E newspaper11222013

Friday, November 22 2013 | Vol. 32, No. 47

Indo American erican News

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Model of the proposed SNC Gurdwara in Houston.

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November 22, 2013

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COMMUNITY

November 22, 2013

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Tradition Meets Hi-Def Technology and a Live Show at Jain Wedding

Dr. Ajay Jain and Audra Brunner after they had exchanged the wedding vows.

The newlyweds with Ajay’s family, from left, dad Swatantra, mom Bimla and brother Manish after the wedding.

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA HOUSTON: You have to be Houdini to pull off the feats of transforming the same banquet hall three times in a 24 hours for three separate events. That was exactly the plan that the Jain wedding planning crew had in mind.

It took over 100 people each time to rush through the setup and breakdown for each event, each completely different from the other. With little room for error and moving in a race against time, the teams from decorator Nalini Kannan of Décor One, wedding planner Therese Cole-Hubbs of Electric Karma International which specializes in Indian weddings nationwide, the audio visual vendors, DJ Rocky and staff of the Hilton Americas - all orchestrated by the tech savvy Brij Kathuria - ran through their paces to set up the exquisite spectacles that brought to life the wedding of Dr. Ajay Jain and Audra Brunner this past weekend, November 15 and 16 at

the venerable hotel downtown.

“It really was an effort that couldn’t have been down without Brij’s superb skills at visualizations”, said a much elated Swatantra Jain, the groom’s father, two days after the wedding. “The credit goes to him, I just went along with his ideas”. For his part, Kathuria downplays his work, though the results speak for themselves. A former technology whiz, he has morphed his skills into the one passion – elaborate theatrical productions – that has been his first calling. “Swatantra didn’t pinch on any details”, he said, “and the wedding couple wanted to merge tradition with pizzazz. My goal was to create a Wow! Factor as people came into the room”. Kannan worked very closely with Bimala Jain, Ajay’s mom, to develop exactly the moods that she had envisioned. Bimala worked tirelessly for months to recreate a Punjabi style function.

What the guests who came saw

and experienced were three events starting from the Sangeet for 350 people on Friday evening. The fourth floor hall was cleared at 2:30 in the afternoon and within 4 hours was transformed into an elegant setting in the tone of the rich cultural heritage of Ajay’s parents Swatantra and Bimala Jain. The ceremony started with a poem and a namokar mantra dance, and the rituals so common in the Punjab with menhdi (henna) painting the hands and feet of the women, singing of tappe – Punjabi folksongs – and other music, and lovingly teasing the newlyweds to be. The colors and textures were vibrant and rich and the food was sumptuously catered by Madras Pavilion of Sugar Land.

From 11;15 Friday night till 10 am on Saturday morning, the hall had to take on the shades of an opulent wedding party, complete with an exquisite mandap and seating for the 275 guests, while also setting up the rigging for the

huge projectors and screens that would be required a few hours later for the reception. Audra’s family – her mom Teresa Brunner, sister Ann and the rest of her relatives were dressed in fine sarees, lenghas, sherwanis and turbans as they welcomed the baraat that arrived at the front door of the hotel to the pounding of the dhol. Ajay arrived on a huge white stallion as the baraatis danced outside the front of the hotel on the Avenue of the Americas. Inside the wedding was conducted according to the rituals of the family’s Jain faith.

The hotel prepared and served the lunch in the afternoon.

The outfitters had a scant six hours to tear it all down and set up for the grande finale reception that took place Saturday evening. With the eye of an artist, Kathuria coordinated the team effort to convert the ball room into the inside of a futuristic pavilion, lined with blue lit floor-to-ceiling drapes along the three walls and an eighty-foot long back fiber optic drape that created the illusion of a black sky with twinkling stars. Along this wall, eight small video screens, a large round screen and four giant

screens – two horizontal and two vertical – shone with pictures and video from overhead high definition, 20,000 lumen, fiber optic projectors that hung from the riggings. Two shot twirling patterns on the shimmering silver-blue curtains.

The throng of over 700 guests, unaware of the dazzling setup inside, congregated in the north lobby overlooking Discovery Green over vegetarian appetizers catered by Bombay Brasserie (which also catered the evening’s vegetarian dinner) and the libations overflowed at the two bars and included the thandni and jal jeera off to the side.

Guests were guided to the west doors where they entered the darkened pavilion through a canopy of four tall tree-trunks set off –stylized branches, all painted white and bathed in white light. The tables were set off with lit candle centerpieces, with the main tables for the family swarmed with lit candles in blue-hued glass and shimmering tablecloths. All the screens projected images, but the two most intriguing ones were the

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November 22, 2013

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COMMUNITY

November 22, 2013

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Sound Financial Advice and Light Comedy Over Lunch for Indian Doctors

At the Indian Doctors Association Holiday Networking luncheon last Saturday, From left: IDA President Uttam Tripathy with Board Members Subodh Chauhan, Prasun November 16, from left, Dr. Uttam Tripathy, IDA President with financial advisors from Jalal, Manish Gandhi, Swati Joglekar, Nik Nikam, Executive Director Kristin Ferrer, the event sponsor Morgan Stanley: VP Diego Patino, Gary Iyer Financial Advisor and Jignesh Shah and Ashok Tripathy Jeffery Thomas, Sr. VP. Photos: Jawahar Malhotra

BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA HOUSTON: With the Holidays just around the corner, the Indian Doctors Association used the occasion to hold its Networking Lunch this past Saturday, November 16 at the Hilton Post Oak. “It was a chance for some of the existing members to mingle with prospective new members interested in the IDA”, explained IDA President Dr. Uttam Tripathy, “as well as to describe the community work that the organization has done over the year”.

The IDA was founded in 1981 and incorporated as a non-profit in 1983 and with over 600 members, it is the largest body that is the voice of the 5,000 Indian doctors in the Greater Houston area. Its ten Board members and three student representatives go through the year implementing events that further its

community outreach in four areas.

Tripathy outlined the work in these four areas that the IDA pursues. Through its nearly 25 yearold Indian Doctors Charity Clinic, 1,500 patients were seen free of charge last year. IDA has focused on building partnerships with other volunteer and non-profit community organizations like the IACF, ICC, BAPS and the Harris County Medical Society. The IDA has offered scholarships to high school students interested in medicine, medical students and the Baylor College of Medicine. Lastly, through seminars and exclusive arrangements with retailers, IDA offers its members networking opportunities.

Apart from social interaction, the event was an opportunity for the attendees to hear about the services that the investment firm Mor-

gan Stanley, which had sponsored the event, offers from Gary Iyer, a financial advisor who has recently joined the firm. He was helped in describing the breadth of the MS expertise by a team of local executives: Jeffrey Thomas, Sr. VP, Wealth Management; Diego Patino, VP Private Banking and Tony Dabit, VP Investments and Taxes.

Iyer has been active in the investment world for many years and has written many articles on the subject. He showed his knowledge of various investment vehicles and offered the physicians a free financial analysis of their portfolios, which can usually run into a couple of thousand dollars.

“We intend to start a physicians fund from Houston”, he disclosed, “and take it nationally from here”.

Thomas heads the Live Oak Group within MS and manages a

billion dollars under his portfolio.

He explained how MS holds 50 per cent of the wealth management in the US and the different resources that MS has to manage this soundly. He articulated the difference in government debt for Japan, the US and other countries and how this could affect investments in the US. Patino is a lending specialist who works in the three year-old private bank set up by MS. He deals with large and complex financial transactions but also deals with financing for commercial real estate, residential mortgages and even the MS credit cards through American Express.

Dabit immigrated to the US from Jordan and is fluent in Arabic. He works for the Jackson Group, a MS partner, and specializes in taxes. He spoke about the effect of the 3.8% tax that will kick in on all items next year for people mak-

ing $200,000 and over - $250,000 for couples – to fund this. This will be on top of the 4.6% increase in the top tax bracket (from 35% to 39.6%) that will also go into effect in 2014. “I encourage physicians to look into estate planning”, explained Dabit, “as there are different ways to minimize taxes like trusts and deferring tax payments”.

The event included a light lunch catered by the hotel and Indian appetizers beforehand. After Iyer’s presentation, a raffle of entrants yielded Namita Tuli as the winner of a round-trip airline ticket to India. Sunil Thakkar, the host of the popular Music Masala radio show and a well-known local comedian and entertainer made an appearance to share some light-hearted American and Bollywood material with the attendees, bringing out many a snicker and a smile.

Indo American News (ISSN 887-5936) is published weekly every Friday (for a subscription of $40 per year) by IndoAmerican News Inc., 7457 Harwin Dr., Suite 262, Houston, TX 77036., tel: 713-789-6397, fax:713-789-6399, email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com.

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COMMUNITY

November 22, 2013

Tradition Meets Hi-Def Technology and a Live Show at Jain Wedding CONTINUED FROM PAGE

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The center stage of the reception at the Hilton Americas.

giant size video portraits of Ajay and Audra – one on each side of the dance stage – in which each beckoned and motioned to the guests, as if speaking to them.

