Indo-American News: July 21, 2023

BAPS to Celebrate Festival of Art, Culture, Spirituality in New Jersey

Robbinsville, nJ: BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (B.A.P.S) commenced the Festival of Inspirations in Robbinsville, NJ, in the auspicious presence of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader of BAPS, and David Fried, the Mayor of Robbinsville, NJ on July 16, 2023. The festival is a vibrant celebration that exalts the rich tapestry of diversity, art, architecture, values, and culture of Hinduism.

From intricately crafted sculptures to mesmerizing dance performances and soul-stirring programs, the festival serves as a gateway to ancient wisdom and timeless teachings.

Guests from North America will be encouraged to engage, participate, and soak in the profound teachings that inspire and ignite the human spirit. It is an invitation to embrace the values and principles that have withstood the test of time, fostering a deeper understanding of oneself and the world. Through this immersive journey, the Festival of Inspirations invites all to carry the spark of inspiration back to their own lives, spreading its transformative energy far and wide.

“The Festival of Inspirations serves as a platform for people from all walks of life to discover and embrace the universal values that bind us together,” said Alak Parmar, Women’s Activities National Coordinator at BAPS. “Through cultural showcases and inspirational stories, we aim to engage a wide range of audiences and create a meaningful impact. This festival will inspire and empower individuals to lead lives filled with compassion, understanding, and harmony.”

The festival will have uniquely designed programs for youth, professionals, and community members that aim to inspire and uplift. Various events are planned, including a blood drive that will foster the spirit of giving back and a shared sense of purpose among all generations. A traditional threemonth-long Vedic yagna will be performed to offer heartfelt prayers for peace and harmony with oneself and with the world.

The Festival of Inspirations celebrates the values that are also embodied by the upcoming BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham. This landmark of Hindu architecture and culture bridges the rich heritage of ancient India with the vibrant modernity of America.

Beyond being a place of worship, the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham will serve as a dynamic community center, welcoming diverse individuals for engagement and learning. It stands as a testament to the peaceful coexistence of the Indian American community in the United States and pays tribute to the dedicated spirit of service and devotion displayed by countless volunteers involved in its creation.

The event began with an energizing devotional bhajan, traditional dances, and speeches on the importance of values and festivals.

Pujya Anandswarupdas Swami explained the significant influence of leading a life rooted in values, while Sadguru Pujya Ishwarcharandas Swami underscored the personal development that attendees gain from participating in such festivals.

The festival, which will continue for three months, was inaugurated by Mahant Swami Maharaj, who reinforced the significance of BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham as a beacon of lifelong values, poised to inspire not only the present attendees but future generations as well.

His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the late spiritual leader of BAPS, had a simple but enduring vision: “May the essence of peace and inspiration embrace all who enter BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham.” The soon to be completed BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham campus hopes to fulfill this vision.

“We extend our sincere gratitude to the Robbinsville community for their unwavering support and warm acceptance of the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham,” said Chandresh Patel, Lead Volunteer at BAPS Robbinsville, New Jersey.

Due to limited space, participation in these programs requires pre-registration. Interested individuals can watch the events through a live webcast at https:// na.baps.or g

For detailed information on daily campus timings, please visit baps.org/ robbinsville.

Children and youth perform a captivating traditional dance at the ‘Festival of Inspirations’ launch organized by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Public Event at Houston’s Wortham Center

Houston: Global humanitarian and spiritual leader Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living Foundation (AOLF), brings the “Sixth Sense” public event to Houston on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at the Wortham Theater Center.

The event, presented by the Art of Living Foundation – Houston, features an evening of wisdom and meditation with Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, whose lifelong work focuses on peace, unity, hope and self-renewal at both the level of the individual and society. Gurudev, a visionary leader, created Sudarshan Kriya (SKY) Breath Meditation and has been teaching the breath-based meditation techniques for health and well-being for over 40 years.

These evidence-based techniques are backed by over 100 research studies and transformational experiences of the participants.

Locally, Art of Living volunteer instructors have taught these techniques to participants from all walks of life including healthcare professionals, students, veterans and inmates.

“The time has come for the voice of peace to be heard loud and clear. If each person makes an intention to stand up for peace and makes their mental health a priority, we can make world peace a reality” Gurudev said. This event marks the visit of Gurudev to Houston after a long gap of 15 years and will bring together 2400 people

to unite and take the message of peace to every corner of our community. Houstonians are invited to join this global movement during a historical evening of wisdom and meditation from Gurudev. “In the Sixth Sense event, attendees will learn and experience how to connect with their inner and outer world beyond the senses.

