to mankind and any suffering is termed as a disease. Ayurveda takes a holistic approach toward the maintenance of Dhatusamya (homeostasis), for which various

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Ayurveda

principles have been described. Aging is considered as a disease that may be manifested timely or untimely. Therefore, a detailed description regarding the prevention, maintenance, and treatment of aging has been given. Some of the measures that have been advised can be followed and some cannot. However, we can follow some practical principles and make aging comfortable and disease-free.

Concept of Vriddhavastha (later stage of life)

Vriddhavastha is the last part of the lifespan and is mainly characterized by degenerative changes. Aging refers to a multidimensional process of physical, psychological, and social change. The changes are always degenerative in nature. According to Ayurveda the lifespan of an individual is divided into three parts known as Vaya. These are . Balavastha (childhood), which lasts up to the age of 16 years; Madhyavastha (young and middle age), which lasts from the age of 16 years to 60–70 years; and Vriddhavastha or Jirnavastha (old age), which refers to the period after 60 or 70 years Thus, every person will pass through a period when various decaying changes will take place, and this time period is known as Vriddhavastha. This stage is characterized by decay in the body, Dhatu (various anatomical tissues), sensory and motor organs, potency, strength, speech, various mental and cognitive functions (e.g., memory, intellect, reception, retention, analytic ability, etc.). During this phase there is predominance of Vaayu Dosha (one of the three physiological body factors). The major physical changes seen at this time are wrinkling of skin, graying of hair, baldness, and a diminishing ability to do physical work] The diseases that complicate this stage are Kasa (cough), Shwas (asthma), and so on.]

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Vriddhavastha may be of two types: timely (if it manifests after the age of 60 – 70 years) or untimely. Untimely aging may result due to aggravation of vata and pitta dosha. Therefore, excessive utilization of all the causes of vata–pitta aggravation may lead to untimely aging. Some instances are causes of Rajayakshma (a syndrome with deficient immunity), carelessness regarding prescribed regimen of tryopsthambha (diet, sleep, and coitus), causes of ojo-kshya (deficient immunity), excessive and single use of Amla, Lavana, Katu, Tikta, and Kashaya rasa in diet.

Prevention of aging

Due to limitations of space, only the principles are described here. As previously stated, the process of aging is totally dependent on diet and lifestyle. Aging can be prevented by: 1. Including some important principles of Dincharya (daily regimen) in the daily routine, for example, Anjana (a type of eye treatment); Abhayanga (body massage), especially Shiro-Abhayanga (head massage); nasya (oily nasal drops); SnehaGandusha (retaining of oil in the mouth): cleansing of feet and external orifices, exercise and so on. 2. By following the other principles of Swasthavritta such as utilization of Three opastambha (diet, sleep, and coitus) according to the rules to bear suppressible urges (i.e., mental fluctuations) and to expel unsuppressible urges (i.e., natural urges) regular removal of aggravated Dosha according to Ritu (season) by Panchakarma, regular utilization of Rasayana (rejuvenating treatment) and Vaajikarana (aphro-

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disiacs), following the principles of Sadvritta (social and personal ethics) and Achara Rasayana (ethics having effects of Rasayana), and so on. 3. Taking a diet strictly in accordance with the prescribed rules.

Management of aging

It is a natural and Yapya (palliative) disease; it occupies the prime place among the Yapya diseases in the context of Agrya dravya (foremost) described in charak sutrasthana . It is essential to manage this period of aging properly, as it is a time of increased susceptibility to various chronic and degenerative diseases. The following principles can be considered in this context: 1. Keep the lifestyle as close as possible to the ideal prescribed by Ayurveda. 2. Avoid the provocative causes of Kshaya (degeneration) and Vata, for example, excessive physical and mental work, vigorous exercise, tolerance of unsuppressible urges, intolerance of suppressible urges, and so on. 3. Follow, as far as possible, all the rules regarding diet; take a Laghu (light) and Santarpaka (nutritive) diet. 4. Utilization of Rasayana, Vaajikarana, and Yapana Vasti (a type of enema having palliative property) regularly. 5. Follow the principles of Sadvritta and Achara Rasayana Involve oneself in the Supreme Power (God) or the eternal truth by any means as it increases the level of satva in mind. Thus all these things improve mental immunity.

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Ayurveda

6. If any disease persists or manifests, take treatment promptly.

Treatment of aging

Aging is considered a kind of disease and its treatment has been clearly described in various Ayurvedic texts. Even in Sushruta Samhita, there is a chapter titled Swabhavavyadhipratishedhiya, in which Rasayana Chikitsa (rejuvenating treatment) is described. In this chapter, various treatment principles for natural diseases have been mentioned. Treatment principles related to aging are completely dependent on Rasayana as exemplified in the famous story of Maharishi Chayawana. However, some Vaajikaran formulations are also useful, especially in the context of coitus. If Rasayana therapy is used according to the classical methods, and if the correct drugs are available, it will be quite possible to treat aging successfully. However, the methods described are impractical and cannot be followed in this era, due to various reasons: for example, drugs are either unavailable or are less effective, the lifestyle of

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the people is fast and busy, there is a low level of Satva or defective mental constitution, and so on. Nature Care Ayurveda Yoga Detox & Rejuvenation is the only Sydney based Ayurvedic centre where you can experience a complete range of Ayurvedic therapies like Panchakarma, Shirodhara, Detox, Abhyanga Body massage, Back Care, Chronic Disease management, Weight loss, consultation from experts. The team is highly professional and working under the direction of Director’s Naveen Shukla (Vice President Australasian association of

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Ayurveda for NSW), Dr Dhwani patel (Female health and panchakrma), Dr Alka Mishra (Ayurveda specialist) Dr Nikhila Venugopal (Female Health and Marma Specialist), Nature Care Ayurveda & Desi Australia in synergy focused to spread the word of Ayurveda in the community and promote wellbeing as “WE CARE FOR YOU” For more information / to see a doctor/ for specific health concern visit our website www.naturecareayurveda.com.au or call us on 0425558399

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Health

5 ways for Positive and Healthy Ageing – key to reducing the risk of dementia In Australia, there are over 1,500 new cases of dementia diagnosed each week and more than 40% of dementia can be prevented.

By Ms Anju Mathur

Did you know? • Dementia is not a single disease of the brain. It is the term used to describe the symptoms of a number of illnesses that affect the brain and a person’s ability to perform everyday tasks. • The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. • There are over 100 kinds of dementia. • Dementia is progressive, irreversible and permanent. • Dementia is not normal part of Ageing. • Early symptoms of dementia include progressive and frequent memory loss, confusion, changes in personality and behaviour changes. • It is important to get early diagnosis of dementia, if you are concerned about yourself or someone you care please consult your Gp. • It is important got family/carers to get early support, plan for the future and get support for people living with dementia • Medications might help with the symptoms of dementia, but there is no cure for dementia. • Having a healthy and positive lifestyle can reduce the risk of getting dementia. In Australia there is limited awareness of not just for dementia but also for prevention of dementia in our culturally and linguistically diverse communities (CALD). Factors such as increasing physical activity, incorporating healthy lifestyle changes into day-to-day life, Download Our App

maintaining a healthy diet and social connectedness – are important factors towards prevention of dementia. 1. Exercise regularly Doing physical exercise offers protective benefits for mental health, besides assisting with weight management and physical health. Get 30 minutes of moderate exercise 3 times a week. Exercise could include: Walking, gardening, swimming, cycling; jogging or any physical activity of your choice/health conditions. 2. Enjoy a healthy and balanced diet Eat a balanced and varied diet that includes: • breads and cereals, mostly wholegrain • nuts and seeds • beans and lentils • fruits • lean meats, including fish • vegetables. Also include in your diet Omega-3 found in fish and Omega-6 fatty acids found in seeds and nuts that have also been proven to boost brain power and reduces mood swings. MARCH I 2021

3. Get enough quality sleep Good quality sleep is vital for good health. Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. A regular sleep cycle is created by going to bed and waking up around the same time each day. 4. Build social connections and positive relationships Being socially active and building social connections gives us a sense of belonging and purpose. There are various ways to connect socially - plan a weekly outing with a friend, become part of a wider community and engage through volunteer work. 5. Make time for yourself to relax Make time for yourself. Do things that matters to you and things to relax your mind. Meditation, deep breathing, mindfulness can help us better manage emotions and calm our nerves. Remember you are never too young to start thinking about a sensible ageing well plan and making sensible lifestyle choices to stay healthy and positive to reduce the risk of developing dementia. www.DesiAustralia.com

Mag Corner

Part3: Heritage Tourism : Being loyal to the Royal inside me

By: Indranil Halder

have had the great good fortune of staying at exclusive heritage properties such as Raffles Hotel, Singapore;The Pierre Hotel, New York; and Ritz Hotel, Paris. These hotels are all heritage properties in their own right. They are all superb examples of meticulously restored heritage properties that successfully generaterevenues. I have stayed in each of these heritage properties after their billion-dollar facelifts and restoration. What I have learnt from these heritage properties is that they all have stories to tell. And there are always opportunities for partnerships with universities, governments and private firms to introduce a world of learning and experiences with heritage properties. Baishakhi Taylor from Duke University, North Carolina, USA visited Kolkata with her students (2010 -2017) as part of the University Civic Engagement Program, and according to Taylor, ’USA and India are the strongest and largest democracies of the world - and both were former British colonies. Kolkata was the second capital of the British Raj. There are a lot of stories to learn from Kolkata heritage buildings.’ The city it is today reflectsthe proud heritage of European, Islamic and Bengali architecture surrounded in tradition, culture and elegance. I believe the very fabric of tourism