Bars decked in the same silver and blue motifs with underlit counters were set off to each side and a desert station hugged one corner, laid out after dinner with delicacies flown in from India, pans in foil and a tava to heat the mithe pudde topped off with rabri and nuts. Dinner was served later at four buffet islands in the lobby and segregated by each quadrant of the pavilion.

As the guests got comfortably seated, the groom’s brother Manish drew their attention to the large screens to see video clips of the events that had preceded the reception.

Through videos artistically shot and edited Raghu and Milli Thakkar of Image in Mo-

tion, they experienced the color, pageantry and happiness of the sangeet, menhdi and wedding ceremonies, all of which had occurred just a few hours earlier. The parents and relatives from both sides danced in to a boisterous bhangra beat, followed by brief speeches by the Swatantra Jain, Teresa and a few others, notably Ajay’s friend Anish Jain who threw out a few comedic jabs at the newlyweds.

A last minute addition was a segment on Michael Jackson’s music – a favorite of Ajay’s – through video collage and a performance by Houston actor Kendrick Brown who did a fine impersonation, down to the late performers dance moves. As the evening wrapped up, the crowd danced till 2 am to the numbers pelted out by DJ Rocky.

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November 22, 2013

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COMMUNITY

November 22, 2013

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The celebration at Madras Pavilion marked his 20th year of serving the Greater Houston community in the insurance industry. Mahesh Shah and Rajan Radhakrishnan of Madras Pavilion did a fantastic job of providing everyone present with a wonderful selection of appetizers, food and drinks.

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COMMUNITY

November 22, 2013

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Sikh National Center (SNC) Celebrates Guru Nanak’s 544th Birthday

mony and corruption in India. Early on in his life’s journey, he took the message of One God’s and of brotherly love through the vast country of India. His mission was HOUSTON: The Sikh National Center celebrated the 544th Birthday Anniversary of Guru Nanak this past weekend with the services being held in the temporary building that has been erected on the 20-acres of land that the SNC has on the northwest side, at FairNorth Houston and The Beltway 8. The permanent Gurudwara is being built on this site with more buildings slated for later on.

The celebration of Gurpurab started with the Akand Path (a continuous reading of 1430 pages of the Granth Sahib) on Friday, November 15 and concluded with a Bhog on Sunday, November 17.

Hazoori Ragi Jatha of the SNC performed a melodious Gurbani Kirtan and was joined in by Bhai Sukhdev Singh from Winnipeg, Canada and Dr. Rajpreet Kaur.

Their recitation inspired the congregation to imbibe the righteous path led by the Guru.

to eradicate all the confusion and worldly meaningless rituals practiced to please God .

His biggest contribution was to females. At that time, female infanticide and Sati ritual (burning of wife along with deceased husband)

was a common practice.

He preached equality of sexes with the sermon, “How can you degrade the woman who gives birth to kings? “ He was beyond the caste system. He chose a shoemaker (the lowest cast) to be his fellow traveler to go around the country in the hope of eradicating the cast system that divided humanity. He said, “All mankind is created equal in the eyes of the Creator, so there is no higher and no lower being.”

His message to humanity was to live a life of honor and to accept death rather than a life of subjugation of evil emperors. It was by his purposeful messages that Sikhs have enjoyed unique respects the world over. His three lessons in life to humanity that are practiced by his followers all over the world are earn an honest living, meditate to raise your consciousness and share your blessings with humanity.

The construction of the new permanent Gurdwara building is a monumental endeavor by the Sikh community as it has involved many people and taken many years to go forward with the work. The complete facilities will include a school till 8th grade, with a library and museum about the Sikhs contemplated for in the second phase as part of the campus. The building has been designed by PGAL, a Houston architect firm and by Mandeep Singh Kohli of Jalandhar, India. Turner Construction Co has completed the steel structure and is currently framing the exterior of the Gurudwara. The architecture of the Gurdwara is inspired by golden domes and turrets of the Siri Harimandar Sahib, Amritsar, India (also widely known as the Golden temple).

Guru Nanak was born in the holy place of Nanakana Sahib in 1469 during a time of dire dishar-

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November 22, 2013

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COMMUNITY

November 22, 2013

New Temple in Katy Takes Shape

KATY: On November 17, Hindu Temple of Katy conducted a group satyanarayan katha and emerald (marakata) linga rudrabhishek with 110 families for the occasion of kartika purnima and for the

benefits of Hindu Temple of Katy.

It was a great event and raised nearly $23000 for the further benefits of the temple. The same amount was matched by Sulabha Hardikar, who is the

main donor for the temple.

Sirisharani Gullapalli and Sulabha Hardikar, the founder and president of the Hindu Temple of Katy, are happy to announce that because of the support of all devotees, by May 2014, the temple will be functionable in the new temple land. They would also like to thank each and everyone that supported and played a key role in making this event a great success.

For further information about the temple, visit www.sdsvt. org, or call Pundit Udayakumara Sharma @ 713-933-8821.

Spiritual Education Children Dramatize Pathways to Eternal Freedom and Joy

HOUSTON: The Sai Spiritual Education (SSE) children of the Sathya Sai Baba centers of Houston will present an inspiring and entertaining cultural program on November 23 from 4:00 pm - 7:15 pm, at the Sur Auditorium at Durga Bari Temple on 13944 Schiller Road, Houston, TX 77082.

The Sai Spiritual Education children will present three shortact plays. The first play titled the “Secret to My Success” dramatizes transformational events in the lives of two characters, a medical student and a mother. The former confronts peer pressure by realizing that the end of education is character, while the latter overcomes the challenges of mother-

hood by realizing the transient nature of attachment. The next short-act play titled the “Liberation of the Elephant King (Gajendra Moksham)”. A metaphorical but emotional tale, taken from an ancient Indian spiritual text, about a powerful and proud elephant (Gajendra), who fights to free himself from the deadly clutches of a crocodile. The struggle and eventual Divine rescue symbolizes achievement of human liberation (moksha) from the travails of life by removal of the ego.

Thirdly, a soulful musical drama, titled “Where My Devotees Sing, I am There”, pays homage to Saint Thyagaraja, a legendary 18th century musician, poet, and philoso-

pher. Thyagaraja dedicated his life to composing devotional compositions (kritis) in praise of the Divine. For Thyagaraja music was a way to experience God’s Love.

The play depicts the path to eternal joy through a glimpse of the saint’s life that gives a message of humility, faith, and devotion.

The program will commemorate Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s 88th Birth Anniversary and celebrates the practice of the five fundamental and universal human values of Truth, Right Action, Peace, Love, and Nonviolence. The cultural program is followed by dinner.

Admission to the program is free.

For further information call 832-215-8675 or 832-687-6766.

The Sathya Sai Centers of Houston cordially invite you to celebrate Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s 88th

Birthday on November 23rd 2013

@ The Sur Auditorium, Durga Bari Temple 13944 Schiller Road, Houston, TX 77082

From 4:00 Pm – 7:15 Pm

Followed by Mahaprasad (Dinner)

Three plays will be presented by the Sai Spiritual Education (SSE) students inspired by the teachings of Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s universal message of: Truth, Right Conduct, Peace, Love & Non-Violence

All are Welcome

For more information please call Sanjay Gupta or Sondip Mathur @ (832) 687-6766 or (832) 215-8675 Or visit the following link:

birthday.houston.sairegion10.org

Love all Serve all -Baba

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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COMMUNITY

November 22, 2013

Houston Mourns the Loss of Hari Kewalramani

BY MANU SHAH HOUSTON: Hari Kewalramani never carried a personal cell phone.

He was convinced that ginger was a cure all. He coached his son’s soccer and baseball team – games he had never played in his life. He was a marriage counselor and financial advisor to colleagues and friends, innovator, poet and author.

He was an active member of the community who gave generously of his time, effort and money. This humble and ever smiling gentleman was also the Global Executive Vice President of six offices in three continents. These were some of the thoughts and memories that were shared by family, friends, colleagues and members of the community as they gathered at the Winford Funeral Home on 17 November to pay their last respects to a man who lost his life to esophageal cancer.

Hari Pamandas Kewalramani was born on March 6, 1941, in Kotri, Sindh, but the family moved to Ajmer, Rajasthan, when Sindh became a part of present day Pakistan. In 1972, armed with an engineering degree, an adventurous spirit and some dollars in his pocket, Hari came to New York where he worked as an electrical engineer.

A few years later, he joined Bechtel Corporation and transferred to their Houston office in 1974.

Janmashtami celebration organized by the Hindus of Greater Houston (HGH). According to Padmakant Khambati, Hari “used his considerable engineering and organizational skills and ran the show with clockwork precision.”

He also volunteered with the Meenakshi Temple Society, Hindus of Greater Houston, and most recently served on the India House executive board. Dilip Mehta who worked closely with him described Hari as a person “who did not work for recognition or appreciation but worked for dharma.”