As human beings, we experience this world through our mind and the five known senses. Without spiritual wisdom, we might think that reality is only what we see, hear, touch, smell, or taste. But what happens with the rest of the life that exists beyond our five known senses. By participating,

you will learn how to connect with your Sixth Sense—and gain greater clarity, awareness, peace, and more!

Tickets can be purchased online at https://aolf.me/ sixthsense-houston where additional details may also be found.

About Art of Living Foundation

Operating in 180 countries, The Art of Living Foundation (AOLF) is a nonprofit, educational and humanitarian organization founded in 1981 by renowned humanitarian and spiritual leader Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. All of AOLF’s programs are inspired by Gurudev’s philosophy of creating world peace through a stress-free and violence-free society. AOLF has touched over 800 million lives through numerous educational and self-development programs and tools that facilitate the elimination of stress and foster deep and profound inner peace, happiness, and well being for individuals.

About Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

is a global humanitarian, spiritual leader, and peace envoy. He has helped millions of people worldwide find peace and resilience in the face of adversity, learning not only how to excel in their own lives, but also how to become powerful agents for social change.

Gurudev has created traumarelief and meditation programs for at-risk youth, war veterans, prisoners, and survivors of disaster. He has also created numerous educational and self development programs and tools that facilitate the elimination of stress and foster deep and profound inner peace, happiness and well-being for indi-

viduals.

Standing for the Gandhian principles of non-violence, Gurudev has mediated and progressed negotiations for peace in conflictstricken areas such as Sri Lanka, Iraq, Venezuela, and Colombia, where he is credited for playing a central role in ending the violent 52-year conflict between FARC and the Colombian government. He has received 39 governmental awards, including the highest civilian awards from several nations. Twenty-four universities have awarded him with honorary doctorates for his peace-keeping and humanitarian efforts.

Consulate General of India

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EMGH Hosts First Fund Raiser

Houston: Eternal Gandhi Museum Houston (EGMH) held its first fundraising event on Saturday, June 17, 2023, under the sponsorship of Dr. Nadir and Mrs. Sakina Ali. Dr. and Mrs. Ali toured the museum during construction and were thoroughly impressed. They immediately contacted the Board of Trustees and planned a fun-filled evening at the museum for their family and friends. The event started with guided tours of the museum, followed by a presentation of the EGMH project by members of the Board of Trustees. Madras Pavilion catered a sumptuous dinner for the event.

Dr. Nadir and Mrs. Sakina Ali generously offered to match all donations up to $100,000.00 that evening. The donations quickly surpassed the matching amount with major donors like Ashok and Madhu Moza, Dr. Ravi and Sudha Mani, Tasnim Vadva, and Dr. Sangeeta Saikia. We raised more than $225,000 in one evening.

EGMH has now raised $7.825 million of the $10 million requirement for the construction budget. The EGMH Board of Trustees are truly grateful to Dr. Nadir and Mrs. Sakina Ali and appreciates all the donors for their generous support!

Dr. Manish K Wani, Rita Kothari, Sakina Ali, Dr. Nadir M Ali, Atul Kothari, GV Krishnan, Namita Sutaria and Ajit Paralkar – Photo Courtesy of Ajit Paralkar.

Ibn Sina Foundation to Explore Founding an Osteopathic Medical School

Houston: The shortage of minority physicians nationally can be attributed to several complex factors. One key reason is the limited access to quality education and resources for underrepresented minority communities.

Many individuals from these communities face socioeconomic challenges that hinder their ability to pursue higher education, including medical school. Additionally, there is a lack of adequate representation and mentorship for aspiring minority physicians, which can discourage them from pursuing medical careers. Bias and discrimination within the healthcare system and medical education also contribute to disparities in opportunities and support for minority students.

Addressing these systemic barriers and promoting diversity and inclusion in medical education, providing the opportunity to educate underrepresented physicians, and creating and providing training programs are essential steps toward increasing the number of minority physicians and ensuring equitable healthcare for all. The presence of underrepresented physicians in medical schools and healthcare leadership roles inspires and encourages aspiring students from similar backgrounds. Their presence breaks down barriers, challenges stereotypes, and sends a powerful message that anyone can pursue a medical career regardless of their background.

By diversifying the physician workforce, we improve healthcare delivery and provide role models who can inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals.