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of Eastern India is shifting in the right direction to support the Indian economy, providing the potential to be part of a great change in the Indian and global tourism industry. These heritage properties can have well trained staff from hotel management schools in Kolkata such as the International Institute of Hotel Management ( IIHM), International Institute of Hospitality Management (IIHM) and Techno India. People across the globe will be coping with a stressful time post-Covid pandemic lockdown. The pandemic hasimpacted on the world for travellers at large - vacationsand outings to distant places seem to be utopian notionnow. The pandemic has taught us to adapt to the new normal and to explore local regions post Covid-19, which is of great value in promoting Eastern Indian tourism. To increase local tourists’ footfall, there are some points to consider, such as the social impact that we can experience from this development, the chance to revive history and heritage and the last but most important point to consider is raising much needed funds for employment. Indian tourists who cannot go overseas for holidays due to the pandemic will, primarily, be looking to travel locally and fund local tourism markets. Funds that can help various stakeholders associated with palaces/ rajbaris, ie, custodians of the rajbaris, state tourism, local councils, federal government and local artisans. But to do so, we need three key fundamentals to work together. From my experience, I have identified the following: 1. Introducing more and more heritage properties on the tourism map 2. Understanding of Social Change &

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Durga Temple in an Eastern Indian Mansion Culture of Revival 3. Public and Private partnerships The key aspects for the north eastern heritage properties to survive is to open-up more unknown heritage properties, encourage fashion photography and become part of the local and global tourism network. For instance, Cooch Behar Palace, also called the Victor Jubilee Palace, could have been one of best dream draw cards for both West Bengal and central government tourism, what is needed is a proper understanding of leadership, heritage tourism and social entrepreneurship. The late Rajmata of Jaipur, Rajkumari of Cooch Behar and Maharani Gayatri Devi of India writes in her book A Princess Remembers about requesting West Bengal to convert the Victor Palace of Cooch Behar into anheritage property but lack of collaboration, understanding and leadership meant that it did not happen. Devi had done so with other Indian cultural elite icons who were connected to eastern India such as former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the late Lady Ranu Mukherjee and Sonali Dasgupta (who ended Hollywood actress Ingrid Bergman’s marriage to film director Roberto Rossellini). For example, in Garia, the Garia Rajbari is

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Durga Pujo in a Bengali Mansion

Amarendra Bhavan

cian Sudipto “Buti” Banerjee of Bengali rock band Cactus but lacks infrastructure development. Heritage properties such as Ichhapur Mondal Bari with exquisite neoclassical architecture or Durga Puja, Janbazar, Kolkata of Rani Rasmoni’s youngest daughter Jagadamba and son-in law Mathuramohan Biswas’s family, are other properties waiting for revival. Great leadership will redefine the revival culture whichhas the potential to generate income for the locals in art and culture; as well as preserve the Wildlife through establishment of foundations. Leadership is needed in eastern India to convert palace/rajbaris, some of which are three times the size of Buckingham Palace, to be converted into heritage accommodation for tourists. A collaboration between the West Bengal government and Taj Hotel group, for example, could make Cooch Behar Palace the best drawcard for the State just like Rambagh Palace in Jaipur. The royal city of Cooch Behar can easily be the destination for the fashion world of Vogue, Cartier and Salvatore Ferragamo. Cooch Behar is off-the-tourist track in India but a familiar name in the world of glamorous lifestyle. And who can forget Eastern India’s other draw card, Kolkata’s global heritage retail connection that includes Kolkata’s own Silversmith Hamilton & Co. Ltd (established in 1808 under the patronage of the then Queen of England), Morrison & Co (Calcutta’s premier boot and saddle

Bansberia Zamindar Family temple with Moscow’s Pokrovsky Cathedral look in ruin. Rajbari is the ancestral home of actor Durgadas Banerjee, politician Bijoy Banerjee (who served as speaker of the Bengal Legislative Assembly) and musi-

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Photo of Bati Kothai, Murshidabad

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Cooch Behar Rajbari makers), the Whiteway Laidlaw & Co. departmental store in Calcutta which was considered the classiest department store this side of the Suez Canal. A Tea Room in this famous Calcutta departmental store once rivalled Harrods (London), Macy’s (New York) and Mitsukoshi (Tokyo). And Taylor & Co. emporium, which sold European porcelain, cut glass and many other imported goods and trinkets to inhabitants of Kolkata. Just like Kolkata, Bhubaneshwar, the capital of Odisha, also has a European connection too. German architect Dr Otto H Koenigsberger prepared the masterplan for Bhubaneshwar during his short stay in the Odisha State, while architect Julius Vaz designed the buildings. While in Patna, the new area was laid out in a planned manner by its chief architect J F Munnings from Australia with iconic city landmark buildings. He was assisted by A M Millwood. Some of those buildings were built by Sir R N Mukherjee from Martin & Co., Kolkata. He built several other buildings in Bihar and Utter Pradesh. They are the Government House and PWD Office in Ranchi, the Secretariat, Post & Telegraph Offices, Water Tower, the High Court in Patna. Similarly, the UP Government Council Chamber and Post & Telegraph Office in Lucknow. It would be useful to engage with France to bring back the lost glory of these capital cities. In Kolkata, theFrench Consulate is doing an incredible job in

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houses are being considered in Kolkata.”

Belvedere House

Sir RN Mookerjee Residence highlighting Bengal heritage. Amid the festive mood of Diwali, the Victoria Memorial Hall was full of music enthusiasts watching the Trio ZADIG perform the renditions from Haydn, Ravel and Mendelssohn which was organised by the Consulate General of France in Kolkata at Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata. They also recently conferred Chevalier de L’Ordre Nationale du Merite on Dr Chinmoy Guha, a friend of France and noted litterateur. The net benefit could be a self-reliant region and communities who can generate capital for improvements and renovations. They could become an active part of the magical world of celebrated fashion designers Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s “bridal collection with luscious velvets, regal

Photo of Indira and Jane in Grand hotel

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silks and all-round opulence in a chamber dressed with smoked mirrors, chandeliers and caskets of heirloom heritage jewellery. The age of grandeur with a flair of yesteryear royals would be continued with fashion celebration.” Cooch Behar’s strong association with Kolkata the City of Palaces means that together they have the power to enhance the revival of Cooch Behar’s royal heritage with caviar and champagne parties just like Jaipur. The heritage properties of South Bengal can still be part of conservation, regeneration and both urban and regional development for tourism. The focus should be on the palaces, zamindari stately homes, and mansions. Kolkata town houses, villas and bungalows can also be part of the revival story as they all have stories to tell too. According to researcher Aditi Chatterji’s article ‘Majestic Heritage’ published in the Indian newspaper The Statesman, it “Involves 60 stately homes, two or three in every district, in addition to 35 houses in the districts taken together, while 25

Photo of Old Spencer’s hotel

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Heritage buildings of West Bengal can be found in six of the state’s districts, including Jhalda Rajbati and Hensla Rajbati in Purulia, Halisahar Rajbati and Taki in North 24 Parganas. In Birbhum District there are Hetampur Rajbati, Taltore Rajbati and Surul Rajbati. While the zamindari heritage properties include Gani in Dhaniakhali, the Mankundu and Bansberia Deb Roy in Hugli, Narsing Datta and Bose in Howrah and Mahishadal and Tamluk in East Medinipur. These six districts are the West Bengal heritage ‘string of pearls’for local and global tourists to enjoy. This string of heritage pearls can be extended to Murshidabad and Cooch Behar for complete representation of heritage properties in West Bengal. These heritage buildings require awareness, preservation and conservation for historical, architectural and ecological reasons. It is time to setup an Eastern Indian states website to celebrate these beautiful buildings and landmarks for future generations including those in Australia. The city of Sydney has setup its own website to provide understanding on heritage conservation, developmental application and a heritage council website with database. This will help to protect the heritage of many centuries and co-existence of new properties such as One Barangaroo. Like the city of Sydney, Kolkata’s majestic heritage properties of iconic Park Street

Photo of Bristol Hotel

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such as Stephen Court, Park Mansions and Queen’s Mansion (all built by Armenian merchants) with long corridors and curvaceous dark wood doors can be preserved for heritage tourism. As with the Armenians, there were Jewish and European traders such as Portuguese, Dutch and French who contributed to Eastern Indian heritage. Even though Hindus, the Ottomans and Mughals disappeared into history. The Danish traders came and left too; as did the invading Marathas, Afghans and Persians who arrived then disappeared. The British lasted a while after arriving but were also sent back. They all left a trail which is imprinted in the heritage properties of Eastern India. In Kolkata, the custodians of the Pathuriaghata heritage properties such as Ghose, Tagore and Seal traded with Dutch, Portuguese and Americans. Pathuriaghata could be a fascinating heritage precinct for global tourism. Then there is Joy Krishna Mukherjee of Uttarpara, Neel Rattan Halder of Chinsurah and Mitras of Jhamapukur Shyampukur, very wealthy businessmen and traders who had links with Europe. Their properties celebrate those linkages to leverage development of commercial ventures such as cafes, restaurants and marketplaces selling local produce. Outside Kolkata, heritage properties were built on trade and commerce such asDebs of Jhargram, Palchoudhuri of Balakhana and Singh Roys of Chakdighi, East Barddhaman.

Photo of The Royal Bengal Hotel

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This again highlights how much can be achieved by utilising these heritage properties. According to Aditi Chatterji, there is “an urgent need to conserve and preserve these vital heritage structures as part of state and national cultural heritage, which could refuel the economy and earn revenue, including foreign exchange, as well as investment in urban and regional development planning as a part of sustainable development from heritage tourism and cultural, urban and social regeneration with Indian, British, American and other international expertise and consultancies.”

Photo of Calcutta Heritage Collective The concept of sustainability of these heritage properties in the 21st century is a key to eastern India’s architectural diversity, distinctive culture and economy. Itachuna Rajbari in Hooghly is a heritage hotel like The Rajbari, Bawali in 24 Parganas district which is open to the public for home-stays. Vijay Manzil: Burdwan Rajbari in Kolkata is used as venues for conferences, weddings and parties. While heritage properties in Balakhana Estate in Nadia and Amadpur property in East Bardhaman are also used for home-stayaccommodation. Mahishadal Rajbari is a museum, whileHetampur Rajbari, Birbhum and Burdwan Rajbati, East Barddhaman are educational institutions. A welcome addition is a commercial output with cafe and sweet shops for locals and tourists.