In a heartfelt tribute, son Shashi described his father as “kind, patient, a cleanliness freak and a social butterfly.” According to Shashi, his father’s generosity extended not just to family and friends but total strangers. Rakesh Agarwal also remembered him as a “doer” while Mimi Chang, a colleague, called him “a wonderful boss and mentor to many.”

Speaking along the same lines, Ashok Khushlani affirmed that

During this time he also obtained his MBA from the University of Houston. In 1979, along with his family, Hari moved to Saudi Arabia but returned to the US in 1985.

In 1986, he joined Stone & Webster where he worked for almost

25 years until he retired as Global Executive Vice President.

A strong give-back philosophy led Hari to become actively involved with the Indian community in Houston. He played a crucial role as overall coordinator in the

Hari exuded “positive energy and had a rare knack of connecting instantly with people.” Harish, his nephew, reflected that his uncle had inherited the “Kewalramani trait of the thirst for knowledge, laughter and zest for life.” Reminiscing about a 20 year old association with Hari, Vijay Pallod lauded the entire Kewalramani family’s dedication and commitment to the Hindus of Greater Houston organization.

Despite a busy work schedule and many volunteering activities, Hari always found time for his family as well as his many talents and interests. He loved painting, travelling, penned several poems in Hindi and Urdu and also published a book “2012 and Beyond.”

Hari was cremated according to Hindu funeral rites. He is survived by wife Poonam, his daughter, Chanda - a physician, son Shashi - a lawyer, daughter in law Deepa, and his grandchildren – Karina and Avi.

Maha Kumbabhishekam Prasanna Ganapathi Shrine

BY RANJANA NARASIMAN PEARLAND: Sri Meenakshi Temple Society in Pearland, serving the Hindu community of greater Houston for over 35 years, is preparing to celebrate the Maha Kumbabhishekam (Consecration ceremony) of its renovated Ganesh Temple, with its one-of-a-kind, granite garbhagriha, and vimanam (sanctum and tower). This celebration, marking the reinfusion of divine energy of the deity, will last an entire week from November 22 to 29 with the highpoint on Friday, November 29, at 9.00 am.

The ceremonies are designed to give the spectator a glimpse of the mystical, spiritual world…… to open the doors of the “unseen” subtle world to the “seen”. Divine power is invoked through fire ceremonies (Agni Karyam) and infused into the deity and the abode through elaborate liturgy as prescribed by the agamas (a source of authority that came down to us to interpret the vedas, the divined truths). A list of the ceremonies is as follows, detailing the events on the specified days: The grand finale is the Kumbabhishekam, starting at 9.00 am on Friday, Nov. 29 when, around 9.15 am, divinely charged water from the kumbas or pitchers will be ceremonially poured over the deity and the gopura-vimanam (the top of the new temple tower) where the mundane meets the divine, to the thundering sound of the Nadaswaram and Tavil (traditional wind instrument and drum) played in a crescendo, while flower petals from a helicopter above will be spread over the vimanam, as a “seen” blessings from the sky.

Devotees will be served a tradi-

tional lunch on a banana leaf and a cultural program will follow as an offering to God around 2:00 PM. Preparatory Ceremonies: Nov 22-Nov 28 • AGNI STHAPANA: A Yagasala (sacred place) is constructed near the temple to invoke Agni, the Fire God. Homa kundas (fire pits) are established for the deities in the yagasala.

• KALASA STHAPANA: Decorated pots or kalasas are positioned in the yagasala to represent the bodies of the deities. Cords connect the Homa to the Kalasas. A silver line connects the main kalasa to the deity.

• AGNI KARYAM: During the fire ceremonies, through the mantras (chants) and mudras (gestures) by the priests, an etheric form of God is created, which becomes the vehicle for the divine power. Thus, spiritual force is transferred continuously from the homa to the kalasa, from the kalasa to the deity.

• JEERANODHARANA: Alongside the Kumbhabhishekam-related events, ceremonies to enable and sanctify essential repair and restoration work that is not possible when the deity still contains its divine power, will be carried.

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November 22, 2013

Sri Meenakshi Temple Society, Pearland, TX!

Invites you to receive the blessings of SRI PRASANNA GANAPATHI at the

Jeeranodharana Ashtabandhana MahaKumbabhishekam Consecration ceremony of the new, one-of-a-kind, granite Ganesh Temple Garbhagriha (Sanctum) and Vimanam (Tower) A rare historic event to attend with family & receive blessings.

MAIN EVENT - FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2013, 9 AM

Sponsorship Information Program – Friday, Nov 29 (Ceremonies start on November 22 with the highpoint on November 29, 9 am) 6.00 am Fourth Kala Yagasalapooja,

Homam,Sparsahuthi, Maha Purnahuti.

Yathra Dhanam, Kumbha procession

9.15 am Gopura Stupi 9.40 am

Maha Kumbabhishekam, Maha Abhishekam, Alankaram, Deeparadhana Procession of Pancha Murthis in their respective Vahanas

12:30 PM

Traditional Lunch

2:00 PM to 5:00 PM Cultural Program

Kumbabhishekam Pooja

& Annadhanam

Grand Sponsorship $1,000 ++ Kumbabhishekam Pooja Grand Sponsorship – $500 Kumbabhisehkam Day $251 Daily Sponosrship- $51

Donation or sponsorship for Flowers & Annadaanam – Any amount Sponsor a Granite Tile for $100 online at Emeenakshi.org

Contact Information:

Project Chair Tupil Narasiman TNarasiman@gmail.com Fundraising Chair- Parthiban D_Parthiban@yahoo.com/ Raj - RajMikkilineni@yahoo.com Roopa Bala Roopa@anbsystems.com

!

Friday 22 – 28 Program details & Sponsorship go to www.Emeenakshi.org

!

Sri Meenakshi Temple Society 17130 McLean Road, Pearland, TX-77584 281 489 0358 Ext. 100 www.meenakshi.org INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

November 22, 2013

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November 22, 2013

US Senator John Cornyn Visits the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

Vikarm Patel presents a momento to Senator Cornyn.

Senator Cornyn and wife Sandy Cornyn at BAPS.

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US Senator with delegates of BAPS.

STAFFORD: On Saturday, November 9, United States Senator John Cornyn and his wife Sandy Cornyn visited the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Stafford, to appreciate the art and architecture of the Mandir as well as to learn more about the culture and values of Indian-Americans living in Texas.

On behalf of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, Sadhu Priyasevadas, the senior Swami representing the local congregation in the Houston area, welcomed the senator in a traditional manner by placing a sanctified flower garland around his neck in a gesture of peace and friendship. Mrs. Cornyn was also welcomed traditionally with a garland by Kinarri Amin.

During their visit, the Senator Cornyn and his wife admired the architecture of the Mandir espe-

cially how the Mandir was assembled like a large, three dimensional jigsaw puzzle from pieces of stone that were intricately carved in India. The Senator and his wife also appreciated the congregation’s diverse volunteer force motivated by a culture that emphasizes family, faith and service. He also spoke of the value the organization and its members bring to the area through the many community service projects organized throughout the year.

After the tour of the Mandir, the Senator and his wife had a chance to meet with members of the BAPS congregation. The Senator was presented with a photograph of the Mandir as a memento of his visit before departing.

The Senator was accompanied by his wife, Sandy, as well as Jay Guerrero, Jessica Sandlin and a photographer.

About BAPS The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a worldwide sociospiritual organization is dedicated to community service, peace and harmony. Motivated by Hindu principles, BAPS strives to care for the world by caring for societies, families and individuals. Through social and spiritual activities, BAPS endeavors to produce better citizens of tomorrow who have a high esteem for their roots. Its 3,300 international centers support these character-building activities.

Under the guidance and leadership of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, BAPS aspires to build a community that is morally, ethically and spiritually pure, and free of addictions.

About Pramukh Swami Maharaj His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the fifth spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, has inspired millions of people across the world to lead a Godcentered, morally pure life. As the present leader of BAPS, Pramukh Swami Maharaj has traveled extensively, emphasizing the importance of family harmony, community service and spiritual progress.

He embodies the essence of Hindu life. His compassion for humanity, universal wisdom and striking simplicity has touched many world religious and national leaders.

For further details, visit www.baps.org

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November 22, 2013

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18 November 22, 2013 Is There a ‘Real’ India?

One that is somehow not accessible to someone who happens to visit only places such as Jaipur, Agra, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Goa, Kerala...? When I started the two-year creative writing program at Columbia in 2011, I was surprised to discover a world sidelined by Indians. At Columbia, the Creative Writing Department is in the same building as the Film Department and the latter is filled with Indians— Indians from India and NRIs. Next door to us is the Journalism School— also full of Indians. I didn’t mind being the only Indian in my year. I enjoyed being different. Being one of one billion, it’s not easy to feel different. Between the program, my internships, and literary events in New York City, there wasn’t much time to make outside friends and I quite liked being the ambassador for India in the program. Writers of Indian origin feature regularly on our reading lists. We read Jhumpa Lahiri, Rohinton Mistry, Akhil Sharma and V.S. Naipaul, amongst others. At the end of my first year, when we were discussing The Namesake in class and everyone turned to me expectantly, I wasn’t offended. On the contrary, I was quite pleased to have the opportunity to act as an authority. “Well, speaking particularly as a half-Bengali…” I said with confidence.