On May 17, 2023, the Chairman of the Ibn Sina Foundation, Mr. Nasruddin Rupani, announced the exploration of an Osteopathic Medical School in Greater Houston serving underserved populations. He made this announcement at a local hotel in the presence of various elected officials, academia, professionals, and many community leaders.

For over 20 years, the Ibn Sina Foundation clinics have provided more than 1.5 million patient visits, making it the second-largest provider of care to the disadvantaged in Houston.

Mr. Rupani, in his opening remarks, said that today marks a monumental occasion as we begin the formal feasibility study for a groundbreaking institution—the

proposed Ibn Sina College of Osteopathic Medicine, a beacon of hope, knowledge, and compassion. “With immense pride and joy, we celebrate the exploration of an osteopathic medical school that will prepare physicians to serve the underserved populations in Greater Houston, Texas,” said Rupani. “Given our service and commitment, we must now explore the opportunities to develop a medical school to train healthcare professionals to expand the Ibn Sina Foundation’s clinics,” said Rupani.

To witness the announcement, Senator John Whitmire, State Representative Jacey Jetton, Commissioner Dexter L. McCoy, representatives of Dr. Suleman Lalani, Salman Bhojani, and Jane Wu, and other community, educational, and healthcare leaders were present. State representatives, elected officials, and community leaders welcomed the idea and showed their commitment and support to the noble cause initiated by the Ibn Sina Foundation. The Foundation hired the national consulting firm Tripp Umbach to complete a feasibility study expected to be completed by September. The proposed medical school will begin the formal accreditation process with the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation and hire a founding dean in the fall of 2023, with plans to open the new medical school in the summer of 2027.

Swami Mukundananda Lecture Series: Aug 5th to 18th, 2023

Houston: Swami Mukundananda ji, a world-renowned teacher of Spirituality, Yoga & Meditation, will conduct two different programs from August 5 – August 18 in Houston. The first week-long program is a Life Transformation Program (LTP). Swamiji will delve into the topic of Golden Rules for Living Your Best Life at India House, from August 5 to August 11. In the second program, Swamiji diverges in a different direction to help us focus and progress on our spiritual journey with Bhagavad Gita – The Song of God at Houston Durgabari Auditorium from August 12 to August 18. Swamiji will also have a meet and greet session each day to answer your specific questions.

Swami Mukundananda received his degrees in Engineering and Management from two world famous institutes in India- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Indian Institute of Management (IIM) respectively. However, the call of God was so strong that after a short while on a successful corporate executive career path, he renounced his professional career to take Sanyas at age 23 in quest for God-realization. Swamiji is a senior disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj and the founder of JKYog - a nonprofit organization dedicated to the spiritual, mental, and physical wellness of humankind. Over the last four decades, Swamiji has been travelling all over the world, awakening thousands of seekers through true Yoga and Spirituality.

During the first week-long Pro-

gram from Aug. 5-11, Swamiji will be presenting Golden Rules for Living Your Best Life. The journey of life is an interesting one. It begins at birth when we make our entry into this world confused and crying. From then on, we face challenges, difficulties, and hard ships. The irony in life is that difficult experiences present themselves first and the wisdom of how to handle them comes later. This is like being thrown into the deep end of a pool and being expected to learn swimming to save ourselves. Would it not be useful if we had a manual for living that we could consult? Every complex gadget in this world comes with its user’s guide. It is our one stop resource for procedures for operating it. And a troubleshooting guide on what to do in case of problems. Likewise, it is with life as well. Swami Mukundananda’s lecture series Golden Rules for Living Your Best Life… is meant

to bridge this gap, almost as a user’s manual for life.

During the second week-long program Swamiji will make a beautiful transition to a sweeter more devotional understanding of bhakti, for the spiritual seekers in us, with Bhagavad Gita – The Song of God.

Admission to program is Free and Dinner Prasadam will be served after discourses. Free Registration is requested.

Swami Mukundananda conducts Life Transformation Programs (LTPs) in multiple cities in the USA and India. These week-long programs include intellectual discourses and meditation sessions. In addition, Swami Mukundananda conducts spiritual retreats in the USA and India for the holistic upliftment of the body, mind, and soul.

Swami Mukundananda Exclusive is an online community of people who have a yearning to enhance the quality of their lives and help others grow with them. With SMEx membership, people from around the world can join regular LIVE interaction with Swami Mukundananda to learn how to live a fulfilling life through his discourses, and get their doubts clarified through the interactive question and answer segment. There is also exclusive content created for community members on the SMEx website.