Photo of sketch of Bengali palace

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But all is not lost. With recent leadership from members of Belgada Palace of Odhissa in Eastern India combined with experiences and heritage discussions with specialists such as Mrs Esther Schmidt, Director of theCentre for Historic Houses, OP Jindal Global University in Sonipato, India, and further guidance from heritage hotelier Taj Hotel, the process for a robust heritage tourism sector has already begun in eastern India. This could help rural communities affected by new age global challenges such as COVID 19. Introduction of regular lecture series for global tourists with Calcutta Heritage Collective can help identify the vast migration that took place in the eastern states of India from Persia, Africa or Afghanistan. Along the lines of the French Consulate’s musical evenings in Victoria Memorial, more Western or Indian Classical music concerts can be organised in the Eastern Indian heritage buildings.

Photo of Book of butaria

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Indian govt Support

Kolkata City features around Eastern India. School group participants can help change the mindset for future generations. As world welcomes and celebrates World Tourism Day (27/09/2020), leadership by custodians of heritage property to collaborate with government seems

paramount to creating heritage tourism magic asShiladitya Chaudhuri had done with home-stay accommodation with his Amadpur zamindari stately heritage property. To me, Eastern India remains a sanctum of rich heritage where colonial-style

features, furnishings and ceiling fans can interact with contemporary styles to keep itinteresting. This will be where the next generation of Kipling, Tagore and Hemingway are already writing novels. And painters like Van Gogh, Bhawani Das and William Princep are in some corner of an Eastern Indian resort Rajbari! Places where travellers can stayand experience properties like Amadpur Chaudhuri Zamindar Bari, a house which is 380 years old, for an all year round home-stay to enjoy the rituals and festivals of West Bengal. The property has Italian, British and Bengali heritage built into it. The current custodians of the zamindar Bari have a recorded history since the time of Maharaja Lakshman Sen of Sen dynasty of Bengal (900 AD). Shiladitya Chaudhuri said, “This is Amadpur Chaudhuri Zamindar Bari, tucked away 100-kms fromKolkata, in the landscape of Bengal with lush paddy fields, terracotta temples and age-old banyan trees”. What better way could there be to preserve our heritage, create local jobs and ensure that world to gets enjoy the rich heritage of Eastern India? Eastern India is my shangrila waiting for me.

Queen Elizabeth in Kolkata airport

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Kolkata Balconies

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Community News | Sydney

“International Mother Language Day”

Afgan Community

fghan Peace Foundation after many weeks of preparation, successfully held the “International Mother Language Day” for the second time within the Afghan Community in Sydney on 21st of February at the Ambassador Reception. APF holds the international Mother Language day annually to promote awareness of language, cultural diversity, multilingualism, equality and to preserve the afghan cultural heritage and linguistic diversity. This year the program was ticketed to raise fund to rebuild a school in Afghanistan and APF raised $3,956.00 from this program. The room was filled by different afghan ethnics, (Hazara, Pashtoon, Tajik, Herati, Turkmani, Baluchi,) and communities, such as Afghan, Indian, Pakistani, Nepali, and Australian on the day.

2018) and TV personality, Miss India Australia Simron Gulati. The program overall contained guest of honours, remarkable speakers in different languages of Afghanistan, catwalk by international models, live music by international singers, such as Afghan,

Indian and Pakistani, traditional clothes, traditional dance (Atan) and Afghan cuisine. The program was sponsored by many remarkable businesses in Australia.

Photos by Harmohan Walia

The ceremony started with Afghanistan National Anthem, followed by Australia National Anthem staged by Pakistani Singer Mehreen Javad. APF were privileged by presence of Miss Beauty Australia Miss Kerryanne Peterson to congratulate the guests on the “International Mother Language Day” and to introduce Tahera Nassrat the host of this program. They also were flattered by the well- known guests of honour Mr. Omid Nizami (TV Host), Miss Kerryanne Peterson (Miss face of beauty), Miss Brielle Streater (Miss Australia winner

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Community News | Sydney

Farewell to High Commissioner of India to Australia

Photos by: Harmohan Walia

Farewell & Reception to Smt. Ratnamala Sarma and Shri Gitesh Sarma, High Commissioner of India to Australia was organised by Shri Manish Gupta, Consulate General of India, Sydney at Swami Vivekananda Culture Centre, Sydney on 12 March 2021. “Coinciding with launch of India@75 celebrations, “India Connect” – A CGI, Sydney newsletter was released on 12 March 2021.”

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Community News | Sydney

Collective Community Connection Bringing out the Best in the IndiaAustralia Relationship

Joseph Kolapudi

ut of challenging times, the strongest of connections are forged. The India Australia Business and Community Awards (IABCA) celebrations for 2021 will be recognising this connection by highlighting emerging leaders from both countries in a new and special way. For the first time, participants from India have been chosen from hundreds of submissions across the country to combine with their fellow Australian compatriots in a celebratory occasion for the ages. As always, the awards evening will be the culmination of Indian excellence and emerging Australian leaders who have contributed to both their Indian identity and their Australian audacity. Additionally, this year’s occasion will take on a deeper meaning with the recognition of leaders who have made an impact between 2020-2021, especially in light of the recent COVID-19 crisis. For the finalists, the IABCA Awards will also usher in a new approach to the awards platform that includes recognition from both countries, highlighting the shared heritage of India and Australia in a combined celebration. Unlike previous years, the awards evening will also feature new award categories, a special emphasis on cultural pioneers and history, as well as a spotlight on the bilateral relationship between India and Australia. This will also be a combined effort between emerging Download Our App

leaders from both countries who will be able to forge deeper connections during this ‘meeting of the minds’ at the upcombing IABCA Awards gala in May. In addition to the festivities, the IABCA celebrations will also feature the very first IABCA Global Leaders Forum prior to the awards evening which will be taking place on the same evening. This forum will provide a highlighted opportunity to hear from leading speakers from both Indian and Australian descent on a wide range of topics affecting the bilateral relationship, from trade to economic engagement, business and culture, leadership and change. As a complimentary addition to attendees, this event will be open to the public. With the Indian diaspora facing many challenges as of late due to the continuing coronavirus pandemic, international student stoppages, travel restrictions and visa upheavals, the recognition of the cultural ties between the two countries could not be more needed at a time such as this. Despite the constrained relationship diplomatically with other nations, Australia has maintained its cultural and economical connection to India over the past several years, with this year being no exception. For attendees at the IABCA gala celMARCH I 2021

ebration this year, the finalists will also share the stage with those from both the motherland, and the homeland. It is set to be an inaugural event of its kind that will continue to be a staple within the Indian-Australian community celebrations to come. The seventh anniversary of the IABCA awards will be a special occasion to mark not only the continuation of an annual tradition, but the inclusion of a new one, with both attendees and finalists from each country highlighted and efforts recognised, from the youth to the professional. Rising ambassadors and special guests are set to be both informed and entertained by the special occasion to be. As the community continues to grow and the diaspora enlarges both at home and abroad, the special connection between the nations of India and Australia will not only have an incredible importance to our shared heritage, but also, for our future legacy. This occasion will continue to raise the standard for excellence and integrity at its core for both the established and emerging generation. For descendants of the diaspora, the Indian nation remains our past, present and our future. www.DesiAustralia.com

Community News | Sydney

ABSC Inc. Hosts Annual Gala Dinner to Launch Ekonomos, Issue 2, 2020

By: Harmohan Singh Walia

he Australian Business Summit Council Inc. hosted an exclusive Annual Gala Dinner to launch the second issue of EKONOMOS, the official business affairs magazine published by the association at The Waterview in Bicentennial Park, Homebush NSW on Thursday 3 December 2020. More than ninety VIPs, diplomatic officials and guests convened in the Lake Room of the five-star reception venue to celebrate the notable achievements of this peak management consultant forum in what has been, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an extremely difficult time for business, trade and investment. Download Our App

ABSC Inc. president Dr Frank Alafaci welcomed the audience par excellence that had gathered for the memorable occasion, including H. E. Dr Alexey Pavlovsky (Ambassador of the Russian Federation); H. E. Mr Igor Arzhaev (Consul General of the Russian Federation); H. E. Mr Ali Sevim (Consul General of the Republic of Turkey); H. E. Mr Ezzedin Tago (Consul General of the Republic of the Philippines); H. E. Mr Lawrence Bughariar (Consul General of Malta); H. E. Mr Deepak Khadka (Consul General of Nepal); Mr Selcuk Bozok (Vice Consul of the Republic of Turkey); Mr Mohammed Nagshabandi (Vice Consul of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia); Mr Jack Liu (Deputy Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office); Mr Hasan Gencturk (President, MUSIAD Sydney [Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association]); Mr Joe Khattar AM (President, Australian Lebanese Chamber of Commerce); Mr Michael Rizk (Head of Trade Relations, Australian Lebanese Chamber of Commerce); Mr Michael Harkins MVO PSM KSJ (Secretary General, Australia China Friendship and Exchange Association); MARCH I 2021

Mr Adrian Wong (Councillor, Fairfield City Council); Mr Fred Faker (Founding Director, Arc Energy Group); Mr Remy Wehbe (Chief Executive Officer, Wehbe Group); Mr Piers Morgan (Executive Director, Weringa Group); Mr Damien Coorey (Principal / Director, CRM Brokers Pty Ltd); and Dr Anthony De Francesco (Managing Director, Real Investment Analytics Pty Ltd). As the president of the Australian Business Summit Council Inc. for the second year running, Dr Frank Alafaci commended this eminent forum’s tireless efforts and activities to promote business growth down under and economic relations between the Australian domestic market and the international business community. Indeed, the association has been extensively promoting bilateral trade, investment and innovation that are diversifying into high value-added and technologically advanced sectors and industries through both large-scale domestic and offshore provision of cutting-edge management, infrastructure, and services capabilities. Pursuant to its well-grounded goals, the organisation will www.DesiAustralia.com