As their peer, I had full ownership of the representation of India through Indian eyes in the program for that first year. They couldn’t cross-examine the writers we were studying but they could ask me to validate or repudiate their ideas. My writing is deeply rooted in India but it isn’t the India of mangoes and henna; it is the India of shiny cars, sleaze, ambition, and unintentional comedy and that was the India I got to tell my classmates about.

If any of them were to land in Bombay tomorrow, they would have a completely different and singular experience.

I was forced to share a conversation with a woman who insisted that the real India was lurking somewhere. I genuinely don’t know what she was implying was the real India. Ashrams? Poverty?

Wealth? Villages? Mega-cities? Antilia?

There is a terrific episode of 30 Rock in which Liz Lemon sets out to find the real America. After a series of hilarious incidents ending with her suffering from a bout of diarrhoea as a result of eating a questionable part of a pig, Liz has to concede that there may not be such a thing as the real America. A hipster in Brooklyn can lay claim to it just as much as a single teenage mother in the middle of middle Alabama.

No matter what our nationalities, no matter where we come from, no country has a single definition and thank God for that— not just for the sake of potential world peace, but for the sake of potential entertainment.

I am no longer taking classes at Columbia. My peers are not reading my stories about a middle class family that has to navigate a sudden increase in its wealth. I had the luxury of being the only voice describing India for them. I only hope that the Indians who join the program after me have differing ideas about what true India is so nobody is stuck with only Antilia or only Dharavi. Or even only the dichotomy of the two. Diksha Basu in Outlook

EDITORIAL

Retirement Blues

BY DILIP BOBB Most people who retire struggle with retirement blues, or greys, since that is the predominant shade on their heads. It’s a lot more difficult when you retire at 40, as Sachin Tendulkar is doing, with an active and long life ahead of you and kitbags full of well-earned money (and not sweat equity). He will no longer be in India blues, but what are his options post retirement? Here are some suggestions that have been posted on various sites: Union sports minister: One newspaper, which, like Tendulkar, is celebrating a numerical milestone, devoted its lead editorial to the post-retirement issue, and suggested that he be made sports minister with cabinet rank to clean up the sports administration in India. Sachin at a cabinet meeting padding up to politicians who only know one sport, which is anything to do with rackets, is an unappetising prospect, as would be serving under an unpopular captain and part of a discredited team (UPA 2 for instance). The Times have not changed, and any official governmental position would be comparable to making Prince Charles a washroom attendant.

Prime minister: An even more ridiculous suggestion, even though Sachin has some things in common with the present incumbent —reticence, a none too distinct voice and a squeaky clean image.

The last Test occasion has gotten everyone in a frenzy. With TV cameras asking people for suggestions, there have been free passes for insane ideas, this one being on the basis that we need a PM we can trust, one who will play with a straight bat and lead the country to many victories. It’s deserving of only one response — the raised finger.

Official mentor: This comes from Steve Waugh, who suggested that Sachin be named national mentor and promote sports other than cricket. Somehow, one cannot quite picture Sachin debating the finer points of kabaddi or kho-kho, or analysing slow motion replays

With TV cameras asking people for suggestions, there have been free passes for insane ideas, this one being on the basis that we need a PM we can trust, one who will play with a straight bat and lead the country to many victories.

It’s deserving of only one response — the raised finger.

of a gulli danda match. He could, and possibly should, mentor our politicians on how to earn money and fame without taking the public for a ride.

Sachin’s store: Since this has been an occasion for a flood of memorabilia, from coins to stamps, masks, books, posters, caps, coffee mugs, autographed bats, games, cellphone covers, DVDs and even chewing gum, there’s no limit to what he can do with a Sachin store, except maybe take a few tips from NaMo’s retail wing. The big sellers will obviously be cricket equipment, including protective gear packed in the box that he famously adjusted after each delivery. SRT is already a brand in this last Test and he has every right to take a cut, having shown us so many during his career, none more exquisite than the uppercut off Shoaib Akhtar. Of course, the most coveted item will be miniature figures simply named Batman.

Ribbon cutting: It may take up many months, possibly years, of his post-retirement period, since we are sure to see any number of projects being named after him, to the road he lives on, flyovers, the

metro station closest to his residence, apartment complexes with 200 flats. Then there are malls, airports, and, in honour of his stature, someone is sure to ask him to unveil India’s biggest statue to rival the ones that Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar are competing for.

Sachin mania defies all logic, and so do the fans looking to use his name to add theirs to the record books.

Psychological counselor: He will be required to offer comfort to journalists, headline writers, fans and talking heads who will be suffering from PTS—Post-Tendulkar

Sach a Fuss

BY JUG SURAIYA The over-the-top media hype over Sachin’s ‘retirement’ once again raises the question whether the disproportionate national obsession with cricket is at the expense of other sports, be it hockey (remember Dhyan Chand), football, kabaddi, or chess. As world champion Viswanathan Anand, who is engaged in a board battle with Norwegian challenger Magnus Carlsen, put it: “There are other things (instead of Sachin) on my mind.”

Indeed, Sachin’s ‘retirement’ has many exploiters, beginning with the media who in order to outdo each other turned it into an advertising revenue-generating tamasha. Media planners had been calculating for weeks and months beforehand just how many megabucks they’d be able to score from Sachin’s last day as a Test player.

The government’s alacrity to declare the Bharat Ratna award for the cricketer even before Sachin’s tears were dry on the single sheet of notes which he used to make a moving speech will also raise eyebrows. No one will for a moment deny that Sachin fully merits the country’s highest civilian honour.

Indeed, it had been hinted by official circles that the bestowal of the honour would be declared on the following Republic Day, as is the custom.

Instead, in what looks like a populist, vote-catching move, the government bowled a googly by giving him the award on the day of his ‘retirement’.

As Sachin himself might say: ‘That’s not cricket’. ToI

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20 November 22, 2013 LEARN TO DRIVE TODAY!

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HOUSTON: Govardhan Puja is the celebration of one of Lord Krishna’s most memorable pastimes. During his descent on this earth, Lord Krishna, as a cowherd boy, lifted Govardhan Hill on one pinky finger in order to protect the residents of Brajdham from the wrath of the Demigod Indra. Indra was upset because the brajvasis this year had decided to worship Giriraj Govardhan, instead of the annual ritual of worshipping Indra. This, not coincidentally, was changed under the instruction of Krishna the supreme Lord. The demigod Indra had no idea that this cowherd boy Krishna was in fact

the Supreme Lord. So, Indra decided to lash out at the villagers by pouring heavy rains and flooding and destroying them. The helpless villagers then went to Krishna and blamed him for angering Lord Indra. This is when Lord Krishna, lifted the Govardhan Hill. All the villagers took shelter underneath Govardhan Hill, which protected them from the heavy rains. This lasted for seven days, until Indra finally gave up, bowed down to the Lord, and restored peace.

He did abhishek of Krishna and gave him the name Govinda i.e. the protector of senses, cows, cowherd boys, gopis and brah-

mans. The villagers then offered a massive bhog of various foods to Govardhan. Once it was over, the villagers remembered nothing of boy Krishna’s amazing feat.

Giriraj Govardhan is Krishna himself in one form as well as Krishna’s best devotee in another form. He takes the form of a mountain to serve the Lord. He is extremely merciful and famous for fulfilling all the desires. More than that he can give pure love and devotion unto the lotus feet of Lord Krishna for sincere seekers. It is a verdict of the scriptures that even if one offers one grain of rice to Giriraj Govardhan, that person will never be poor in the life.

Shri Govindji Gaudiya Matha, under the guidence of Srila Gurudev, Shri Bhakti Vedanta Narayan Goswami Maharaj celebrates this festival yearly. This year, however, was on a grand scale, as it was the first celebration in front of the beautiful deities installed earlier this year. The program included kirtanas, an adult class about the meaning and significance of Govardhan Puja, and Maha-Aarti. The children attended their weekly Sunday class, where the various age groups learned about this pastime of Lord Krishna. In fact, my son came running to me after his class, and said “Look papa!!! Did you know that Krishna lifted this huge mountain on one finger for seven days!!!”

And of course, anyone there can never forget the massive bhog of over 1000 preparations offered to Giriraj Govardhan. A real Govardhan Shila was placed in the center of the alter, and with all the food preparations, loud kirtanas, and smiles on everyone’s face.

The whole temple hall was resounding with the chanting of the holy name with several mridangas and other musical instruments.