Swamiji has been invited to speak at various Fortune 500 companies like Google, Oracle, Yahoo, Amazon, M.D. Anderson, Merck, and for the youth, Swamiji has conducted programs at prestigious universities like

Princeton, Stanford, Kellogg, MIT, and Duke.

Details:

Golden Rules for Living your Best Life - daily discourse at India House at 8888 W Bellfort Ave, Houston, TX 77031 from 6:45pm - 9pm from August 5 – 11

(Sat to Fri)

Bhagavad Gita – The Song of

God – daily discourse at Durgabari Auditorium, 13944 Schiller Rad, Houston, TX 77082 India House at 8888 W Bellfort Ave, Houston, TX 77031 from 6:45pm - 9pm Aug 12 – 18 (Sat to Fri)

Contact 281-630-5982, 281780-4877 832-377-6070. Free Registration at https://www. jkyog.org/Houston

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‘Tarla’: Savory Tale with Heart-warming Moments

by Ronak kotecHa

Story: Based on the life of the late Tarla Dalal, the film chronicles her journey from being a modest housewife to one of the most celebrated chefs of India, who spread her magic of vegetarian recipes all over the globe.

Review: Tarla Dalal (played by Huma Qureshi) became a household name for her vegetarian recipes that fed many singles deprived of home-cooked meals and helped young women impress their inlaws and husbands so that they could have their way after marriage. The story begins in a modest setting of Ahmedabad where a young Tarla Shah is yearning to do something in life but doesn’t know what to do. Before she can figure that out, she is married off to Nalin Dalal (Sharib Hashmi) - a quality manager from Mumbai. This is the India of the 70’s when women were married off before they could finish college and men were expected to get a wife to cook and clean after them. And that’s exactly what happens with Tarla whose dream of “doing something” in life is long forgotten, as she gets busy taking care of her home and raising three children. Until one day it dawns upon her that it isn’t too late yet.

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the film and he owns them. Some of the dialogues in the latter half of the movie are just the topping the story needed.

It’s also surprisingly low on mouthwatering visuals of gastronomic delights. In a tale centered around the culinary world, one would expect a visual feast that tantalizes the senses. Given that Tarla’s story was that of a simple middle-class housewife with no earth shattering ups and downs, they should have also focused more on celebrating her success rather than just limiting the screen-

play to how she got there. The narrative spends too much time setting her up for success and leaves less time for us to revel in Tarla’s eventual victory. A recipe book, followed by a cookery show on television was a big thing for sure but Tarla Dalal had also ventured into the digital space with her own YouTube channel. The film doesn’t touch upon that. After all, she had the first mover advantage. Despite these minor quibbles, the film leaves a sweet and engaging aftertaste. Like a wholesome Gujarati thali, it offers a little bit of everything, delivering a satisfying and convenient experience. The music (by Suhit Abhyankar, Nilotpal Bora and Rohan Vinayak) harmonizes beautifully with the narrative, adding a sweet and simple melody to the on-screen proceedings..

Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

Send us the correct answer before July 25, 2023. Email us at indoamericannews@yahoo.com. Please send us your solved Sudoku for your name to be published.

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In conclusion, ‘Tarla’ serves up a decent cinematic treat, reminding us of the power of pursuing our passions and breaking free from societal constraints. It’s a culinary adventure that celebrates the legacy of a remarkable woman whose perseverance was the secret ingredient for her success.-- Times of India

Director Piyush Gupta skilfully sets the stage of the time when patriarchal norms ruled and women’s dreams were often put on the back burner. While we have come a long way since then, it’s not surprising to witness this situation even today — where a woman as a homemaker is expected to be a 10/10, no matter how hard she works in her professional life or how high she soars. The film also transports us to a bygone era adding a touch of nostalgia and a pinch of relatability that will particularly resonate with Mumbaikars.

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Last Week’s Solution

Writers Piyush Gupta and Gautam Ved craft a narrative that warms the heart and whets the appetite for a triumphant story. While the storytelling simmers at a slow pace, it allows for moments of small victories that leave a satisfying aftertaste.

Huma Qureshi dons the chef’s apron with finesse, serving up a captivating performance that perfectly balances genuine emotion and avoids the excess of melodrama.

Alongside her, Sharib Hashmi adds a zesty flavor, infusing the film with an unconventional portrayal that inspires audiences with his progressive outlook on life and relationships. Infact, Hashmi has some of the best moments in

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