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continue to provide enlightened views, opinions and suggestions through its seminars, conferences, debates and discussions, MOUs, networking sessions, EXPOS, newsletters and publications, trade delegation meetings and economic roundtables on formulating comprehensive policies, measures and practical recommendations to enhance Australian commercial ties with our established regional trading partners as well as identifying lucrative trade and investment prospects within hitherto untapped extraterritorial economic environments. Heading the keynote speeches at the Annual Gala Dinner, H. E. Dr Alexey Pavolvsky, the Ambassador of the Russian Federation reviewed the economic links between Australia and the Russian Federation, surveying the road ahead for more auspicious trade and investment exchanges between the two countries that have been undermined in recent years by diplomatic tensions. His Excellency lamented the unfortunate campaign of bias and misinformation in some domestic and international circles against the Russian Federation – an economic powerhouse that is willing to smooth over its differences with established and potential commercial partners, while undertaking concrete measures to develop an effective vaccine to facilitate the international economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Notwithstanding this, His Excellency listed Australia among the Russian Federation’s principal trading partners with our nation well-equipped to provide innovative specialised equipment, industry skills training and advanced Download Our App

technology to address the Russian Federation’s infrastructure problems, and proactive collaboration with the Russian Federation’s energy and resources industries to enhance the production levels, operational efficiency and safety practices of that country’s minerals exploration through optimum Australian mining hardware and technological capabilities. As His Excellency likewise observed, both countries are integral members of the G20 (the twenty most industrialised economies in the world) and the ASEAN Regional Forum, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) grouping, and the East Asian Summit and the Asia Europe Meeting, which presents extensive possibilities to ameliorate trade and investment relations through significant initiatives, including METS missions from Australia linked to Mining World Russia, and special Russian Federation trade and investment delegations to our shores, as well as Austrade education missions to the Russian Federation. Officially announcing the launch of EKONOMOS, Issue 2, 2020, ABSC Inc. president, Dr Frank Alafaci acknowledged the financial assistance provided by the Gold sponsor, Alliance Project Group, led by its Founding Director and current ABSC Inc. Board member, Mr Rouad El Ayoubi, and two bronze sponsors, Swan Wine Group and the Australia China Friendship and Exchange Association (ACFEA), and complimented the high profile article contributors who, including the ABSC Inc. president, comprise H. E. Dr Alexey Pavlovsky (Ambassador of the Russian Federation); H. E. Mr Kristiarto Legowo (AmbasMARCH I 2021

sador of the Republic of Indonesia); H. E. Mr Korhan Karakoc (Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey).; H. E. Mr Muhammad Ashraf (Consul General of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan); H. E. Mr Yasser Abed (Consul General of the Arab Republic of Egypt); Ms Fiona Fan (Director General, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, the de facto Taiwanese Consulate General in Sydney); Mr Damien Coorey (Principal / Director, CRM Brokers Pty Ltd); Mr Piers Morgan (Executive Director, Weringa Group); Ms Kim Samuel (Associate Director, Urban & Regional Planning, Elton Consulting); Mr John Stanton (Chief Executive Officer, Communications Alliance Ltd); Mr Ivan Slavich (Chief Executive Officer, Soldier On); Mr David Laanemaa (Managing Director, Back9 Capital Management Pty Ltd); and Dr Anthony De Francesco (Managing Director, Real Investment Analytics Pty Ltd). Several of these distinguished article contributors attending the Annual Gala Dinner or their representatives were expressly invited to join the ABSC Inc. president on the assembled stage

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for the meritorious ceremonial conferral of plaques in gratitude and appreciation for their contribution to the one hundred and thirty-two page second issue of the association’s business affairs magazine. ABSC Inc. president, Dr Frank Alafaci likewise formally recognised the prominent corporate members, SME members and individual members who have contributed to the organisation during what has been, for obvious reasons, an extraordinarily uneventful year, which includes the most recent corporate recruit, Arc Energy Group, presenting a Certificate of Acknowledgement to Mr Fred Faker, the Founding Director of Arc Energy Group on behalf of this robust, versatile and well-known renewable energy business. Mirroring the raison d’etre that underpins the Australian Business Summit Council Inc., EKONOMOS, Issue 2, 2020 amounts to a veritable tour de force that covers an extensive gamut of significant issues related to public and private policy making, commerce and entrepreneurialism. Indeed, the second issue of this excellent magazine, like its inaugural edition published in the previous year to celebrate the first anniversary of the association’s registration with NSW Fair Trading, enhances the Australian Business Summit Council Inc.’s presence and credentials in domestic and international business quarters as increasing multilateral trade and investment opportunities for our country’s economic growth. Download Our App

MUSIAD Sydney President Mr Hasan Gencturk (Managing Director of Revive Technologies International and Chairman at MCK Lawyers / Chairman of Asia Pacific Ventures and Chief Executive Officer of Easy Boating international) delivered an ebullient congratulatory address, commending the ABSC Inc.’s remarkable modus operandi to strengthen Australian economic relations with the international community, especially with the Republic of Turkey and the greater Middle East, alongside the New South Wales’ branch of the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association through the organisation’s broad connections and networking activities to seek outlets for Middle Eastern commercial ventures within the Australian domestic market. Enlivening the Annual Gala Dinner, the brilliant Korean tenor from Opera Australia, Mr Simon Kim treated the VIPs, diplomatic officials and guests to memorable renditions of two Italian bel canto classics (O Sole Mio and Non Ti Scordar di Me) and the stupendous performance of the beautiful operatic aria, Nessun Dorma from Puccini’s Turandot, which received prolonged enthusiastic applause. Significant highlights of this talented Korean tenor’s time with Opera Australia also include the roles of Macduff in Verdi’s Macbeth, Remendado in Bizet’s Carmen, and Gustavus as well as the Duke in recent productions of Verdi’s Rigoletto and Un Ballo in Maschera. Delightfully, moreover, the Annual Gala Dinner presented the drawing of three lucky draw prizes, MARCH I 2021

featuring five bottles of exquisite wine donated by Swan Wine Group, one of the ABSC Inc.’s Bronze sponsors, and one night free accommodation at the Quest Apartments in Sydney Olympic Park, courtesy of The Waterview in Bicentennial Park, the marvellous venue for this exuberant gathering, ensconced within vast, picturesque landscapes overlooking natural parklands, tranquil ponds and spectacular lake views. Networking opportunities were plentiful during the Annual Gala Dinner, especially after the conclusion of the event’s formalities. Following an official photo taking session and the distribution of multiple copies of EKONOMOS, Issue 2, 2020 to the VIPs, diplomatic officials and guests, ABSC Inc. president, Dr Frank Alafaci expressed deep gratitude to the association’s Board of Directors for their support and confidence in his leadership, and heartfelt appreciation to the organisation’s members and sympathisers within the business community, as well as to everyone who graced the Annual Gala Dinner with their presence, including Mr John Jeoung (Founder / Chief Executive Officer, Mickle Productions Pty Ltd) – the ABSC Inc.’s professional photographer and video recording specialist; Impact AV Australia which provided the sound system for this unforgettable celebration; and the events management team at The Waterview in Bicentennial Park, particularly Mr Gilbert Khoury, the Associate Director of Sales and Ms Kirsten Gaston, the magnificent reception venue’s Business Event Manager. www.DesiAustralia.com

Community News | Sydney

Indian Support Center Inc launches Public Notary Services

he Indian Support Center (ISC), a leading non-profit organization, has recently launched Notary Public Services to enable members of the community to notarize their documents as per the legal requirement of the state at a nominal and affordable cost. Through the newly launched services, members of the community could now authenticate official, government and personal documents. As part of the services, a notary would be available to witness signing of documents and to certify true copies of the original documents for use overseas. In New South Wales, Public notaries are the only authorized entities to authenticate, certify and witness foreign documents under the Public Notaries Act, 1997. The service is being offered at ISC’s office located at 2 Lane St., Wentworthville, Sydney every Saturday between 4 and 6 pm. Plans are also afoot to expand the service if there is an increased demand. The service is being made available at an affordable cost to assist members of the community in need of such legal services. Students and senior citizens can avail of the services at a special discount. Describing the newly launched service, ISC President Subbarao Varigonda said “With the substantial increase in the number of migrant community members from the Indian subcontinent living in NSW, accessibility and affordability for such services – in particular for documents such as “POWER OF ATTORNEY” has become very crucial. Keeping this in mind, the Indian Support Center launched this service in January 2021”. The Indian Support Center is a non-profit, non-government organization which caters to members of the Indian subcontinent (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan,Sri Lanka) community. Currently the ISC offers a range of services Download Our App

including Domestic Violence Support, Job Seeker Support, Digital Literacy for Seniors, Digital Health Awareness, Emergency and other forms of general support. Set up in 2015, ISC has resolved over 1500 cases brought forth by the community through its internal Helpdesk System. The ISC has a team of trained volunteers capable of speaking various languages of the MARCH I 2021

Sub-continent to support the vast migrant population in NSW. The ISC is located at 2 Lane Street, Wentworthville, NSW 2145. For further information about ISC’s support services please visit our website www.indiansupportcenter. org.au and/or email us on support@indiansupportcenter.org.au. Bookings can also be made on http://bit.ly/ISCNOTARY www.DesiAustralia.com

Community News | Sydney

Connections-Connecting with Rinku Razdan

By Poonam Naik

Are you new to Australia? About to come to Australia or if you have lived here for long and really looking for information on those first things like tax file number and how to do it, how to look for work, rentals and buying house or just about transportation in your area – you can download an app called Connections on your smartphone.

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onnections is Australia’s first ever multilingual app to serve migrants and different communities. The brainchild behind Connections is Rinku Razdan. Connections Australia is a Not-for-profit service helping migrants navigate a new country through the app called Connections. How was Australia when you came here 17 years ago? Rinku mentions she came here as a young bride and after a brief unworkable marriage period and a 3-year-old son in tow, she had to leave home with only a suitcase and a job. Rinku reveals there was not much support for

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her in times of struggle. For whatever support she got from the local grocer is something she will always be humbled about. What inspired you to design this app? Rinku is a technical guru and is a data nerd. She is also a management consultant to many data driven large organizations. With the new technological infrastructure and opportunities in our times, designing and launching Connections was the most natural step for her. Her own struggles from the days and the stark lack of support systems compelled her to launch Australia’s first migrant onboarding app – Connections.

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Rinku believes it will make life a lot easier for the newbies as well as the already established migrants.

ability, and location. It ‘s free to apply for jobseekers and free for employers to post job opportunities.