It truly felt as if we experienced the same joy that those villagers felt under Govardhan Hill.

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COMMUNITY

November 22, 2013

Uttarakhand Flood Relief Fundraiser Cricket Tournament Fetches $15000

Winners, runners up and the Sewa organization team all together.

HOUSTON: Houston chapter of Sewa International and Gujarati Samaj of Houston successfully staged a fundraiser cricket tournament for Uttarakhand Flood Relief and raised approx. $15,000. Thanks to the generous help from cricket aficionados of Greater Houston area. In probably one of the worst disasters in the recent past in India, the entire Uttarakhand was hit badly by incessant rains, landslides and floods in June, 2013.

Various estimates have put the loss of life to be more than 10,000.

Over 70,000 people were left homeless. Sewa volunteers have been helping with rehabilitation immediately after the tragedy and have pledged to rebuild the state.

About the “De Ghuma Ke Cricket” Tournament Ricardo Powell, the swashbuckling West Indies middle order batsmen, made a special appearance and interacted with players and the organizers. He commended the efforts put together by the organizers for raising awareness about this noble cause.

Speaking about his experience in organizing this event, Achalesh Amar said “The tournament exemplified the Sewa spirit of “Service Above Self” and helped raise awareness about the Sewa opportunities in Houston area. It helped foster a bond among the teams and gave boost to the desire of associating with community issues.

The tremendous help provided in

all aspects of staging this tournament by Gujarati Samaj, led by Ajit Patel, was instrumental in our exceeding the targeted goals and we look forward to such associations in future as well. Noted entrepreneur Sanjay Aggarwal also pitched in with his efforts to make this tournament a great success. ” • 21 teams competed over two weekends (Oct 25, Oct 26 and then Nov 2 at the Gujarati Samaj cricket grounds – Sardar Patel park in Richmond) for the coveted title of “De Ghuma Ke” champions. HICC 1, led by Mohammed Majid, lifted the trophy after sweeping aside all their opponents in the four games they played.

• Kishan (HICC1) was chosen man of the match for the finals but Krishna (Titans) walked away with the man of the series award for his all round performance throughout the series.

• Ram Bhattad (Star Warriors) got the award for taking the maximum wickets in a game whereas Suresh (Cognizant) was rewarded with the maximum wickets for the tournament award.

• Kannan (Titans) was adjudged the best fielder, and Ashok (Gayatri Shakha) got the best batsman award.

• Keyur (HICC1) hit the maximum number of fours in the tournament while Forum Patel (HICC 2) hit the maximum number of sixes.

• These teams par-

ticipated in the tournament: 1) Star Warriors (Anand Bhat tad) 2) Telfair Tigers (Arun TV) 3) Pearland Hawks (Vtesh/ Kumaran) 4) Gayatri Shakha (Narinder Gupta) 5) DCC (Sanjay Aggarwal / Sivaram) 6) CSK (Venkat) 7) Desi Champs (Kunal Deshmukh) 8) Desiz Blasters (Ritesh Seal) 9) Indians (Naresh Kaler) 10) Titans (Jeffery Valiveti) 11) Chak De (Ankur Saxena) 12) HICC 1 (Majid / Kuldeep Patel) 13) HICC 2 (Vasant Patel) 14) Houston Tigers (Raj Nair) 15) Trinity Cricket Club (Bijoh Benjamin) 16) Sewa International (Kaushik Chatterjee) 17) Cognizant (Kamlesh Khan delwal) 18) Houston Rattlers (Aswin / Mahesh) 19) Med Center Lions (Mohan Joshi / Sreejesh Shanker) 20) IMCC (Sam Alexander) 21) Loose Cannons (Achalesh) AboutSewaInternationalUSA: Sewa International USA is a Hindu faith based nonprofit charity registered under the Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3). Mission of Sewa is to serve humanity in distress, aid local communities, and promote volunteerism.

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22 November 22, 2013

TRAVEL / INDIA

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A hotel near New Delhi designed after a mirrored jewelry box has been named the leading luxury hotel in Asia at an event known as the Oscars of the travel industry.

At the World Travel Awards Asia and Australasia, which took place in Dubai this week, travel agents and experts from around the world voted The Oberoi Gurgaon Asia’s leading luxury hotel over other landmark properties such as The Peninsula Hong Kong, the Four Seasons Shanghai, and Raffles Singapore among others.

Designed to evoke “height, light and space,” one of the signature features is landscape windows to maximize natural light and offer guests views of the property’s Olympic-sized reflection pool and landscaped gardens.

Rooms come with personalized

butlers, while the hotel boasts a cigar lounge and a fleet of BMWs that can be used for chauffeur services.

Not far off, the Trident Gurgaon was named Asia’s leading hotel also for its landscaped gardens, courtyards, reflection pools and fountains.

Taking the title of Asia’s leading carrier was Malaysia Airlines, while Air New Zealand took the top spot for Australasia.

Air Asia was named the best low-cost airline.

Here are some of the winner highlights from the World Travel Awards Asia and Australasia: Asia’s leading airline: Malaysia Airlines Asia’s leading airport: Singapore Changi Airport Asia’s leading destination: India Asia’s leading city break destination: Hong Kong

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Asia’s leading beach destination: Boracay, Philippines Asia’s leading new hotel: Conrad Seoul, South Korea Asia’s leading cruise line: Star Cruises Australasia’s leading airline: Air New Zealand Australasia’s leading airport: Sydney Airport, Australia Australasia’s leading new hotel: InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto, Australia Meanwhile, last week frequent flyers named Singapore Airlines the best airline at the Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Awards and voted the Grand Hyatt the best business hotel brand in the world.

Winners of the World Travel Awards Grand Final will be announced November 30 in Doha, Qatar.

-Hindustantimes

NEW DELHI: The economic slowdown and policy paralysis, it seems, have failed to dampen the job enthusiasm of young Indians.

According to a survey by Monster Worldwide and independent global market research firm Gfk, Indians are most satisfied with their jobs

globally and nearly one in every five Indian is even willing to work for free. What’s more, those in the medium-level pay bracket are happier than those with fat salary bags.

The survey interviewed 8,000 workers across seven countries.

With 55% of its workers show-

ing intense love for their jobs, India has secured the third position in international happiness ranking, just behind Canada where 64% of workers are satisfied with their jobs and the Netherlands with 57%.

In fact, only 5% of Indian workers said they actively dislike their jobs though none said he hates his job, the lowest percentage among all countries surveyed.

Moreover, about 60% of those with middle incomes said they love their jobs against 52% high earners who said the same about their jobs.

“The research findings are a reflection of prevailing business scenario and employee/ worker mind-set where they want to be safe and not take any risks,” said Sanjay Modi, managing director, India/West Asia/ South East Asia, Monster.com.

-Hindustantimes

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November 22, 2013

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India House Celebrates Diwali with Festive Community Bazaar into “row of lamps”; the celebration involves the lighting of small clay lamps filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil.

India House Houston is a 501(c) 3 organization located in Houston, Texas. India House is a non-religious, non-regional, non-political and non-profit or-

HOUSTON: In celebration of Diwali, India House hosted a festive community event on November 2. The free “Diwali Community Bazaar” was open to the public and there was a large turnout for all the food and fun.

With India House elaborately decorated for the occasion, there were many activities taking place at the Diwali Community Bazaar celebration. There were vendors of custom jewelry, gold and silver jewelry and crafts. The Diwali program on the main stage featured a “Cultural Talent Show” organized by Sarada Akunuri and her

team, which included classic and Bollywood dance performances, singing, and various musical acts by local performers. Among the highlights was the presentation by Houston Grand Opera, written by one of our own, the famous Chitra Divakaruni. Several young children delighted and thrilled the audience with their almost “professional” performance. Participants included talented artists from young children to mature adults.

This wonderful Diwali Community Bazaar celebration was generously sponsored by Houston Grand Opera and we give

ganization. Its mission is to unite cultures, create bridges, and serve human needs by bringing resources, education, services and India’s culture to Houstonians.

For further information, visit the India House website at www. indiahouseinc.org or send email to britt@indiahouseinc.org.

special thanks to them. Thanks also go out to the great effort by the Steering Committee: Kul Bhushan Uppal, Yolanda Benoit, Sarada Akunuri, Raj Pasala, Sara Dugal, Mahesh Wadhwa, Krishna Keerty, Falguni Gandhi, Ragu Nednur, Jeanne Haner, and ICC. Diwali or “The Festival of Lights” is a five-day Hindu festival. It is an official national holiday in India and several other countries. Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the year and is celebrated with families performing traditional activities together. The name “Diwali” or “Divali” translates

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Mama’s Punjabi Recipes

Methi ka Parantha(Fenugreek Parantha) Punjabi paranthas have become famous all over the world not only because of their crispy, buttery whole wheat taste but also because they can be made stuffed with many varieties of vegetables and herbs. When my kids were little and we lived in London, for a special treat, I used to cook them paranthas stuffed with sugar or grated Cheddar cheese.

The most popular paranthas are filled with aloo (potatoes), gajjar (carrots), phul gobi (cauliflower), mouli (white radish) or piyaaz (onions). But, on occasion, I have made stuffed paranthas with left over daal (lentils). Paranthas can even be made with cooked ground meat, but they can’t really be eaten as a parantha then, it’s almost like a stuffed pizza. I have also made the frozen varieties that are available these days, but these do not have much stuffing which is why often you cannot taste the flavor.

There is a slight variation to the stuffed parantha, which is what this recipe is about. Instead of stuffing each ball of dough, you can add the flavor directly into the dough as you knead it. This method works just as well for methi as it does for the peelings of green kerelas (bitter gourds) and ajwain (bishop’s weed or carom seeds) paranthas; all of these are very beneficial for health. The same method can also be used when making namak-mirch (salt and pepper) paranthas which is a very quick and simple way to make them especially when you do not have any other ingredients around.

Punjabi paranthas can be eaten simply with plain yogurt or with achaar (pickles) especially aamb ka achaar (mango pickle). A true Punjabi would probably eat the parantha alone, just with a dollop of butter – preferably homemade white butter – that is placed on top of the hot parantha and melts into the top layer and you dab into the drippings. A glass of plain lassi (buttermilk) would top off the meal, which is heavy to digest and can also be heavy on calories.

Ingredients: • 500 gm kanak (gehon) ka atta (wheat flour) • 2 bunches of fresh methi (fenugreek) • 2 tbsp tael (olive oil or vegetable oil) • ½ cup plain dahi (yogurt) • 1 1/2 cups pani (water) • Spices to taste: namak (salt), mirch (red pepper) der), garam masala, amchoor (mango powder) Directions: 1. Wash the stems of methi and dry with a soft cloth.

Remove the tougher stalks and then finely chop the methi. If fresh methi is not available, use dried methi, but first soak it for 10 minutes to let the dirt and hard stems separate and settle then skim the methi from the top. The more methi you use, the tastier the paranthas will be, but use at least one glass of methi for two glasses of flour.

2. Leave the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

You should not cook the paranthas right after making the dough as they will come out hard. The oil and yogurt will help to make these paranthas soft.

3. Add two tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and all the methi to the dry flour and then proceed to knead it. Mix the yogurt with the water and then

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add it to the dough as you knead it. The dough should be soft but not watery.

Make dough into small paade (balls) and then roll out into an 8 to 10 inch circle.

Put a small dab of oil on a hot tava (hotplate or skillet) and place the flattened dough on. When it turns color a little, turn the pancake over. Put another dab of oil on the tava and then turn it over again till it is fully cooked. These paranthas will puff up and when they have some dark brown spots on them, it means they are cooked.

Because of the methi and yogurt, these paranthas are quite soft and easy for older people to eat. Try these with butter, yogurt or a plain daal for best taste.

Shakuntla Malhotra is a skilled cook of Punjabi dishes made in the old-fashioned style that she learnt as a young woman in her ancestral home in Lyallpur, India before it became part of Pakistan after the Partition in 1947. People have often admired her cooking for its simplicity and taste that comes with each mouthful. Even in her mid-eighties, she continues to cook daily and agreed to share some of her delectable Punjabi recipes.

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ENTERTAINMENT

November 22, 2013

Movie Review : Ram-Leela

BY MEENA IYER Story: Boy and girl from warring factions love one another.

Do they live happily ever after?

Review: What new can a filmmaker do with William Shakespeare’s classic love story Romeo and Juliet? The answer is, if you are Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who is technically sound and artistically astute as far as art and craft go, you just become impudent, set the story in Gujarat, sign Bollywood’s

currently best actress Deepika Padukone (Leela), team her up with `I’ve-got-fire-in-my-loins’ actor Ranveer Singh (Ram) and then let them loose on one another.

So there’s the Sanada clan girl Leela who falls in love, or for the most part lust, with her enemy Ram, a Rajadi. Their clans have been at war for 500 years and the exaggeratedly trigger-happy lot that these turban-wearing folk have been portrayed as clearly

underlines that no matter what one Ram or Leela feel, the rest of the clan only believe in mutiny.

So bullets fly, blood flows and bahus become victims of evil design. In between this warfare, Deepika and Ranveer touch, feel, kiss and cuddle and ensure you can feel their stirring. Quite unabashedly, the filmmaker uses his lead pair’s real and reel chemistry, fuses it with sexual tension and makes it compelling for you to partake in their love-hate relationship. For the most part, Ram-Leela, SLB’s most commercial work till date, has nice doses of raunch and ras (juice).

Since the plot is Shakespearan, the maker has the arduous task of telling you this story on an opulent scale. Vintage palaces and daunting deserts are fitted in with precision, giving you truly awe moments. The music and picturisation of ‘Tattad tattad’, ‘Lahu munh lag gaya’ and ‘Nagada sang dhol’ enrich your cinematic experience.

Deepika is breathtaking and in top form. Ranveer displays his six packs and histrionics with fair ease. This could be the start of his journey into superstardom.

You have to also applaud Richa Chadda and Supriya Pathak Kapur for being the talent they are.

Note: You may not like this film if romantic movies set against a backdrop of guns and violence are not for you.

-Timesofindia

25

Best Parties Inside India’s First amfAR Gala

MUMBAI: The inaugural Indian edition of the amfAR (The Foundation for AIDS Research) gala, took place at Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Palace Hotel on Sunday, November 17, 20 years after amFAR’s conception in 1993.

There to make their bids -- and show off some decadent jewellery of their own were celebrities Nargis Fakhri, Sonal Chauhan and Navneet Kaur Dhillon. Hilary Swank, designer Kenneth Cole, Shobhaa De, Marc Robinson and Nita Ambani also joined hosts Sharon Stone, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan for the evening, which even included a musical performance by Ke$ha.

In amfAR tradition, the Indian fundraiser included a goldthemed fashion show, in collaboration with LoveGold, for

which models walked the ramp in five designs drenched in gold by couturiers Tarun Tahiliani, Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla, and Rohit Bal, along with others adorned in gold jewellery from Azva by the World Gold Council, the Tarun Tahiliani for Azva collection, Amrapali and Symetree.

“It’s been a pleasure to be a part of ‘The Gold Fashion Show’ and contribute towards a noble cause,” said Tahiliani, whose golden creations showed earlier this year at gala held during the Cannes Film Festival. “Redefined through the years, there is nothing that adds glamour and fire to a molten design like gold.”

The ensembles were auctioned later that evening, with all proceeds going towards AIDS research.

-Vogue.in

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Tata Group Writing Down Assets After Buying Spree

MUMBAI: Cyrus Mistry, chairman of Tata Sons Ltd, is writing down the value of some of the $15.5 billion assets purchased by his predecessor over two decades to boost the allure of India’s biggest corporate group.

Less than a year after taking over as chief of the conglomerate, the billionaire scion has pared the value of overseas assets by at least Rs.9,500 crore after Europe’s record recession and a global slowdown eroded the value of UK steelmaker Corus Group Plc and New York’s Pierre hotel. The $100 billion group has more than 100 companies, including Asia’s top software developer by value, the world’s second-largest soda ash maker and Starbucks Corp.’s India partner.

“Reducing the market price of the assets may make them attractive to investors should Mistry choose to sell them,” said Shishir Bajpai, a fund manager at IIFL Wealth Management Ltd in Mumbai. Mis-

try’s challenge is to revive some of the unprofitable companies in the group as he helps realize his predecessor Ratan Tata’s vision of boosting sales fivefold in a decade.

“It makes you feel more positive as after a spring cleaning,” Alan Greene, a Singapore-based analyst at Moody’s Investors Service, said in telephone interview on Monday on Tata Steel Ltd’s impairment charge. “If there are overvalued assets on the balance sheet, you may end up hanging onto them.

If you are not sure of some of the assets, it creates uncertainty.”

Writing down Under Mistry, three of the biggest Tata companies have impaired their assets four times.

Tata Steel, India’s biggest producer of the alloy which bought Corus for $12.8 billion in 2006, took a Rs.8,356 crore writedown for the quarter ended March, the company had said in a 24 May statement. A few days later, Tata

Chemicals Ltd shaved off Rs.484 crore primarily relating to the European operations.

Indian Hotels Co. Ltd, the unprofitable owner of New York’s Pierre hotel, on 8 November wrote down Rs.287 crore, citing net worth erosion caused by global recessionary conditions. It had already pruned those assets by Rs.373 crore in May. “There exists a recognition that in its desire to internationalize, the group overpaid for some of the assets or got its timing wrong,” Nick Paulson-Ellis, the Mumbai-based Indian country head for Espirito Santo Securities, said in an email. “They were caught at the wrong end of the demand cycle, and there is now a need to write the assets down.”