What are the current features on the app? Connections is Australia’s fastest growing data driven platform connecting you to jobs, communities and settlement. There is a tile for guidebooks which has different reading and referral guides from how to apply for tax file number etc. The near me tile will open options for the nearest medical, banking, transport, dinning and education choices to explore. Things to do shows up various community events, shows and concerts happening in your region. Places to live shows numerous rental and accommodation options in your area of choice. You can also sign up for Connections Careers to receive and apply for job notifications. Connecting workers to employers based on experience, avail-

What has been the social impact of the app? Rinku states that innovation is the heart of everything they do to drive cultural integration. The impact tracking by way of numbers is very encouraging. 3000 people have so far benefitted from the settlement information and guides been provided in the app. 150 job opportunities were created through the Connections app. 6000 clicks of community engagement and Rinku feels this is just the beginning for her social initiative. What is the buzz about Next Generation Entrepreneur Program Grant? Rinku is excited about this new project. Connections Australia + Multiconnexions + InQ Innovation

have recently won the Next Generation Entrepreneur Program Grant. It is a collaboration to help migrants and refugees launch their business in Australia and expand globally. She states the collaboration will help migrant founded start ups to incubate, scale and launch their projects globally. We believe migrants are resilient and natural problem solvers, hence having the right program will enhance their skills whilst further integrating them into Australian community and commerce, added Rinku. The Next Generational Entrepreneur Program is a structured, curated program for entrepreneurs and start-ups with migrant founders to validate and be groomed through bootcamps, start-up ecosystem expert masterclasses, mentorship, advisory support, and industry and investor connects to assist participants to grow their concept into globally scalable and sustainable businesses. Businesses, start-ups, and aspiring entrepreneurs interested in registering for the program can stay updated through their social media, website – connectionsaustralia.com or newsletter until the program officially launches in March. Connections invites all migrant founders to join the program and establish their businesses with the support of a like – minded community. Connections Australia aims to smooth the transition process, Rinku said. We are so passionate about making life easier for migrants, so others don’t have to struggle.” Now feeling settled in Australia, Rinku and her team are busy taking up new projects. Good luck Rinku. Your story has left many people a great deal of inspiration to fall back on during times of crisis.

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Community News | Sydney

“Trikone” – Breaking the stigma around LGBTQAI+ from the South Asian Community background at Mardi Gras 2021

n 2007 a bunch of friends sitting around a dining table decided to start an organization for LGBTQAI+ community from South Asian background and since 2010 this organization is represented at the annual Sydney Mardi Gras Parade. That small group has now 1000+ community members from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Srilanka, Myanmar, Mauritius and even Tibet. Together these are called the ‘Trikone Australia.’ Sadhana, co-founder of this organization says that it was quite unbelievable to them that the parade is actually happening. Not everyone was

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Mirchandani, Chairperson of Trikone, revealed. “But to me, a ticketed event meant that we were preaching to the converted.”

comfortable in disclosing their identity atr first so they kept their theme masquerade,where the masks were the part of the costumes. The first event they organized was a bollywood theme night where they expected not much of a crowd. “It was jam packed”, says Sadhana. With the ball rolling, trikone started organizing more serious events like Moonlight stories where people share their experience of life or Let’s talk where people can release their emotions. We had many students coming up to us and sharing how hard it is to accept their sexuality. Mostly they did not come out to their families so we made it a point not to click pictures or record anything and make them feel safe at Trikone. Over the years Trikone aims to break the stigma around LGBTQAI+ from the south asian countries. Trikone has also joined hands with other organisations like Australia Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACON) and raised awareness around issues like HIV-AIDS. What’s different this year? In 2021 the parade was held at Sydney Cricket Ground.

Kunal was about the event because they not only felt the true meaning of pride but also felt validated by the allies in the audience. As I was walking up the entrance to the stadium, I felt a thrill of energy. It was a jolt of electricity that I hadn’t felt before – similar to the one portrayed in sports films just before their big game. It was an experience that I wouldn’t readily forget. “Watching rows upon rows of LGBTIQ+ supporters felt like vintage Mardi Gras, where we felt validated for who we are; not just showing off for folks who were there to watch the freak show,” he express This year the theme was ‘Rise”, pertaining to overcoming the catastrophes that took place in 2020 and rising above all with support, love and compassion for each other. 23,000 tickets went up on sale to watch the 2021 Mardi Gras parade at the SCG Stadium. “Everyone who watched the parade has said that our performance was full of vibrancy and energy, which is to be expected, considering we represent South Asia’s beautiful colours,” Kunal mentioned.

“I was a bit apprehensive before the Parade, as this was the first time we were marching in a stadium setting. Marching on the streets had a protest-like significance, where we were showing the world that we’re queer and we’re here,” Kunal

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Mental Health Photovoice Exh Haathi in the Room initiative f

aathi in the Room Inc. held its third Photovoice Exhibition and Workshop on Saturday 28 February 2021.The focus of the Exhibition and Workshop was mental health amongst older adults in the South Asian Community. The Forum provided an opportunity for participants to exhibit their photos and provide their perspective

on this issue. The Forum also comprised of speeches from senior NSW Government representatives, mental health professionals and a group discussion, where the audience had an opportunity to share their insights and discuss this issue in detail. This Project was funded by NSW Government.

There is no question that COVID has had a profound and lasting impact on the mental health of Australians. For most of us, 2020 marked the year of lockdowns, not being able to freely move around the community as much as we used to, delaying our plans to travel to India and overseas and adopting the rules of ‘social distancing’. Not having the freedom to see those we love the most as much as we would like has taken a toll on us all. On the whole, it has been widely documented that the pandemic has amplified levels of stress, anxiety and depression faced by the general population. Older adults, those aged fifty or above, make important contributions to society as family members, volunteers and as active participants in the workforce. According to the World Health Organisation, over fifteen percent of those aged over sixty suffer from some form of mental illness, with the

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hibition-A for seniors most common being depression. Oftentimes, mental illness amongst older adults remains undiagnosed and untreated.

Haathi in the Room’s vision is to start the conversation, and reduce the stigma associated with mental illness in the South Asian community. We wish to give a voice to the “Haathi in the Room” – Mental illness is the ‘elephant in the room’ that is rarely acknowledged or spoken about in our community. We hope to encourage our community to recognise the importance of early intervention and the need to provide support to those experiencing mental illness just as we do for those with physical health conditions. Haathi in the Room used Photovoice as the method of discussion at the Forum. Photovoice is a powerful photographic and storytelling technique – as they say a photo tells a thousand words. Through their photos, participants brought their insights and perspectives on the topic of mental illness amongst those aged over fifty. The narratives from the photos were then be used for the group workshop that sought to understand triggers, reduce community barriers and help develop effective solutions and programs to address the identified issues and concerns.

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The Forum was a great way to start the conversation and raise awareness of the social context surrounding mental health and wellbeing within our community. It helped identify the triggers in our community – how do attitudes within our community and lack of understanding of mental health and wellbeing impact people’s ability to cope with the stressors in their life? What more can we do to support those who have or are experiencing mental illness? The NSW Mental Health Commissioner, Catherine Lourey, was a key note speaker at the Forum. As Commissioner, Catherine is focused on whole-of-government strategic planning to collaboratively set priorities for improving mental health. She has more than thirty years’ experience leading and improving outcomes for people with lived experience of mental illness. Catherine highlighted the important role grassroots community initiatives (such as the Haathi in the Room’s Photovoice Exhibition) play in shaping the Government’s response to mental health and ensuring the Government provides tailored support and services to meet the needs of the community. Other speakers included the Director of the South Western Local Health District (SWLDHD), Katina Valeris, and Northern Beaches Mental Health Services Nurse Specialist, Ranjit Bhalru. Ranjit provided a clinicians perspective on the topic of

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mental illness amongst those aged over fifty, including the types of mental health conditions that are prevalent amongst older adults, warning signs and symptoms to be aware of and the treatment options available. Michael Camit, Health Literacy Manager, SWLDHD Multicultural Services was also instrumental in supporting Photovoice participants in the lead up to the Forum. Michael facilitated two workshops prior to the Forum where he explained the concept and application of Photovoice, provided ongoing feedback and support to participants. Supported organisations included SEWA International, Sri Lanka Association of NSW Inc., Matham Group, Sri Om Foundation Ltd and Vision 2020. The Forum was well attended and the Haathi in the Room team received exceedingly positive feedback from attendees. Haathi in the Room team members are: Nitasha Bhatia, Vidhisha Khetwani, Monica Das and Sue Advani. For more information please visit Haathi in the Room Facebook page: www.facebook.com/haathiintheroom

Photos by Harmohan Walia

The mental health of older people may also be affected by losing the ability to live independently, experiencing bereavement (particularly with death of a life partner), other co-morbidities and a drop in income following retirement. These factors can lead to social isolation, loneliness, loss of independence and increased psychological distress. The restrictions of living in a COVID world has exacerbated these factors even more for those aged over fifty.

For mental health help reach out to: Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14, Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636 and NSW Mental Health Line: 1800 011 511

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Community News | Sydney

Pink Sari Inc. launches new vital health programs for the South Asian community

ink Sari Inc proudly launched two new projects namely ‘Beyond Pink’ and ‘Cervical Screening for Survival’ through a digital event on Friday January 29th, 2021 funded by the Cancer Institute NSW. Pink Sari Inc. President, Ms Shantha Viswanathan, said she wants people in her community to know how important it is to participate in screening programs. “Early detection is crucial, it improves treatment options and gives people the best chance of survival.” “We are incredibly grateful to NSW Government and the Cancer Institute NSW for their support. Their investment will allow Pink Sari Inc. to change the life of many women who would not otherwise have discovered their diagnosis until it was too late,” Ms Viswanathan said. Acting Minister for Sport, Multiculturalism, Seniors & Veterans, Geoff Lee said he supported initiatives which will save women’s lives. Mr Lee said, “We know culturally and linguistically diverse communities experience unique challenges when it comes to accessing health information, advice and culturally appropriate care and support. Pink Sari Inc. is a group of dedicated community volunteers undertaking incredibly important work to help women in their communities access the screening and the support they need.”