Auditors consulted Debasis Ray, a spokesman for group’s holding company, Tata Sons said in an email that these decisions were taken by individual companies in consultation with their respective auditors depending upon their assessment of their operations and the requirements of accounting standards.

“European assets clearly have been bit of a dead weight on Tata Steel relative to the price they paid for them,” said Moody’s

Greene. “As part of good accounting practices, they should have done it. And they have done it.”

Mistry, 45, son of billionaire Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry, the single biggest shareholder of Tata Sons, is the chairman on the boards of these three companies. On 28 December, he will complete a year as chairman of Tata Group, the position he took over when Ratan Tata turned 75 and stepped down after steering the salt-tosoftware group for two decades.

‘Conservative group’ Tata Steel shares have risen 27% in Mumbai to Rs.386.60 since it took the charge, compared with an almost 6% gain in the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex. Tata Chemicals has fallen 8.5% since it announced the impairments on 27 May, while Indian Hotels has declined 9.6%.

Acquiring companies and starting new businesses helped Ratan Tata boost revenue 23-fold from 1993. The group has spent at least $15.5 billion buying companies in the past two decades, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Tata Motors Ltd’s purchase of luxury car brands, Jaguar Land Rover, for $2.3 billion in 2008 has buoyed it with better than estimated profit as sales at the luxury unit rose at the fastest pace in four quarters.

“Tata historically has been a very conservative group, not looking to take very leveraged or risky calls in business,” said Mumbaibased Bajpai, who helps manage $1.8 billion of shares as senior vice president at IIFL Wealth Management. “It went after deals so aggressively only in the last 10 years, which was so unlike the group. Unfortunately some of these didn’t work that well.”

Airline The group, which started India’s

first airline in 1932 that became state-owned Air India later, announced a partnership in February with AirAsia Bhd and in September with Singapore Airlines Ltd in its second foray into aviation.

Mistry is seeking to gain a share of air passengers in the world’s second-most populous nation where traffic is projected to triple to 452 million by 2020.

The Tata group has been less active in the last two years, after the global financial crisis brought growth in developed economies almost to a halt. Tata Communications Ltd dropped out of a race in 2012 to acquire Cable and Wireless Worldwide Plc after failing to agree on a price.

Indian Hotels told the exchanges in an 8 November filing that it was not pursuing its offer to buy the remaining 93.1% in Orient-Express Hotels Ltd after studying current economic environment and also other opportunities and priorities. The owner of New York’s 21 Club restaurant and Hotel Cipriani in Venice had in November last year rejected a takeover offer by the Indian hotelier saying the bid undervalued the company.

Mistry is in some ways going back to the old school Tata thought process. “We saw more restructuring announcements, impairments and realigning of valuations in the past year,” said Bajpai. Ultimately, the benefit will flow to them. It is a sign of prudence and it will be perceived very well by the long term investors of the Tata group. Bloomberg

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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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28 November 22, 2013 Tendulkar Era Ends with 2-0 Sweep of West Indies

BY SIDDHARTH RAVINDRAN MUMBAI (Cricinfo):India 495 (Pujara 113, Rohit 111*, Tendulkar 74, Shillingford 5-179) beat West Indies 182 (Ojha 5-40) and 187 (Ramdin 53*, Ojha 5-49, Ashwin 4-89) by an innings and 126 runs Sachin Tendulkar’s storied Test career with one of India’s most comprehensive victories, as a hapless West Indies crumbled on the third morning in Mumbai. Tendulkar walked off the field with a tear in his eye and to a fluid guard of honour from his teammates, soaking in the cheers of the Wankhede crowd one last time.

Pragyan Ojha took his second five-for of the match, and Ashwin finished with seven in the match, but the only spin bowling Indian fans wanted to see was the all-sorts of Tendulkar.

Ten minutes before the scheduled close of the first session, by when West Indies had lost eight wickets in another inept batting performance, Tendulkar was brought into the attack. Though the crowd was desperate for a wicket, Tendulkar’s final two overs produced no breakthrough. MS Dhoni brought back his main bowlers and within a handful of overs, the Test was brought to an end with Mohammed Shami flattening the middle stump of the West Indies No. 11 Shannon Gabriel.

West Indies’ batsmen hadn’t shown much aptitude for a fight earlier in the day either, as the spin-

Sachin Tendulkar was given a lap of honor on the shoulders of his team-mates.

ners enjoyed the bounce and turn on offer. In the sixth over of the morning, Marlon Samuels charged out to Ojha, was nowhere near the pitch of the ball, and was yards out of the crease when Dhoni took the

bails off. Soon after, another player who has had a rough series, Chris Gayle, was caught-behind for 35 off Ojha and West Indies were five down. With those two big wickets, the question was whether

West Indies would last the session.

The man brought in to strengthen the batting in this Test, Narsingh Deonarine, fell for a duck, bringing in another player whose critics will only get louder after this game.

Darren Sammy had played an atrocious shot in the first innings to bag a duck and he nearly fell first ball this time, a leading edge just landing short of mid-off. The relief for Sammy didn’t last long, though, as after an over in which he was tormented by Ojha, he missed an arm ball to be trapped lbw.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the only West Indies batsman to have shown the wherewithal to grit it out consistently this series, resisted with 41, and Denesh Ramdin went on to a half-century but given the mammoth lead India had, it was only a matter of time.

Chanderpaul was the man to depart, with Ashwin getting him lbw and running off in celebration.

West Indies may have come into the series on the back of six victories, but the pitiful challenge they put up shows that they have regressed in the last two years.

In those two years, the Indian team has undergone a major overhaul, and while the verdict on their performance will have to wait till they are tested overseas, they have done enough to send off Tendulkar with a record six Test wins.

Siddarth Ravindran is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

West Indies Looked Drunk on T20 During Tests: Lloyd MUMBAI: Darren Sammy’s West Indies “looked drunk” on too much Twenty20 cricket during their 2-0 Test series defeat to India. That is the critical opinion expressed by Clive Lloyd, the former West Indies captain, who led the most dominating Test team of all times in mid-1970s and 80s.

Before coming to India, West Indies had won six Tests, against opponents ranked below them in the ICC Test rankings. However, they participated in one of the most one-sided contests as West Indies lost both in Kolkata and Mumbai inside three days, suffer-

ing humiliating innings defeats.

Lloyd, asked whether the defeat was due to a Twenty20 hangover, was emphatic in his response.

“T20 hangover? I think they looked drunk,” he told The Indian Express at an event in Pune on Monday. “I personally believe that T20 is something that brings people to the game, brings money to players and if it’s doing that then you have to stick with it. However, a diet of too much T20 can be very harmful. I believe T20 is an exhibition while Test cricket is an examination. If you can separate them, then it is absolutely

fine. However, I don’t want the first thing that young players want to learn is to hit the ball out of the ground. Proper technique and the vital rudiments of the game are very important,” Lloyd said.

According to Lloyd the balance of the squad, a weak bowling attack and the inability of batsmen to adapt from shorter formats to Tests were the areas West Indies need to improve on. “It has been a deeply disappointing tour. The team needs to have a hard look at itself and they have a lot of work to do,” he said.

During their four innings, not once did West Indies play 100

overs. The closest was the 78.2 overs in the first innings at Eden Gardens. Only two batsmen managed to score fifties. Throughout the series, Chris Gayle, Kieran Powell, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels and Sammy, all went for attacking shots before settling in.

“I think and I hope that the West Indian batsmen have learned their lessons after watching how the Indian batsmen went about their business,” Lloyd said. “The Indians can play aggressive ODI cricket but they can also transform into Test players, show restraint and bat for long periods.

SPORTS

Pak Bats Struggling

JOHANNESBERG: For a batting line-up that is struggling and just arrived to play a series in what is widely acknowledged one of the toughest places to make runs, Pakistan have an unusual amount of confidence. Mohammad Hafeez, their T20 captain, said their showing on this soil earlier this year will serve as inspiration for the upcoming series.

“We put up a good show in the shorter formats and we believe in this part of the world, we’ve done reasonably well.,” Hafeez said ahead of the team’s first practice session at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. Pakistan won the only Twenty20 that was played - the first was a washout - by 95 runs and came back twice in the ODI series to level it at two-all going into the final match, which they lost.

What is perhaps more important than how they competed in that series was how they batted. Hafeez starred with a 51-ball 86 in the T20 to lead the side to victory in that format, while there were fifties from Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi and Imran Farhat. In their two ODI victories of the tour, Pakistan successfully chased the targets at hand.

None of that form was evident in the way they played recently in the UAE. Pakistan could not muster one score above 250 and alarming batting collapses - six for 17 to lose the first ODI by a single run. 3 for 17 upfront to put themselves in no position to win the final ODI. They only mustered 98 in the first T20, and then lost six for 38 in the second. They have left the impression that they will be easy pickings on spicy surfaces, and against South Africa’s unforgiving attack.