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Chief Cancer Officer and CEO of the Cancer Institute NSW, Professor David Currow was pleased to launch the initiatives and said working with trusted community organisations such as Pink Sari is key to improving culturally appropriate care and support. “We know that cancer is an incredibly complicated and emotional topic at the best of times. These programs will improve health outcomes for communities at risk and will be delivered by trusted organisations with the necessary relationships, skills and expertise,” Professor Currow said. The ‘Cervical Screening for Survival’ project, a partnership between Pink Sari Inc. , the Australian Indian Medical Graduates Association and the Australian Medical Aid Foundation, will focus on raising awareness amongst Indian and Sri Lankan women in Western Sydney and South Western Sydney about the importance of early detection of cervical cancer and the National Cervical Screening Program. ‘Beyond Pink’, a partnership between Pink Sari Inc. and NSW Multicultural Health Communica-

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tion Service, focuses on the primary and secondary carers of cancer patients, cancer patients undergoing treatment, those in remission and survivors. It aims to empower carers with the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to better support the people they are caring for as well as to take better care of themselves.

Director of the NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service (MHCS), Lisa Woodland, said that working in close partnership with dedicated community led organisations such as the Pink Sari Inc is one of the best strategies to ensure that we are able to deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate resources to the multicultural communities. “We are proud and honoured to continue working side by side with Pink Sari Inc, to effectively address the needs of carers through an evidenced approach to provide them support with the delivery of much needed resources and services” About Pink Sari Inc.: Pink Sari Inc is a volunteer-based, grass roots, not-for-profit organisation whose vision is to provide South Asian communities with information and support to improve their knowledge and ability to lessen the impact of certain types of cancer.

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Talent

Meet the Author - Rubaroo with Rekha Rajvanshi

By: Poonam Naik

oday’s rubaroo is with Rekha Rajvanshi – a prominent Hindi literary figure in Sydney. Rekha came to Australia as an immigrant in 2001, when Hindi was offered in a few community schools and was limited to translation and interpretation purposes only. By profession, Rekha is a Learning and Support Teacher, who is passionate about promoting our language Hindi. She taught Hindi at various levels in Sydney – from children in community school to Australian adults at the Centre for Continuing Education at the University of Sydney. She is also a well-known Hindi writer, poetess, also a radio presenter. To promote our language, literature, and culture in Australia, Rekha founded the Indian Literary and Art Society of Australia (IILASA) in 2010. Let us talk with multitalented Rekha Rajvanshi What is the importance of learning and knowing another language? According to my proficiency in other languages opens new doors for us. Today’s world is interconnected, proficiency in other languages is a vital skill to engage with the world in a meaningful way. Hindi bonds all Indians across the world very easily. Many of my Australian students wanted to learn Hindi to know more about India, Indian films, Indian culture, Indian Arts, religion, and Yoga.

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Some of the Universities and companies encourage their students and employees to learn a new language. Some studies have shown that knowing two or more languages reduces risk factors for Alzheimer’s or you may experience a delay in the onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms. When did you start writing? And why you chose to write in Hindi? I started writing poetry when I was at school. My father used to write as well and used to recite those poems to us all. I also studied Hindi, English, and Sanskrit Literature at the college level. Hindi being my mother tongue, highly influenced me. Although I have been writing in English in community papers but when it comes to creative writing we can express the best in the language we think. It’s not the same when we think in Hindi and write in English. We lose essence in Translation. Tell us something about your books, especially about your new story book. I have authored 6 books so far, edited 3, and translated Aboriginal Dreamtime stories from English into Hindi. So this is my 9th but first storybook. The book is published by the renowned publisher Kitabghar in Delhi. The title of the book is ‘Australia se Rekha Rajvanshi ki Kahaniya.’ This 144 pages book consists of 21 stories altogether. Most of the stories are based in Australia, my characters live in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and other cities. They are contemporary, inspired by real incidents. Some of the themes are the COVID situation, LGBTI, and euthanasia. Some stories project a bold image of women. One of my stories ‘Gori Dayan’ was published in a magazine a few years ago and readers gave me good feedback. Escorts is another story where a rich and beautiful girl comes to Sydney to

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study and later decides to become an escort to earn money. What is unique and fresh about your style of writing? My writing style is considered as different. I believe in using simple and colloquial Hindi, which readers can understand and relate with. India in the past few years has changed. I have seen my children growing, I have observed their lifestyle and thinking. They think differently than us. Which made my outlook towards things modern and not that traditional. When I was in Delhi, I wrote some stories for All India Radio, when I read them now, they are quite traditional. We need to change, I have seen other immigrant authors who still are nostalgic and their work is based on Indian background. There is no harm in that but my stories reflect on modern Australian society. Australian culture, lifestyle, history, food, and culture in general. I draw my inspiration from ‘our lives here. How and where can we buy your book? The book is available on Amazon India. I am getting some copies too. If someone is keen on reading they can either get it from India or buy it from me. It was very inspiring to talk to Rekha. The book cover is very attractive, beautiful yellow ochre cover page is designed by Rekha herself. A mystical woman with a red lipstick with Aboriginal art borders truly echoes her writing style to be embedded from our lives here in Australia. Rekha’s collection of stories is a true reflection of what it means to be a migrant and how Australian multicultural society influences our thinking and lifestyle. Congratulations on your new book, Rekha. www.DesiAustralia.com

Community News | Sydney

‘Green Light’ from the NSW Government for Sikh Grammer Australia-first dedicated Sikh and Indian school A Multicultural school for multicultural Australia The first Sikh School is going to be created in north-west Sydney and construction has also been approved by the NSW government. By making Sikh School, it will help in nurturing future Indian-Australian judges, politicians, and sports stars. The school is going to be built in Rouse Hill as Sikh Grammar School which will welcome students of all backgrounds and denominations but mostly the children having Indian heritage said by Kanwar Jeet who is one of the volunteers behind the project. It will cost $200 million, funded by members of the Sikh community. It is going to be a school for everyone, said Mr Jeet. It will help to give the kids that kind of culture that will inspire them to be the best. Strong support was signified by the liberality of donations, the school website said, which came from not only Australia but also from America’s, Asia and Europe. Mr Jeet said that Sikhism has three main principles which are hard work, spirituality and service. Sikh values are han values no discrimination, nor defeating. The school would be built near Tallawong metro station, on the north-west line. This will be the first Sikh School dedicated to Sikhism teachings. This new school will provide state of the art learning environments for 1,260 students from kindergarten to year 12 near Tallawong metro station, Mr Stokes said.

frastructure keeps up with demand. The new school will also feature an early learning centre for 86 children, boarding settlements for staff and students, large indoor and outdoor sporting facilities as well as a library and place of worship. Western Sydney will be a home to Australia’s first dedicated Sikh and Indian school after receiving approval from the NSW government for construction.

Members for Riverstone Kevin Conolly said the new school will be great for the local community and was looking forward to 2023 when the school is expected to be up and running. Construction of the new facility will have many benefits for Western Sydney including the investment of more than $167 million into the local economy and the creation of 280 new construction jobs and 120 working jobs once up and running, Mr Conolly said.

The students will have the latest electronic gadgets that can dock to the range of settings as well as access to high speed WiFi so that one can connect from anywhere. Digital transformation, machine learning and artificial intelligence are some of the tools students will be attached to. Modern libraries, science labs and other provided infrastructure will develop the overall personality of the students to prepare them for the future.

Construction on a 10 acre site will be done in stages over the next decade to ensure in-

Academically, the school will attempt to better the results currently secured by NSW

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selective schools. It will also attempt to provide coaching and other facilities to increase the sporting skills of students so that they are selected in the club, state and national sporting teams. The site will also house a Sikh Gurudwara where the school community will get spiritual encouragement. Sikh Grammar School Australia is pleased to offer a range of premium business sponsorship, advertising, and product placement packages that can be changed to suit one individual requirements and budget. These packages present a once in a lifetime opportunity for supporters for this worthy cause. The schooling system in Australia is divided into two parts. Government schools provide free education to all students while non-government schools take students on a fee basis. The majority of the Sikh and Indian population in NSW (New South Wales) have settled in western Sydney. www.DesiAustralia.com

Community News | Sydney

Aiming towards Light & Hope – Harman Foundation’s 8th Annual Fundraising Dinner

arman Foundation hosted its 8th annual fundraising dinner ‘Light and Hope’ on February 28, 2021 at Bowman Hall, Blacktown. The event was attended by a number of parliamentarians including Federal MP Michelle Rolland from Greenway, State MP Kevin Conolly representing Riverstone, Tony Bleasdale –Mayor from Blacktown City council including many councillors. It was an insightful evening organised to support women and children affected by family and domestic violence. individuals and families stuck in vulnerable circumstances. We have grown into a big family with 250 volunteers who have their

own expertise and offering different services to the community.” Maninder Singh, Chairman of Harman Foundation while addressing the audience said “To sustain our ongoing projects and for future projects, we are focusing on partnerships, collaborations and searching grants/ donations/sponsorships The dinner night raised over $40,000 including an auction to support women’s shelter nicknamed ‘HER House’ (Harman Foundation Empowerment & Refuge House). It provides transitional housing for women and children affected by domestic violence.

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Photos by: Harmohan Walia

Harinder Kaur, CEO and co-founder of Harman Foundation said, “Harman foundation has been always upfront to help the

Community News | Sydney

Choose To Challenge – Choose To Change “We have to shape our own perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the lead.” Beyonce

W By: Poornima Menon

omen are key to economic growth and studies show that if women play an identical role in labour markets as that of men, as much as US $28 trillion could be added to global annual GDP by 2025. Countries and communities that offer better socioeconomic opportunities for women not only have a better, faster and equitable growth, but they also see a massive reduction in poverty with better environmental sustainability. Studies have shown that the participation of women in the economy has far reaching affects as they devote more of the household budget to education, health, and nutrition than men. A child born to a mother who can read is 50 % more likely to survive and every year of education beyond grade four that a woman receives, reduces the risks of her child dying by 10%. Whether in bustling cities or rural villages, women’s income contributes to families, communities and societies. Unfortunately, the disparity of women unlike many other global issues is not isolated to developing countries. In horror stories from around the world, women are being wounded and mutilated for men think that to break a woman’s spirit, they have to scar her external beauty. It only shows how shallow they are! It is assumed that a disfigured woman will stay

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indoors. And added to these are the shocking cases of abuse and unnatural deaths. As long as men consider women as their possessions, their property, there can be no light at the end of this dark tunnel. Even in this day and age, a woman is identified by the various roles she plays – that of a daughter, a wife and a mother. She is not seen as an individual, independent of all these roles. Will this world ever get closer to emancipating women or will we continue to be remorseful about the less fortunate, get momentarily indignant about the atrocities and let it fade away into oblivion until another incident jogs us out of our slumber? If the society continues to be patriarchal, there is very little hope for gender parity or equality. But women have stood up and fought against all odds and have won. They have more resilience than they give themselves due. Every year March 8th is celebrated as International Women’s Day and every year the slogan chosen calls for gender equality and parity. But even today, we

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Community News | Sydney

continue to live in a world where daughters are not valued as much as the sons are or encouraged to a make the same meaningful contributions to the world. Equal rights for women is still a debatable subject. It seems like this world is in need of constant reminders for women have been fighting for their rights to better wages and better working conditions since 1909 and the fight is still on. So, is it then wrong to assume that parity is still a steep climb ahead? For more than 100 years, women around the world have been working hard to attain gender equality, but even today women continue to earn less and have fewer assets. Seventy-five per cent of women’s employment in developing regions is informal and unprotected and they spend more than twice as much time on unpaid care and domestic work than men. And the sad reality is that many men land up in jobs because they are not ‘women’ So, in 2021, let us choose to challenge - choose to challenge stereotypes and mediocrity, choose to challenge fears and apprehensions and finally choose to challenge ideas and ideologies that are impediments to our growth as a community. This year the Saree Enthusiasts of Sydney observed the day with a celebration of themselves and everything they hold

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dear. On 7th March,120 ladies got together at Madison Function Centre, looking beautiful and resplendent in their beautiful sarees. Jodi McKay, the leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of NSW attended the function and as always, her address was meaningful and inspirational. The tables were named after words that define womanhood and the International Woman’s days of the past. These were, challenge, transform, change, progressive, choice, determined, strength, courage, perseverance, smart, empower, innovative, resilience, authentic and beautiful. Each of the 15 ladies who participated in the fashion

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show, chose one of these words and after showcasing their beautiful sarees, proceeded to tell the audience what their chosen word meant to them as a woman. The ladies took home with them a piece of inspiration in the form of a fridge magnet. It was great to see women support and encourage each other. A special shout out to all the men who stood on the sidelines supporting their women and ensuring that the event was a successful one.

#choosetochallenge #choosetobedifferent #choosetostandup

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Talent

Raaz ki baat -Live your dream: if you think you can, you can!

A back story of an inspired effort In my passion for music, that has usually ranged from bathroom singing to performances on and off stage, I have often been toying with What Next. My pursuit of performing arts has been a passion rather than a profession. My attempt was to choose between one school of thought where you’re told by the wise and the learned that one needs to first better one’s skills and only then showcase one’s – errrr – talent to the world, to the voice from the heart that said if you can reach out to people and touch their hearts, if you can take them on a journey with you and you’re having fun in the process then go for it, it’s all part of enjoying the journey rather than await the destination. The voice of the heart made better sense to my limited brain.

I could do so at any given point. It’s all very relative anyway. I concluded that sharing my attempts as an artist or an entertainer and the resultant acknowledgement and appreciation from the audience does inspires me to do better. This, coupled with the Life is short and zindagi na milegi dubara syndrome took over and I decided to create that one unforgettable music video, something I could cherish in the years to come. When I watch it in future as a more evolved

artist who is just a drop in the vast ocean of music, I would hopefully look back with pride at the fact that I took a step towards following my passion and in the process have a wonderful memory to look back at. Thus, the concept of singing the song aapke pyar main started taking shape. I love this Alka Yagnik number from the film Raaz and wanted to sing to a custom-made track which I felt would make the

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experience more refreshing. I was going to sing it in my own way in any case without drawing any comparisons to the original rendition, so why not have a track that’s unique too. A few discussions later an amazing and catchy track created by Pakistan based artist Suleman Raheemani was sent to me. I thoroughly enjoyed recording the song to this track. It was then time to move on to the planning of the actual shoot. Fond of heights and having sky dived a few year ago taking a leap of faith from 15000 ft, and to my what next question back then, I was told I could go to the US for a HALO (High Altitude, Low Opening) jump of 40k feet wearing an oxygen mask. That didn’t sound like it was going to be feasible, the only halo I was familiar with was the one around the head that lesser mortals such as I are unlikely to have. I then decided to shoot this song standing tall at a height so I still get the feel. Looking up the net for something doable, given the method to the

madness had to include a crew too, I settled for Lincoln’s Rocks at the Blue Mountains as being logistically possible. My limitless imagination, that knew no bounds, then wanted to make the most out of the beautiful Blue Mountains area and Jenolan Caves was added to the agenda. A song shot amidst the stalactites and stalagmites appealed to me tremendously, it would certainly add an element of mysticism to my project, never mind the halo. Pankaj Upadhayay, our wonderful DOP from Euphony Films, suggested the Raaz song required a male presence for me to sing

to. And he gave me some very convincing answers to my asking why, adding he had the right actor for this in mind. He explained that the girl featured in the original song professes her love to her man, the lyrics are as such and hence the song necessitates one. Needless to say, I was convinced and quashed any thoughts of how to sing to someone I have never meet, leave alone profess any love. Having decided not to replicate the original storyline the song was based on, knowing the actor in me may not do much justice to the rather raunchy – for want of a better word – shots from the actual film, I instead came up with living the story via the man’s eyes, and the song unfolding as a flashback. My not being there in the present and leaving what became of the protagonist to everyone’s guess tickled my fancy. Having booked accommodation in the Blue Mountains a day prior made sense to get us Sydneysiders over accordingly and Pankaj, along with the male actor Munish, was happy to join in. Two of my friends Tasneem and Dharsha also dived in to help out, much to my gratitude. The crew thus expanded and so did the possibilities as well as the

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storyline. This worked out well as we could shoot some bits and pieces at night, creating visuals that would lend themselves well to the story. The best was saved for a rainy day, literally and figuratively. We were forewarned that it can rain often in Blue Mountains, and much as I hoped the weatherman’s report turns out to be wrong, as it sometimes happens in Sydney, it wasn’t the case. We woke up to a cloudy and a windy morning. Being a group of people that got along very well and already having fun through the journey from Sydney to the shoot so far, this was certainly not going to deter us. Having spent two hours on getting hair and make-up done, a newfound liking for wind blown hair formed in my mind just as I hoped the make-up was water proof, well it wasn’t. Whoever said beauty lies in simplicity won instant brownie points from me on the big day. We were blessed to have Matt Gould, the friendly drone operator from UAV Unlimited who was not the least stressed despite the weather conditions. He’s based in the Blue Mountains area and I had been dreaming about how beautiful the valley would look if captured from a drone. Having sent him the locations I

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wanted to shoot in, I received a text from him in the morning on the day of the shoot, stating he was going to buy rope from Bunnings, to facilitate the shoot before he meets us. This didn’t make much sense to me so I dismissed it concluding he probably had not had enough sleep. It was yours truly who had barely slept for four hours the previous night as I had to be up very early to get ready. He came to meet us at our Air BNB accommodation, the kindest man ever. A trial shot of the drone and he announced it crashed, hawk

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hit. He explained the hawks were very territorial and they could take a drone as a bird intruding their territory. Thankfully the drone was still working. We bid goodbye to the beautiful home we stayed in and stepped out with umbrellas and rain jackets, heading to Lincoln’s rock. Tennysson’s poetry was being rewritten in my mind: into the Wentworth Falls rode the light brigade….. We got to Lincoln’s Rocks, and I felt like an instant celebrity as people stopped by multiple times to take pictures, checking out my outfit and asking what our plans were; some even asked if we were visiting from Bollywood, much to my amusement. It was quite windy though and Matt wasn’t sure how the drone visuals would turn out as they may be shaky. A few shots later light drizzle started and I spotted Tasneem running around helping pick up the props and things. Time to leave Lincoln’s Rocks soon but Matt took us to the second spot I had earlier indicated interest in, adding we should be quick lest a heavy downpour starts. My shock when we got there was apparent as I saw a rope dangling down from some rocks. He added very matter-of-factly, that I needed to climb the rock using the rope as support, to get to the spot I wanted to shoot in. I noticed our crew giving are you serious kind of looks to each other. I was full of admirawww.DesiAustralia.com

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I was missing not having been able to shoot to my heart’s content at Lincoln’s Rocks earlier in the morning given the rains. Pankaj quipped saying he had enough shots to cover three cover songs should I so desire. I still wanted to return there. We struck a deal that if rain were to stop, we would stopover too.

tion for Matt’s efforts as not only did he buy the rope but had reached the venue earlier to secure it, proving knots for me to hold on to. I had to give this a go. Off came my fancy footwear to be replaced by thongs that were meant to stay and I couldn’t help laugh at the sight, not to speak of the plight. The site had a narrow path we were standing on. What if I slip was not bothering me a much as how would a Behind the Scenes shot look with my fancy gown, thongs and climbing a rock did. Matt assured me he won’t let me fall, and he and Tasneem took it upon themselves to push me up, literally. Having climbed a bit, in what seemed like eternity it started to rain and I wasn’t sure I would make it all the way up. The rest of the crew, more in their senses than I was – in a state of frenzy to not miss the shot – rightfully advised I should climb down before it starts pouring. We had to abandon the site and make our way to Jenolan Caves. Matt was ahead of us shooting B-rolls (supplemental footage) for us wherever he could stop and shoot, despite the rain. Meeting him en route, I couldn’t stop admiring his spirit, he was fully drenched but was continuing with whatever footage he could source for us.

into the caves finally took shape, it so turned out it had to be bare feet though, as the ground was wet due to rains. I was amazed at the limestone formations, the cave looked surreal, I loved every bit of the shoot there. Not only myself but even my outfit seemed like it was part of it. An hour passed in what seemed like just minutes but we got the footage we wanted. Pankaj did his best to shoot with minimal lights, I think the feel a song such as this requires came through beautifully for this very reason; the dim lights adding to the enigma. The natural formations left us spellbound as we bid adieu to Cory and the Jenolan Caves. On the way back through the rainfall, there was a sense of fulfilment and yet

Lo and behold, it stopped raining just as we were about to get back to Katoomba so the entourage took a detour to Lincoln’s Rock and we were able to shoot for a bit longer, getting some of the most magical shots in the golden light as we made it around sunset time. Standing there looking out at the valley, I felt a sense of joy and abundance, as if I was one with the universe. It was remarkable to observe how my outfit merged with the rocks I was sitting on; the contentment I felt can’t be expressed in words. This was meant to be so and despite the glitches posed by the weather conditions, it all unfolded just the way it was meant to. The memories made during this shoot will last me a lifetime. Later in the evening we parted ways, friends for life. Pankaj has done a fabulous job with this shoot, given his passion for photography and Suleman Raheemani – the video editor – is now adding final touches to it. The crew added tremendous value to bringing this project to fruition. The end product would be one to look out for. – Lalitha Chellappan

We were met with charming Cory at the Jenolan Caves who by then knew me as well as I knew her, thanks to our numerous conversations around the shoot as part of the booking. She was only too happy be our guide and took us to into the Temple of Baal, one of the numerous caves in the area. My desire of running Download Our App

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Technology

4K PROJECTORS AND WHAT TO CHOOSE?

Picture coutesy epson.com.au

So, let’s begin the journey by understanding the technical terminology surrounding projectors and what are the questions you could probably throw at the salespeople.

By: Sarang Vengurlekar

decade ago, Projectors were counted as a luxury item and now they have become so affordable that all the new homes now have a dedicated Media/Home Theatre room. This means the owners are scrambling to buy projectors to watch their favourite movies or sports with their family and friends. 4So, what constitutes a good projector? 4Is it the brand that you need to look for? 4Do I need a 4K? These are all the general questions we all have in our minds. There are some tech savvy people who would know exactly what to buy and on the other hand there are people who would love to get a bit of assistance in find the right projector for their needs.

Most of the time when you visit a retail store such as Harvey Norman or JB Hi-Fi you will see terms like DLP, or LCD thrown around quite a bit. These normally refer to the technology used within the Projector to project picture on to the wall. LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display which generally uses three transparent LCD panel with three main colours which are Red, Green and Blue. This type of projector is great for office use and great at displaying your PowerPoint presentations as well as fancy graphics. These LCD projectors may at times produce a term known as ‘screen door effect’, which means the projected image may have very faint mesh like texture and some people can notice this very easily. This is normally very noticeable on large screens so always get a demo of the projector you would like to buy and see for yourself.

which generally uses mirrors to project the picture on the screen. Generally, the more mirrors used the better the resolution of the projected image. DLP Projectors cause a rainbow effect which is caused by the coloured wheel and the use of single chip. The rainbow effect is like a trail of green, blue red sweeping across the screen. It is usually very noticeable in a high contrast scene. It is said to be non-distracting, but some people may be more sensitive than others and may find it annoying after a while. Again, make sure you get a demo of the same projector before you buy. In reality both projectors are great with their own sets of faults but there is no such thing as

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hundred percent. Once you have decided on a particular technology then there are many brands to choose from. In my experience I have always preferred the Sony, BenQ and Epson. This is my purely my personal preference, but all the major brands are very close together in quality. It is all price and budget dependent. Before you lock in the deal be sure to ask the sales guys the lumens output of the projector. The higher the number the brighter it gets. If you are going to be watching movies during day light you will require higher ANSI Lumens, so the picture is still visible. Generally, a good figure to keep in mind is 3000 ANSI Lumens. This purely refers to lamp brightness. Also ask about the lamp life and the replacement bulb cost as this is something that will be required after few years of usage. Most of the bulbs are long lasting and can range from 2500 to 7500 hours. In terms of resolution then always choose a 4K projector instead of 1080p HD. All the streaming media is generally 4K now a days. This is a long term investment and will be with you for at least the next 5 years on average hence paying that extra bit may be worthwhile. It is also wise to look at the connections on the projector and ensure that there are multiple HDMI ports, USB, Ethernet/WiFi, as they will all help while connecting devices.

Picture Coutesy: Digitalinstalls.com.au

best to get this mounted by a professional as they will need to check the distance which affects the size of the screen. The projected image gets smaller if you move the projector closer to the screen and the projected image gets larger if the projector is moved away from the screen. This distance determines the size of the screen. Once professionally installed it is ready to be enjoyed by everyone in the family. The next question is: Do I need a projection screen, or can I project on to a white wall? Projector screens are great specially the motorised ones as they can hide in the ceiling if you get a recessed screen. It will only

come down once you are ready to watch a movie. This ensures the screen is always clean and is not exposed to dust all the time. A plain white wall is always exposed to dust and no matter how clean – will deliver reduced picture quality and will overall affect sharpness, highlights, contrast, and saturation. A home theatre is there to enjoy so ensure you have chosen the best you can within your budget. It can be an investment that you will cherish one day while enjoying with your family.

If you like this article then please do not forget to send me any feedback on sarang@vengurlekar.com

So now you have your projector... so where should you mount it? The most common answer to this question is ‘Ceiling mount’. Yes, this is the most preferred option. Ceiling mounted projectors are safe as people are not touching it at all times nor walking in front of it. It is

Picture courtesy epson.com.au

Picture Courtesy westinghouse.com.au

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Mag Corner

20 years old Adelaide student,

Shrutika Mane, is Miss India Australia 2020 Shrutika Mane, 20 years student of Bachelor of Health and Medical Sciences (Advanced) at the University of Adelaide has been announced as the Raj Suri Miss India Australia 2020 winner.

orn in UK and brought up in India and Australia, Shrutika has a unique understanding of people and cultures from across the globe. In addition to English, Shrutika can speak Hindi and Marathi. A National Award winning debater, aspiring actor and dancer and selected TEDx speaker all by the age of 20.

Due to Covid 19, the 2020 Miss India Australia winner and the 7 finalists were selected via online auditions and interview process on the basis of their overall personality and talent performances with real casting experience and group training and mentor session by Australian Indian talent mentor Raj Suri. Miss India Australia 2020 will officially represent Australia in the 29th Miss India Australia Worldwide 2021 week at the Lalit Hotel, Mumbai, India fin October 2021 (subject to covid restrictions at the time). The grand finale is on Sudnay, 3 October 2021 in the same hotel in Mumbai. Indian entertainment industry professionals are expected to attend including many Bollywood celebrities. Also representing at the same time will be the 4th Mrs India Worldwide 2020. The Mrs India Worldwide Australia 2020 was taken out by Mrs Anumeha Tomar, 29 years old post graduate in management and a working professional and content creator from Melbourne. The 7 Miss India Australia 2020 Finalists, represented from around Australia are: RABIA Gill (NSW), RADHE Bavada – (NSW) AMANDA Shalau (NSW), NANSITA Cha-

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ran (NSW), SHRUTIKA Mane (SA ), RADHIKA Botre (NSW), KIRTHI Dodla (VIC) The Miss India Australia 2020 finalists who showcased their talent ranging from dancing and public speaking. https://www.missindia.com.au/missindia-australia-2020-finalists/ The Miss India Australia 2020 titles announced are: SHRUTIKA MANE - Miss India Australia 2020 RADHE BAVADA - Miss India Australia 2020 Photogenic and Best Talent RABIA GILL - Miss India Australia 2020 Professional AMANDA SHALAU - Miss India Australia 2020 - Social Impact RADHIKA BOTRE - Miss India Australia 2020 Popular Choice NANSITA CHARAN - Miss India Australia 2020 - Best Student The Miss India Australia 2020 Winner will being trained, mentored by Sydney based image and personal development mentor Raj Suri and will be exclusively represented via Raj Suri associate talent office globally with the media firm, Karigar Australia. MissIndia.com.au was established in 2001. The first Miss India Australia was announced in 2003. It is more than just a contest, it celebrates Australian diversity and cultivates Indian Australian role models. Founder Raj Suri conducts women empowerment workshops helping with self confidence and image, career coaching and cross culture integration for young women in Australia. Past Workshop as featured on SBS Movies.

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About Miss India Australia (est.2001) - Founded in 2001 by photographer/ media/film producer Raj Suri, the Original Miss India Australia is the first ever-national talent search in Australia for women of Indian origin, affiliated to the Miss India Worldwide which will be celebrating its 29th year in 2021 represented by over 20 countries. “Miss India Australia embraces the best of Australian and Indian culture presenting a unique opportunity for Australian women to engage with and celebrate rich heritage with contemporary Australian identity. Miss India Australia does not follow a minimum height or weight criteria in women. It truly celebrates the “real woman” the Indian Australian diversity. The Miss India Australia by Raj Suri is now evolved into the platform of choice for the young culturally aware Australian women especially to make inroads into the Indian Films (Bollywood), Fashion industries and most importantly

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to cultivate role models to inspire diverse young women of Indian original in Australia and across the globe.

Sukhmani (Zenia) Khaira Miss India Australia 2016 Sakshi Singh Miss India Australia 2018

Over the years below are some of the known Miss India Australia WINNERS and Finalists in the Indian Australian Film and TV and Modelling Industries:

There are many other former Miss India Australia finalists and or subtitle winners who are pursuing successful careers in varied fields and professions and continue to inspire Indian Australian women from all walks of life.

Vimala Raman Miss India Australia 2004 Sharon Johal Miss India Australia Photogenic 2004 Pallavi Sharda Miss India Australia 2010 Zenia Starr Miss India Australia 2013 Nabidita Pal Miss India Australia 2015

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Desi Australia Digital Magazine March 2021

Articles inside

Connections-Connecting

Indian Support Center Inc

1418

Collective Community Connection

Bandaged Bear Appeal

International Mother Language Day

Part3: Heritage Tourism

Special Charter Flights from India to Australia

Aging and Ayurveda

Pre Pravasi Bhartiya Divas

Successful stories of IndoAustralians