Pak Captain Mohammed Hafez

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

November 22, 2013

BY MD ASADULLAH KHAN An 84-hour shutdown enforced by the main opposition party BNP in Bangladesh from Nov 10 and political infighting and violence mounting up in all parts of the country have taken a toll of about 21 innocent lives on the streets other than jeopardising trade and business activities, transportation and normalcy in citizens’ lives.

With both the ruling party and the opposition engaged in confrontational politics that shows no signs of abating, the rule of reason and consensus seems to be an illusion.

According to the public, arrests of top leaders of the main opposition party BNP would in no way heal the wounds but would rather escalate the crisis. Presumably, the force of events, mostly disastrous, taking shape at a break-neck speed has led the government to make up policy by the hour, day and week.

Anxiously speaking: the crises are perilous. In such a context, people are prompted to say what chaos and sufferings during and aftermath of the Liberation War could not destroy, the path to democracy did.

TV pictures of the incidence of violence and sporadic bomb attacks on innocent people not only on the streets of Dhaka city but in all parts of country during the hartal (strike) days, most spectacularly, pickets vandalising cars, uprooting railway lines, throwing cocktails at passenger buses, burning passengers alive inside buses and cars makes a poignant show. Shops with shutters down, vehicular traffic off the roads, police beating the picketers and rival party cadres engaged in clashes on the streets throughout hartal hours in no way boost the image of the country already ravaged by many other crises like climate-induced disasters, endemic corruption and slow pace of development activities. Bangladeshis living outside the country are wondering how and when peace and stability will be restored in the country.

The country has begun to look

Dateline Dhaka: A Crisis of Leadership

Illustration by Sadat. — Courtesy: The Daily Star

dangerously volatile, with donor agencies making no fresh grants, investment climate shrinking, services falling apart, unscrupulous and fake business groups swindling bank money in collusion with bank officials, crimes and drugs creating their elaborate and permanent reality and lastly, most vicious of all, academic institutions have become totally non-functional. In a word, a sinking feeling has gripped the whole nation.

In short: Bangladesh is suffering from a leadership crisis.

But leadership in such a paramount crisis is a superhuman quality that must be called into play. It is unquestionably true that almost all crises are consequences of the blunders committed earlier. Outraged by the bitter memory of Magura by-election, people and most political parties have been raising their voices for a caretaker government in the forthcoming parliamentary election that must be free, fair and neutral.

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Historical records are galore where great leaders imbued with statesmanship and pragmatism played very crucial roles to set the records straight and saved their country from ignominy. Looking back to America in the past century, we can see that Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Truman, past presidents of America, owe their reputation to crisis leadership. Churchill, the war-time prime minister of Britain, would not have become that great unless he acted as events of the World War II demanded of him. By the same analogy many leaders have been destroyed by crises, despite other accomplishments. L.B. Johnson was devoured by the Vietnam War, Carter by the Iranian hostage crisis, Nixon by Watergate scandal, Hitler for un-

leashing the Holocaust and Stalin and Khrushchev for perpetrating an oppressive socialist regime.

In the current scenario what are our leaders doing while standing in the midst of a political impasse?

With the prime minister making it plain at the Khatib conference in Dhaka recently that her heart bleeds at the death and suffering of the innocent people and she does not crave for the job of the prime minister at the cost of the lives of these people, there is a flickering ray of hope on the horizon that a consensus could be arrived at through a meaningful dialogue.

People are inclined to believe that she means it and every action from the ruling and opposition party stalwarts from now on must be backed by rational considerations, welfare of the masses and a look to

29

the future. Precisely known to all, every crisis is automatically and too often exploited by other interest seekers and pseudo-politicians for their own gains and purposes.

So there is reason to be cautious.

There comes the necessity of grasping the future implications of present events, and forestalling any likely catastrophe. But the overriding fear is that ‘”Rare is the politician who means what he/she says and says what he/she means”.

Most disappointingly, recent events and utterances by the party leaders have symbolised a situation that hardly shows any respect for democracy. The fact that our political leaders must not fail to take note that after so much developmental fiasco that went on for the last decade, this time voters might be judging the leaders and parties now in the election game from the track records they left behind. People are thinking that the moral values and ethical standards of the party leaders have been greatly corroded by a trail of scams and self-enrichment. This election might be an opportunity for the electorate to rid the society in particular and the country at large of the opportunists in public life.

Musing over the worsening scenario developing with each passing day in the country, one is prompted to think that the power of reason, sensibility and taking a realistic appraisal of the situation palls before the power of events. People’s expectation runs high urging the country’s leaders to face historic responsibilities and remake their relationship that holds the country unified in the face of disastrous extremist movements, religion-based politics and anti-liberation forces that loom ominously. And that needs leaders imbued with pragmatism, statesmanship and vision.

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30 November 22, 2013 INDIA 60 Years Down Memory Lane with Indira Gandhi

BY RAJ KANWAR IAN INDIA CORRESPONDENT It was only a few days ago that the country solemnly observed Indira Gandhi’s martyrdom day.

Her assassination on 31st October, 1984 had come as a great shock to almost all of her compatriots. Now on her birthday this 19th November, nostalgic memories of my first meeting with Indira Gandhi as a rookie journalist have come rushing back.

My first contact with Indira Gandhi was via a letter. My late lamented sister, Neel Kamal was a big fan of hers, and was ever keen to meet her. She wanted to write a letter to her but didn’t know what and how to write. She virtually touched my feet and implored and cajoled me to become her ghost-writer.

The maiden letter to Mrs. Gandhi praised her dress sense and the grace with which carried her.

The praise was subtle; she was a role model and icon to the young generation. It was 50 years later that the terms – “role model”, “idol” or “icon” came into vogue.

Then my sister wanted to meet her when she next visited Dehra Dun. At that time Mrs. Gandhi did not hold any official position, except that she was Nehru’s daughter, and the Prime Minister’s official hostess. To our utter delight, and

Neel Kamal and Raj Kanwar flank Indira Gandhi.

surprise too, we received a twoline positive response. Mrs. Gandhi would meet my sister when she next visited Dehra Dun. My sister wanted to send a long letter in reply. “Nothing doing”, I said. Instead in just two sentences I wrote the “thank you” letter. We didn’t want to know the likely date of her visit to Dehra Dun. As a rookie journalist, I would come to know of that in any case.

Kamal was agog with anticipation. “What present should I give her” she asked? “Knit her a blouse”, I suggested without thinking much.

“Oh! That’s a wonderful idea.”

Neel Kamal was fast and skillful at knitting. The blouse was ready in three days. Then it waited, giftpacked, for Mrs. Gandhi to arrive.

Mrs. Gandhi came 15 days later. Two of us cycled up the three kilometers distance to the Circuit House, short of breath and reached its Porch. Those were the balmy days when the dreaded word, “security”, had not made its entry in the political jargon.

If you wanted to meet a VVIP, you just went and met him or her.

The Circuit House in-house

“bearer” Ram Prasad had known me as a journalist; Mrs. Gandhi had not by then come out of her suite. She appeared 15 minutes later, looking graceful in a raw silk saree. We stood up and that was the first time I had met Mrs. Gandhi. Neel Kamal first introduced herself in Hindi, and then me.

The knitted blouse Kamal was a welfare officer in the Indian Red Cross, attached to the Military Hospital. Indira ji asked a couple of questions about the nature of her job; then she talked with me for a while. My sister found a brief break in the conversation, and took out the gift packet, it was our first time trying to give a present to a person of Indira ji’s stature; Kamal was at a loss for words. Taking a deep breath, I told Mrs. Gandhi about the blouse that my sister had knitted for her, and would she accept her humble gift”? As on cue, Kamal took out the packet, tore it open, and pulled out the blouse, and hung it in her hands like a saleswoman, trying to impress a customer. It was a beautiful blouse, beige in colour. Mrs. Gandhi seemed to admire my sister’s handiwork, yet, I wasn’t sure about Mrs. Gandhi’s response.

Before she could say, “No, thank you”, I said “I hope the blouse would fit you, and that you would like it,” or some such words to that effect. With her inbred cour-

tesy, Mrs. Gandhi thanked us, and told my sister she shouldn’t have bothered about knitting the blouse.

Encouraged, I elaborated that the knitting was my sister’s hobby, and that she could knit blindfold in a dark movie theatre while watching a picture. Indira ji was amused.

The two then talked briefly something about knitting patterns; that conversation went above my head.

Indira ji asked Ram Prasad to bring tea for us; we sat there for about 20 minutes. Indira ji left for the Doon School, we cycled all the way back home, greatly thrilled at our adventure. My sister was on cloud nine, and she didn’t talk anything else for next few days.

The most impressed was our father; it soon spread in the neighbourhood. Though it was a big deal for my sister, as also somewhat for me, I kept the gift business in its proper perspective. For me, it had opened access to the highest. It was some time later that I had my first meeting with Nehru on which I have written a separate piece.

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

Raj Kanwar is a Dehra Dun-based author and freelance journalist.

November 22, 2013

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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32 November 22, 2013

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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM