Saathee Charlotte March 2021 by Shukla Entertainment

Bridging America and the Indian Subcontinent

Saathee.com

March 2021

IN THIS ISSUE

Arangetram Blues During the Pandemic: pg 22 Vitamin D Deﬁciency: pg 40 Recipe: Crispy Pakoras: pg 72

Business Classiﬁeds: pg 92

10049 Weddington Road • Concord NC 28027 • 704-979-7433 www.speedwayharley-davidson.com

Hello Readers! The tease of spring is in the air. This month we increase our daylight hours, the vaccines are being given at higher rates, and the slowly blooming warmer weather, especially here in the south, will bring brighter days and brighter moods. In the meantime we continue to bring you a variety of content in Saathee magazine as well as saathee.com and social media. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter for more of our mission: "Bridging America and the Indian Subcontinent." Thanks for reading Saathee and we will see you again next month. Please continue to support your local businesses, non-profits and schools while better days approach. Stay healthy and connected.

“Bridging America and the Indian Subcontinent.”

March 2021 Issue # 274 - Saathee.com Editor Samir Shukla (Samir@Saathee.com)

Comments and Suggestions always welcome. Email saathee@saathee.com

Publisher & Advertising Divakar Shukla

You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.

704-527-7570 or rakavid@aol.com

Rabindranath Tagore

Digital Media & Marketing Jennifer W. Allen

Ad Design / Layout Nathan C. Andrews

Contributors for this issue: Kirit Shukla, Dr. Ravikant Varanasi, Taige Shukla, Parul Kharod, Shyama Parui, Mo Vidwans, Dr. Maha Gingrich, Raajeev Aggerwhil, Balaji Prasad, Preethi Sriram, Rishi P. Oza, & Jalendu Vaidya.

Cover: Bhaktapur, Nepal People in Nepal celebrating holi festival in spring in Bhaktapur. Holi is celebrated in India and around the world with colors, food, songs and dancing. This year’s celebrations will be subdued, but the spirit of Holi remains eternal.

Mission: Our goal is to be a valuable source of information for the South Asian community and to be a vital advertising tool for businesses.

- FOUNDED 1998 -

Saathee Magazine P.O. Box 11468 Charlotte, NC 28220

704.527.7570 Photo: Shutterstock.com/Kristin F. Ruhs

Fax: 704.527.7590

Saathee@saathee.com

Opinions expressed herein are those of the writers and advertisers and not necessarily of the publisher or editor. Please contact us prior to submitting articles or photographs.

Saathee (USPS 021-116) (ISSN: 1543-8147) is published monthly by:

Shukla Entertainment Inc. 635 Pressley Rd., Ste J, Charlotte, NC 28217 Periodicals postage paid at Charlotte, NC and additional mailing offices.

Saathee is published monthly. Deadlines for advertisement, submissions and events information is 15th of the month.

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Saathee, P.O. Box 11468, Charlotte, NC 28220-1468 Saathee.com

March 2021

In This Issue

Page 22 Arangetram Blues During the Pandemic

Page 28 Mohanlal Stars in Marakkar, Lion of the Arabian Sea. The Film Opens in March.

Page 42 Riz Ahmed Stars in Sound of Metal.

Page 34 Increase your India Knowledge: Ganga

Content The Editor’s Desk . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 14

Mirror, Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 46

Immigration Matters . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 74

Community Events . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 18

Raajeev’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 48

Youth Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 84

Dances of India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 22

Spot the Differences . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 50

Pop’s Puzzles and Jokes . . . . . . . . .pg. 86

Upcoming Movie Releases . . . . . . .pg. 26

Thinking About Thinking . . . . . . .pg. 54

Festivals and Holidays . . . . . . . . . .pg. 88

Film Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 28

NASA Mars Mission . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 56

Puzzle Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 88

Increase India Knowledge . . . . . . .pg. 34

Personal Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 60

AstroScope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 90

Increase USA Knowledge . . . . . . . .pg. 38

An Adult Indian Dance Student . .pg. 62

Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 92

Nutrition for Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 40

News Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 64

Index of Advertisers . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 96

Read Watch Listen . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 42

Namaskar Y’all . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 66

House Call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 44

Recipe: Crispy Pakoras . . . . . . . . . .pg. 72

Saathee.com

March 2021

Recalling the Remembered

The Editor’s Desk by Samir Shukla

Aren’t all memories enhanced? What happened in a moment or an incident in the distant past, sometimes even the near past, and what we remember of that moment or incident can be a little, shall we say, hazy. This can generate recall of that memory with a bit of colorizing and enhancement, where we may stitch the lost bits with infill. Outside of photo or video documentation, recall can get blurry as time passes. Oral histories and family stories have been passed down through generations. I’m sure some were reworked to fill the missing parts of degraded memory. Sometimes folks like to liven up that personal tale they’ve been telling friends and family. Autobiographies are memory collections presented to readers. The best ones take into account personal lapses and agendas, giving the reader an honest rendering. Some writers may ignore memory lapses and may exclude embarrassing moments. These lifetime-spanning stacks of memory bound into a story or collection leave judgment to readers. I often awake to foggy mornings, of my mind that is. Out of the blue or maybe induced by a dream, I sometimes awake thinking of a past event or gathering first thing in the morning and am troubled when I can’t remember certain details or persons. Names are a bad memory Saathee.com

item for me. In the mornings, it takes a hot cup of chai to reconnect the brain. In the evenings, sometimes a glass of velvety red wine fires up clarity and startles me with recall of long forgotten moments. Mundane daily things, what I had for breakfast yesterday, can be forgotten, but the memorable things, or what should be memorable, also become mushed with that hazy lot. These bouts of fogginess appear in my brain now more often than in the past. Sure, aging has something to do with it. Also, there’s just so much content and trivial info we process daily, that our minds become even more clogged. Scattering memories that we would like to remember while infecting thoughts with nonsensical repeaters like some song that keeps playing over and over in the mind. Here’s a way to test the bounds of memory of something memorable that happens to you. Jot down the details of an event or an interesting day, even some quirky minor things, on a piece of paper and save that note or piece of paper. Fold that piece of paper, date it, and store it somewhere safe that you can recover later. Revisit it a year or two later. Keeping an unbound time capsule of sorts. Diaries and blogs do the same thing, but they require regular entries, and most people don’t have the time or inclination, so an occasional logging of memory note to your future self is my suggestion. Also, the scarcity of such documents makes them even more valuable. A year or two later, see how your memory holds up to the first person observed reporting you did on that note, on that date. First recall what happened and then open what you wrote down. Maybe you can do this for a five-year period or longer. I’ve left notes to self and found them years later in a forgotten storage box. I’m suggesting a piece of paper in our digital age because I think the physicality of paper gives it more grounding, warmer meaning, a rarity in contemporary times. Digital data, photos, videos, all get mired into the vastness of digital chaos and wind up in the ether of clouded brain cells, social media deluge and eventually in the bowels of endless data in cloud storage. I think a handwritten piece of paper, like an old, cherished photograph, or a found old handwritten letter, has special value. It’s a segment in the memory vault that feels real. I suggest writing down added details, along with let’s say thoughts on that wedding you attended, something like, “a book fell oﬀ a bookshelf and popped me on the head, while frantically getting dressed for the wedding on this Sunday morning mid-May, date and time...” A reread of this note later will enhance that recalled memory, maybe even more than any photos or videos taken that day, because you will reinsert yourself into the forgotten folds of that day. Memory lapses or recalling something in a heated persuasion situation are also the bane of relationships. How many spousal conflicts would be avoided if memory gestation took hold fully and there was a mutually understood language? “That’s not how I remember it,” maybe one of the most universally spewed statements in such arguments. So, as I was saying, oh, wait a minute, hold on, damn, I just remembered I was supposed to do something for my wife today, she asked me a week ago to remember it…, crap, anyway, remember this moment, remember this day, jot it down and put it away. You and your memory will meet again.

Samir Shukla Editor of Saathee Magazine Contact: Samir@Saathee.com Twitter: @ShuklaWrites Newsletter: ShuklaWrites.Substack.com 14

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March 2021

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March 2021

Community Events Catawba Valley Gem & Mineral Show: Hickory, NC (March 26-28, 2021)

Asheville Half Marathon: (March 20, 2021)

Maha Shivratri Celebrations: NC Temples (March 2021) The Hindu Center of Charlotte presents Maha Shivratri celebrations on Thursday, March 11, 2021. There will be Lord Shiva abhishekam all day and puja all night long. There will be bhajans, aarti and prasad served. For more details, call the temple at 704-5353440 or visit Hcclt.org. ———————————— The Sri Venkateswara Temple of NC presents Maha Shivratri celebrations between March 10 & 12, 2021 with Maha Mrityunjaya Pashupata, Rudrabhishekam and Homam to help lift mankind from unexpected death and be gifted with good health, wealth & prosperity. Details: Svtemplenc.org.

Start your 2021 Asheville Half Marathon in downtown Asheville Pack Square and run through city streets, River Arts District, along the French Broad river and through the park. This fast, half marathon is a dream come true for runners looking to get their personal best in the mountains of Western North Carolina. The majority of the miles are flat running along the river on the greenway and through the city parks. Due to COVID-19, guidelines are being put in place to provide a safe and socially distanced event. See more info at Idaph.net/avlhalf.

North Carolina Azalea Festival: Wilmington, NC (April 7-11, 2021) The North Carolina Azalea Festival is a celebration of Wilmington’s artwork, gardens, rich history and culture. Celebrate Spring southern style with Colorful Parades, bustling Street Fairs, charming Home and Garden Tours, Art Shows, Fireworks, concerts, as well as the majestic coronation of a Festival Queen and Princess. The festival will be held between April 7 & 11, 2021. More information can be found at Ncazaleafestival.org.

Charleston Race Week (April 8-11, 2021)

ARTS Day 2021: (March 22-24, 2021) Arts NC is the first Online ARTS Day Conference on March 22 & 24, 2021. The interactive digital platform in Raleigh will feature morning and afternoon virtual talks with various artists and speakers. Registration and other information can be found at Artsnc.org/arts-day/arts-day-2021.

Summerville Family Flowertown Festival: (March 26-28, 2021) The Flowertown Festival was founded in 1972 to support health and wellness programs. Every spring, thousands of people visit Summerville to see nature’s bounty awash in color, from the hot pink azaleas, to the purple wisteria, to the white dogwood. On this three-day weekend between March 26 & 28, 2021, festival-goers transcend this gracious Southern town to take in the flowers and hospitality and attend one of the largest arts and crafts festivals in the Southeast. Learn more at Summervilleymca.org/flowertown. Saathee.com

The show will feature many vendors oﬀering gems, minerals, beads, fossils and jewelry. There will also be an education area, minimine, fossil & geologist booths, demonstrations, and more. The event will be held at the Hickory Metro Convention Center between March 26 & 28, 2021. Admission is $5 for all 3 days. Free admission for military, law enforcement, scouts, and organized groups. Details at Facebook.com/Catawbaannualshow.

While the event’s tag line has long been a Regatta Unlike Any Other, this year’s event will undoubtedly live up to it. The Sperry Charleston Race Week is now in its 25th year. This year’s race will take place between April 8 & 11, 2021 along the Charleston Harbor. After a lot of thought, research, and meetings with appropriate oﬃcials, the race committee is confident that they can host this event safely and still deliver the professional, competitive, and fun event that Race Week is known for. See more information including registration at Charlestonraceweek.com. March 2021

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The importance of education today is undeniable. Are you prepared for what it costs? It takes planning to fund the cost of an education considering that between 2006-07 and 2016-17, published in-state tuition and fees at public four-year institutions increased at an average rate of 3.5% per year beyond inﬂation1. While tuition will be the largest expense, don't forget about these additional costs that may be incurred: Pre-College Costs • Standardized test fees • Test prep courses and materials • Campus visits • Moving costs Additional College Costs • Room & Board • Books & Supplies 1 College Board (Trends in Higher Education) 2017 • Transportation

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March 2021

Community Events TAHTS Health Fair (Virtual through April 14, 2021)

CAPES for Kids Run: Florence, SC (May 1, 2021)

Triangle Area Hindu Temples and Triangle Indian-American Physicians Society present their 12th annual nationwide virtual health fair. Open to all, irrespective of race, religion, or nationality. Some advantages of this innovative approach to Health Fair during a pandemic: Safe and convenient way of a blood test; get your blood tested at any LabCorp location on your chosen time and date. The blood test panel consists of complete blood count, comprehensive metabolic panel, cholesterol panel, hemoglobin a1c and thyroid stimulating hormone, and is only $20. (For age 18 years and older). Your family and friends can take advantage, anywhere in the country. Consult the physician from anywhere in the country. Blood Draw Day (select any day) 03/15/2021 to 04/14/2021 at any LabCorp Service Center. Physician consult can happen a few days after the lab at your convenience from your home. Register online at Tahts.org.

The CARE House of the Pee Dee will be hosting their 10th annual 5k/10k/Kids Fun Run, formally known as the Carver C.A.P. Run. All proceeds go towards helping the CARE House of the Pee Dee continue their eﬀorts to provide investigative, therapeutic, medical and advocacy services to children who have been abused and their families. Special COVID-19 safety measures will be in place for the event which will take place on Saturday, May 1, 2021. Learn more at Thecarehouse.com/capes-for-kids-run.

Artisphere: Greenville, SC (May 7-9, 2021) Whether you’re a Greenville native or looking to visit for the first time, the 17th annual Artisphere oﬀers a one-of-a-kind experience. From award winning restaurants to some of the most talented artists gathered on one of the quaintest main streets in the south, Artisphere is for all. This mixture of visual, performing and culinary art will be on display along the streets of downtown Greenville, SC from May 7-9, 2021. More info can be found at Artisphere.org.

SC Comicon: Greenville, SC (April 17-18, 2021) SC Comicon is the Upstate’s premier comics and pop culture convention. This family-friendly event in Greenville, SC has something for fans of all ages—from the top creators in comics and celebrity guests, to games, toys and collectibles, and cosplayers. The convention will be held at the Greenville Convention Center on April 17 & 18, 2021. Learn more at Sccomicon.com.

North Carolina Brewers & Music Festival: Huntersville, NC (May 7-8, 2021)

The 10th Annual Brewers & Music Festival is both for those with a The Sindhi Association of Charlotte presents the palate for quality craft brews made annual Cheti Chand celebration at the Hindu in North Carolina and those who Center on Sunday, April 18, 2021. There will enjoy a good outdoor jam. religious ceremony, prasad, food, and Featuring over three hours of free cultural program. The center is located at tasting, two days packed full of 7400 City View, Dr., Charlotte. For more great music, food, shopping, details contact, 704-535-3440, email camping, and more. Music Only, administrator@hcclt.org or visit, Hcclt.org. Designated Driver, and under 21 tickets are available at a reduced rate so everyone can enjoy the great music. More information including ticket prices iFiveK Race: Charleston, SC (April 22, 2021) The iFiveK race is a favorite run and networking event for can be found at Ncbrewsmusic.com. Charleston’s tech professionals. Since its 2007 debut with 250 participants, the iFiveK has grown to its cap of 1,200 registrants. Charlotte Water Lantern Festival: (May 8, 2021) Proceeds from the iFiveK support the Charleston Digital Corridor’s talent strategy. The race is scheduled to resume on Thursday, April 22, 2021. See Ifivek.com for more information.

Cheti Chand: Charlotte, NC (April 18, 2021)

Myrtle Beach Marathon: (May 1, 2021) Whether you’re looking to qualify for the Boston Marathon or planning a fun running weekend getaway with the family, the 24th annual Myrtle Beach Marathon course is the place to start. Start near Broadway at the Beach, race along Ocean Blvd, and finish at Pelicans Ballpark for a post-race extravaganza. Start your running journey on Saturday, May 1, 2021 with a full marathon, half marathon, 5k, a virtual family fun run, and for the first time, a Virtual 10k Race. Learn more details at capstoneraces.com/myrtle-beach-marathon. Saathee.com

The Charlotte Water Lantern Festival will be held on Saturday, May 8, 2021 starting at 5:30pm at Symphony Park at South Park on 4400 Sharon Road in Charlotte. The Festival is filled with fun, happiness, hope, and memories that you’ll cherish for a lifetime. This is a family friendly event that brings friends, families, and neighbors together to create a peaceful, memorable experience. Tickets and info can be found at Waterlanternfestival.com/charlotte. 20

March 2021

Arangetram Blues During Pandemic Dances of India by Dr. Maha Gingrich

Summer 2020 and Winter 2020 would have been filled with arangetrams (dance graduations), and its grand preparations that mimic weddings along with student and teacher rehearsals, and stamina practices, just to name a few. For the first in my lifetime, we are in an unknown twilight zone. Instead of preparing for the graduations at warp speed 10 (I am a Star Trek fan, so sorry I had to use the language to express the speed of life), here we are - lost in space. Some students and parents decided to move forward with the ceremonies without the audience using online applications. Some decided to wait with faith and hope for a day of celebration with their family and friends. Arangetram is a monumental task as diﬃcult as planning weddings. Now with the uncertain times, I am more concerned about my students than the event itself. They worked hard and were ready to meet the challenges of the one and only arangetram day. All the excitement and hard work came to a hard stop. This is a very challenging and Saathee.com

sometimes depressing times for these students who have been training almost all their life for this event. It is like training for Olympics to find out the Olympics have been cancelled. Please talk to the kids and make sure they are ok. Listen to their feelings and concerns. They need us now more than ever before. As parents, irrespective of whether you are planning a virtual celebration or in-person celebration, I have a few suggestions for organizing this very important and once in a lifetime event. I thought I will share 10 most important planning tips with all the readers just in case you are also thinking of planning an arangetram in the future or know of someone who may be planning. In my opinion, the key to a successful arangetram is planning, planning and planning. This planning includes many things such as dance practices in person or virtual, setting the date, finding a venue to accommodate your expected audience during these times, invitation cards or evites, budgets, ordering costumes (as India is open now), planning (boxed) lunches and dinners etc. If you are anything like me, I am not good at asking for help from anyone. Here are my TEN major suggestions: Plan for the event in advance and have a budget limit in mind. Start saving as soon as you can. Do not postpone anything for later, as Murphy’s Law may take over. Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. It is a major event in the student’s life and the family’s life. There is a lot of pressure for the parents to perfect this event. Do not compete with others. Find the level that is good for you and do your best. Set the date and book the venue first. After you book the venue, plan invitations/evites, costumes, decorations, guest list, menu for the reception etc. Number of attendees should match your venue. Make sure you know the capacity of the auditorium and match it with your guest list. Cut down or add to the guest list as needed. (During COVID times, cut the list in half continued on page 82

March 2021

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March 2021

Upcoming Movie Releases All Dates Subject to Change - Visit Saathee.com/Movies for updates

March 18

March 5

Zack Synder's Justice League (Streaming) (Director: Zack Snyder) Cast: Ben Aﬄeck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jeremy Irons, and Diane Lane

March 19 The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (Director: Tom Gormican) Cast: Nicolas Cage, Pedro Pascal, and Neil Patrick Harris Chaavu Kaburu Challaga (Director: Koushik Pegallapati) Cast: Kartikeya Gummakonda, and Srikanth Iyyengar

The Priest (Director: Jofin T Chacko) Cast: Mammootty, Manju Warrier, Nikhila Vimal, and Saniya Iyyappan

The Courier (Director: Dominic Cooke) Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel Brosnahan, and Kirill Pirogov

Chaos Walking (Director: Doug Liman) Cast: Daisy Ridley, Tom Holland, Nick Jonas, and David Oyelowo

Idhe Maa Katha (Director: Guru Pawan) Cast: Sumanth Ashwin, Bhumika Chawla, and Ram Prasad

Raya and the Last Dragon (Directors: Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada) Cast: Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, and Alan Tudyk

March 22

Pixie (Director: Barnaby Thompson) Cast: Olivia Cooke, Ben Hardy, Colm Meaney, and Alec Baldwin

No Means No (Director: Vikash Verma) Cast: Dhruv Verma, Gulshan Grover, Sharad Kapoor, and Deepraj Rana

Boss Level (Streaming) (Director: Joe Carnahan) Cast: Frank Grillo, Mel Gibson, Naomi Watts, and Michelle Yeoh

March 26 Rang De (Director: Venky Atluri) Cast: Nithiin, Keerthy Suresh, and Abhinav Gomatam Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea (Director: Priyadarshan) Cast: Mohanlal, Manju Warrier, Suniel Shetty, and Prabhu

March 11 Sreekaram (Director: Kishore Reddy) Cast: Sharwanand, Priyanka Arul Mohan, and Satya Akkala

Koi Jaane Naa (Director: Amin Hajee) Cast: Kunal Kapoor and Anyra Dastur Thellavarithe Guruvaram (Director: Manikanth Gelli) Cast: Sri Simha, Harsha Chemudu, and Mourya

Gaali Sampath (Director: Anish Krishna) Cast: Sree Vishnu, Rajendra Prasad, Anish Kuruvilla, and Rajitha

March 31

Jathi Ratnalu (Director: Anudeep K V) Cast: Naveen Polishetty, Faria Abdullah, and Naresh VK Saathee.com

Godzilla vs. Kong (Director: Adam Wingard) Cast: Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, and Demián Bichir 26

March 2021

Film Clips The Courier In this political, true story spy thriller, Cold War spy Greville Wynne and his Russian source try to put an end to the Cuban Missile Crisis. The film is directed by Dominic Cooke and stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel Brosnahan, and Kirill Pirogov. It opens on March 19.

No Means No No Means No is a cross-genre action-packed, musical love story. It’s also a courtroom drama filled with twists and turns that begin to unravel to reach a conclusion that calls out for justice. The cast includes Dhruv Verma, Gulshan Grover, Sharad Kapoor, and Deepraj Rana. The film is helmed by Vikash Verma and opens on March 29.

Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea

The epic adventure directed by Priyadarshan is the story of legendary Kunjali Marakkar IV and his epic warfare against the Portuguese in India. The huge cast includes Mohanlal, Manju Warrier, Arjun Sarja, Suniel Shetty, and Prabhu. Look of it in cinemas beginning March 29.

Bell Bottom Akshay Kumar stars in the spy thriller Bell Bottom, set in the 1980's. Shot in the highlands of Scotland, Kumar plays a RAW agent on the trail of a mystery. The film written by Aseem Arrora and Parveez Shaikh also stars Vaani Kapoor along with Huma Qureshi and Lara Dutta Bhupathi and is directed by Ranjit M Tewari. Music is composed Tanishk Bagchi. The film opens in theaters on April 2. Saathee.com

South Asian Arts Organization Launches TasveerTV

The South Asian arts organization Tasveer has launched TasveerTV, a virtual cinema platform dedicated to South Asian content and creators. TasveerTV will serve as a virtual theater with specially curated content. The platform will champion independent films and other media content created by South Asians and their Diaspora worldwide. TasveerTV will also share revenue with the creators to support the sustainability of their careers. TasveerTV’s initial oﬀerings include the feature documentary Aunty Sudha Aunty Radha, by director Tanuja Chandra. Ronak Shah’s debut feature Love Goes through Your Mind and other features and short films. There will also be virtual Q&As with some of the filmmakers. Pulkit Datta, Artistic Director, said, “South Asian filmmakers creating independent work often struggle with distribution opportunities and rarely see any revenue. We want to change that. We want TasveerTV to be a home for innovative, independent South Asian content, while also working with the creators to make revenue for their work.” For more details, visit Tasveer.tv.

Looking for a Lady with Fangs and a Moustache This Nepali production, directed by Khyentse Norbu and cinematography by Mark Lee Ping-bing, tells the story of Tenzin, a modern Tibetan entrepreneur, utterly skeptical of ancient, mystical beliefs, who is 28

suddenly haunted by frightening dreams and hallucinations. A sage tells him those are omens for his imminent death. Filmed in mesmerizing Kathmandu, Tenzin will have seven days to save his life: a most unconventional, sacred journey into feminine energy. Known in the Buddhist world as Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, Norbu

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Bombay Begums

Bombay Begums follows the ambition, desire, the struggle for power, and vulnerability common threads that run through the lives of five modern Indian women living in Mumbai, the city of dreams. They steer their lives through obstacles in their careers and relationships, all while trying to break free from the shackles of society. The original series features Pooja Bhatt, Shahana Goswami, Amruta Subhash, March 2021

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March 2021

Plabita Borthakur, and Aadhya Anand along with Rahul Sandeep aur Pinky Faraar Bose, Vivek Gomber, and Danish Husain. Creator and Sandeep aur Pinky Faraar (transl. Sandeep Director Alankrita Shrivastava said, "Bombay Begums is a and Pinky have absconded) is a comedy story about Indian women that I hope women in India, and film directed and produced by Dibakar across the world will connect with. The series explores the Banerjee. The film is a story of a man and complex journey of working Indian women who are a woman who represent two completely ambitious for power and success but have many other diﬀerent Indias. Two more unlikely battles to fight too. I have tried to create a world that reflects protagonists in one film are the realities of urban working women." It will premiere on unimaginable. They are united in one International Women’s day, March 8 on Netflix. thing only. Their mistrust, suspicion, and hate for each other. Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra play lead roles Late Rajiv Kapoor’s Last Film Appearance will for the film that is slated for release on March 19.

be in Toolsidas Junior

Bunty Aur Babli 2

Producer Ashutosh Gowariker's Toolsidas Junior marks the last film of veteran actor Rajiv Kapoor, youngest son of the late Raj Kapoor. Sharing his thoughts and remembering the actor, Gowariker shared an emotional note on social media and said, "I was a great fan of Rajiv Kapoor, from his Ram Teri Ganga Maili days. It was a superb debut performance. I carried that memory with me for many years and then we connected quite a few times since Lagaan. And when an opportunity arrived in the form of my production of Toolsidas Junior, I cast him in it." Rajiv Kapoor died of cardiac arrest on February 9. Toolsidas Junior is an inspiring sports drama that also stars Sanjay Dutt and is written and directed by Mridul. No release date has been announced.

Laser & Skin

This Hindi crime comedy film, directed by newcomer Varun V. Sharma and produced by Yash Raj Films, serves as a spiritual sequel of the 2005 film Bunty Aur Babli. The original starred Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukherji, and Amitabh Bachchan. This sequel stars Rani Mukerji, Saif Ali Khan, Siddhant Chaturvedi and newcomer Sharvari Wagh. The stories for both films were written by Aditya Chopra. The sequel sees the partners in crime come out of retirement for more shenanigans. The movie releases on April 23.

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Knowledge The Ganga The Ganga (Ganges) River in northern India begins high in the Himalayas and empties out into the Bay of Bengal in Bangladesh. The surrounding river basin has a population of more than four hundred million people. The river is a sacred body of water to Hindus and is often referred to as Ma Ganga (Mother Ganga). Ganga originates in the Himalaya Mountains at Gomukh, the terminus of the Gangotri Glacier. When the ice of this glacier melts, it forms the clear waters of the Bhagirathi River, which flows down the Himalayas and joins the Alaknanda River, officially forming the Ganga. The Ganga River Basin is sometimes considered part of a larger river basin consisting of the Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers. Known as the Ganges-BrahmaputraMeghna (GBM) River Basin, it is one of the largest river systems in the world. Ganga carries nutrient rich sediment as it flows, depositing fertile soil along its shores. This has allowed civilizations to develop and thrive along the waterway for centuries. Its waters are used for fishing, irrigation, and bathing. As the river empties into the Bay of Bengal, the mouth forms the Ganges River Delta, the largest river delta in the world. Ganga is the third largest river on Earth by discharge. Only the Amazon and Congo rivers have a greater average discharge than the combined flow of the GBM river system. Varanasi (also known as Benares or Kashi) is one of the oldest continuously inhabited citied in the world and is located on the banks of the Ganga. Ganga is threatened by severe pollution and the Indian government has embarked on a mission to clean Ganga, but the task is massively daunting. The river is home to many species of fish and amphibians, reptiles and mammals, including endangered species such as the Gharial and South Asian river dolphin. After entering Bangladesh, the main branch of the Ganga is known as the Padma.

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Increase Your

USA Knowledge Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second longest river in North America, flowing 2,202 miles from its source at Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota through the center of the continental US to the Gulf of Mexico. (Missouri River is the longest at 2,341 miles) The major tributaries of the Mississippi river are the Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio and Red Rivers. Memphis, TN is the largest city on the banks of the Mississippi. The agricultural products and the agribusiness industry that has developed in the River’s basin produce 92 percent of the nation’s agricultural exports and 78 percent of the world’s exports in feed grains and soybeans. Sixty percent of all grain exported from the US is shipped on the Mississippi River through the Port of New Orleans and the Port of South Louisiana. There are at least 260 different species of fish throughout the Mississippi. Forty percent of the United States’ migratory waterfowl use the Mississippi River corridor during the Spring and Fall migration. The Mississippi’s watershed (including all tributaries) drains all or parts of 32 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces between the Rocky and Appalachian Mountains. The main stem is entirely within the United States. The river either borders or passes through the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Native Americans have lived along the Mississippi River and its tributaries for thousands of years. The arrival of Europeans in the 16th century changed the native way of life as first explorers, then settlers, ventured into the basin in increasing numbers. Steamboats were widely used in the 19th and early 20th centuries to ship agricultural and industrial goods. Eventually larger ships and barges replaced steamboats, and the first decades of the 20th century saw the construction of massive engineering works such as levees, locks and dams. The Mississippi River can be divided into three sections: the Upper Mississippi, the river from its headwaters to the confluence with the Missouri River; the Middle Mississippi, which is downriver from the Missouri to the Ohio River; and the Lower Mississippi, which flows from the Ohio to the Gulf of Mexico. Saathee.com

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Vitamin D Deﬁciency Nutrition for Life by Parul Kharod

Vitamin D is also called the sunshine vitamin. In recent years, Vitamin D deficiency has increased. A study published in Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that more than 80 percent of 200 hospitalized COVID patients had a vitamin D deficiency. Those patients recovered better after receiving a vitamin D prescription. So, what is Vitamin D and how much do we need? It is mistakenly believed that we can get Vitamin D through sunlight. Actually, sunlight does not have Vitamin D. Our skin has an inactive form of Vitamin D or rather a precursor called 7-dehydrocholesterol. During exposure to sunlight, 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin absorbs UV B radiation and is converted to provitamin D3 which in turn converts to Vitamin D3 or ergocalciferol. Sun induced vitamin D synthesis is greatly influenced by season, time of day, latitude, altitude, air pollution, skin pigmentation, sunscreen use, passing through glass and plastic, and aging. Due to these not all of us are able to get enough Vitamin D through sunlight. Modern lifestyle habits such as staying indoors in buildings, applying sunscreen, and diet are all reasons why there is more Vitamin deficiency. What exactly is Vitamin D? Vitamin D is not just one chemical, but it has many forms. It is not just a nutrient but is also known as a prohormone. Technically, it is not even a vitamin. Vitamin D, also known as calciferol, comprises a group of fat-soluble sterols. The two major forms are vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) is largely human-made and/or added as a supplement to foods, whereas vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is synthesized in the human skin. Vitamin D obtained from sun exposure, foods, and supplements is biologically inert and must undergo two processes in the body for activation. The first step happens in the liver, where calciferol is converted to 25-hydroxyvitamin D, or 25(OH)D. (This is what is measured by the blood test when you get your Vitamin D levels checked). However, 25(OH)D cannot work until it travels to the kidney. There it acquires a final pair of oxygen and hydrogen molecules to become 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D, also known as 1,25(OH)2D, or calcitriol, and is the most active form of Vitamin D. The production of calcitrol in the kidneys is regulated by hormones. This also depends on serum calcium and phosphorus levels. So as you can see, it’s quite a complicated process where multiple organs in the body are involved. Therefore, simply sitting in the sunlight or taking excess supplements is not the answer. You body needs to work correctly and your overall health is important in preventing Vitamin D deficiency. continued on page 78

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March 2021

Read Watch Listen Book Reviews

Film Review

by Divakar Shukla

by Jennifer Allen

Retrace Love (NotionPress) Author: Malini Amaladoss Malini Amaladoss is a Software Engineer by profession living in North Carolina. She enjoys reading, cooking, movies and travel but her passion is for writing romance. Retrace Love, a romance novel in the tradition of great Bollywood movies, is Amaladoss’s first writing eﬀort and was published in 2020. Retrace Love follows the story of two best friends Tina and Meghna. Their fated meeting, growing bond, love life, professional life and unexpected separation. Like any Bollywood movie this novel has twists and turns with passionate love, heartbreak and reconciliation. The novel is well suited for readers of South Asian descent as there are many references to the culture and traditions, but non-South Asians can enjoy as well.

Sound of Metal One Man’s Journey to Enjoy the Silence Starring: Riz Ahmed and Olivia Cooke When this film begins, the audience is treated to a centered visual frame of British Pakistani actor and rapper Riz Ahmed as Ruben Stone; a man sitting quietly behind a small drum set. His hair is partially bleached and his upper torso is riddled with a large array of tattoos. His arms then raise to tap his two drum sticks together and then begin drumming as one half of a metal duo known as Blackgammon with his girlfriend Lou (played by Olivia Cooke). Shortly after one of their gigs, Ruben wakes up in the pair’s shared tour RV to suddenly realize he is losing his hearing. Lou takes him to have his hearing checked at a clinic, to which the doctor immediately tells him that he must “eliminate all exposure to loud noises,” else he will lose what little hearing he has left. With his chosen profession being a member of a metal band, that advice is the exact opposite of what Ruben had in mind. Lou, worried that Ruben may return to his former drug habit to cope with this revelation, then speaks with a mutual friend of theirs who recommends taking Ruben to a shelter for recovering deaf addicts. There they meet Joe (Paul Raci), a former alcoholic who lost his hearing in the Vietnam War. Initially Ruben is resistant to staying and investigates getting cochlear implants. Lou eventually is forced to employ a ‘tough love’ approach to persuade him to stay at the shelter as she leaves and eventually moves back to Europe. What follows is Ruben’s personal journey to gradually break away from his tough exterior and grow to not only accept his condition but to also find camaraderie in a community where they all refuse to see deafness as a handicap. We follow along and share in this man’s turmoil as his entire life has completely turned upside down.

Colour Blind Struggles, Sacrifice and Success of the Cricket Legend Author: Alvin Kallicharran Cricket is, by far, the most popular sport in South Asia as well as other parts of the world. Cricket players are household names in South Asia. Alvin Kallicharran played cricket in the West Indies and all over the world. He now resides in North Carolina and is involved in coaching cricket among youth at Triangle Cricket League around Morrisville, NC. He has recently written and released the book Colour Blind: Struggles, sacrifice and success of the cricket legend. It's a breezy read about his life in the world of cricket, coaches, fellow players, his influences as well as religious inspiration. He writes of moments and milestones in his life that shaped his world. This book is for cricket lovers, but also casual readers will find much of interest. To order the book or have Alvin speak at your event, visit alvallicharran.com. Saathee.com

continued on page 58 42

March 2021

Prevention is the Best Medicine March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Asians, the rate appears to be higher in South Asian immigrants. This may be due to a variety of factors, including adoption of a Western diet, increased intake of sugar and fatty foods, decreased consumption of fruits and vegetables, and rising rates of obesity. For the last 21 years, March has been designated as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, which means there is no better time to discuss the importance of colon cancer screening. The good news is that colon cancer can be prevented. Most colon cancers begin as polyps, small growths on the inside surface of the colon. Polyps come in different shapes and sizes, and they have different microscopic characteristics. Certain polyps, such as adenomas and serrated polyps have the potential to turn into cancer over several years. The growth of polyps and transformation into cancer is often silent, as they seldom cause any symptoms. So even though a person may feel well and apparently be in good health, a colon polyp could be growing and surreptitiously transforming into a life-threatening malignancy. Fortunately, getting screened can significantly reduce your risk of getting colon cancer. Because it usually takes several years for a polyp to turn into cancer, colonoscopy with polypectomy (polyp removal) can very effectively prevent malignancy. Additionally, timely diagnosis of colon cancer is essential, as treatment of early-stage colon cancer offers a greater than 90 percent chance of survival five years after the diagnosis. No one will argue that getting a colonoscopy is enjoyable or exciting, and the doctor’s office is everyone’s least favorite

House Call by Dr. Ravikant Varanasi

If you had about a 5 percent chance of developing a potentially fatal disease, wouldn’t you want to do something about it? Colorectal cancer (cancer of the colon or rectum) is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, with over 50,000 people losing their lives annually. Though screening could prevent approximately 60 percent of these deaths, about one out of every three Americans is not up to date with colon cancer screening. The situation is even worse for South Asians, whose rate of colon cancer screening is far lower than that of white Americans and other ethnic minorities. Research suggests this may be for several reasons. Among many South Asians, cancer is considered a death sentence, and often a topic to be avoided. Colon cancer screening is considered low priority and often women think of colon cancer as a problem primarily aﬀecting men. Issues of shame and modesty may play a role. Many South Asians also assume that consumption of a vegetarian diet prevents colon cancer. While some studies have shown a decreased risk, the risk is not eliminated. In fact, a 2019 UK study showed a higher risk of colon cancer in vegetarians compared to meat eaters. Clearly, more research in this area is needed. According to the CDC, colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death among Asian Americans. While colon cancer is not extremely common in native South Saathee.com

continued on page 58 44

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The World of Remakes: Originality has become a Rare Treat

Mirror, Mirror by Jennifer Allen With a world slowly rebuilding itself after a year of isolation, you’d think that the entertainment industry would decide to up the ante to entice us all back out of our homes, right? Unfortunately, it seems that we’re only delving deeper and deeper into the world of remakes, retellings, origin stories of previously established characters, and of course… sequels. The thing is that US cinema is not the only culprit of this trend. South Asian cinema has become just as bad if not worse. I’ve seen more than my fair share of either Bollywood or Tollywood films that pops up as a remake of either a film from another country or a movie that was initially released in one language but then is remade a few years later in another with completely diﬀerent actors, sets, music, and so on. Now it isn’t to say that all of these films are bad. In some rare cases a remake can be better than the original. A prime example is the horror film Oculus which got a Hindi remake with Dobaara a couple of years later. Both films have their merits, and the original’s producer even lending a hand with the remake. While Dobaara does change enough of the story to separate it from Oculus, it is still a remake. Then again, those same changes are what make Dobaara a better film, in my opinion. But for the most part, I’m hesitant with remakes. With each new announcement of a new remake, I can’t help but wonder if this new vision will stay (mostly) true to the original. Like what happened with Dobaara, Saathee.com

there’s always going to be some changes, but will these differences be beneficial or help to improve the original? Now more recently the idea of a remake has been juggled around a bit and changed to reimagining or the newest trend of giving a character an origin story that no one really asked for. Do we really need to know the previous history of certain famous movie villains to make them more sympathetic? Why can’t a villain simply remain an enigmatic figure who terrifies us every time he or she appears on screen? Often, any attempt to make this ‘new’ movie concept into an appealing one, the self-same movie often makes a giant misstep. They often try to do something cool by modernizing the original with a ton of needless CGI, crazy sets and costumes, or updating the music. The vast majority of remakes are made with the sole intent of making money, and especially with the general populace so thirsty for any sort of entertainment right now… we’re all more than willing to fork out as much as possible. This is especially true with Disney remakes as of late. They seem to be on this trend of taking existing properties within their vast library of fairy tales and legends and making them all shiny for a whole new generation with live action versions. They change enough of the films to differentiate from the originals like adding some lightly different plot details or a couple of new songs… but in the end they’re just near carbon copies of their predecessors. So far I’ve only seen two Disney live versions that actually improve upon their originals as an art form. One of them was the 2016 version of The Jungle Book directed by Jon Favreau. The 1967 original was a classic, but it was a lighthearted film made from approximately 1/3 of Rudyard Kipling’s original story which added some very memorable musical numbers to pad out the time. The 2016 version, in comparison is much grittier, more serious, and offers much more beautiful visuals. It also takes the elements of the 60’s version and uses it as the basis to explore more thoughtprovoking themes. While the character of Shere Khan in the newer one is (slightly) more sympathetic due to his fear of Man’s ability to destroy the jungle with fire, he is proven to be right when at the end of the film Mowgli gains this power and ultimately destroys the one thing he’d learned to love. The lesson that this manchild must learn is ultimately more profound compared to the original where he simply wanders off to a village after spying a pretty girl. continued on page 94 March 2021

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Crazy for

Chappals Raajeev’s Comedy Corner by Raajeev Aggerwhil

At Berkeley, I took a Native American history class where I learnt the accomplishments of the people who were the original inhabitants of the United States. Some of the famous Native American chiefs were: Rain-in-the-Face, Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull. Inspired by this naming convention I started exploring nick names for my children based on their characteristics. For my children, based on their attributes I came up with “Dances-likea-Punjabi,” “Bargains-like-a-Bania”, and “Gets-hot-from-aDot.” I came up with potential new names: “Running-from-the-British” “Born-to-do-tech-support”, and “Eats-curry-in-a-hurry.” As a kid, growing up in Old Delhi, we used to walk by shops with names like: “Bhondu Mal Stores,” “Gainda Mal Stationary,” and “Koora Mal Hardware.” These shops were named after the founders of the family business. We used to make fun of how older generations would name their children: Bhondu (Dumb/Stupid), Gainda (Rhinoceros) and Koora (Garbage). Now that I reflect on this, I am glad the Koora Mal family decided to stay in the hardware business. Can you imagine a Saathee.com

name like Koora Mal Cosmetics or Koora Mal Perfumes where the name has the word garbage in it? I don’t think there would be any creative way to market those products. I started coming up with other business names where there is an inherent contradiction such as The Gandhi School of Fashion, Gandhi Hair Salon, and Mahatma Gandhi School of Kick Boxing. Former President Donald Trump also provided some ideas: Trump School of Diplomacy, Trump School of Etiquette, and Donald J. Trump Monastery. Some new business names could also be inspired by existing business names. Here are a few examples: McDonald’s Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Ruth Steakhouse Institute of Ethical Treatment of Animals. As the influence and wealth of Indian Americans increases, businesses in the US could find inspiration from Indian mythology: Shakuni Poker Room, Arjuna Archery Range, and Yudhisthira Casino Royale. Indian American businesses could also come up with creative business names inspired by Indian mythology: Draupadi Sari Boutique and Kansa Jewelers. Indian doctors may attract new customers by pandering to their ambivalence of their current gender with a unique name like Shikhandi Gender Reassignment Surgery. That will make an interesting sales pitch with some not-so-wellknown-facts from Indian mythology to even Mahabaratha aficionados! In the business world, people impress each other by using buzz words. So, I came up with some new names that had no relevance to any medical condition known. At least, not yet. Nature Deficit Disorder, Fiscal Year Hypochondria, and Slow Arousal Deficiency. How about names of some diseases coined by Math wizards? Here are a few: Hyperbola Tangential Deficiency, Pythagorean Right Angle Alignment Syndrome and Diﬀerential Quotient Abnormality. Hollywood movies and popular culture can provide some interesting takes on new business names. Harry Potter Optometry, Darth Vader Asthma Center, Elle Woods LSAT Prep, Norman Bates Motel, and Hannibal Lecter Meat Balls. I would recommend avoiding a business name like O. J. Simpson Marriage Counseling and Bill Cosby and Associates, M.D., Gynecologists. You never know how that could end up. I wonder what my name could be if I could adopt the Native American tradition of highlighting one’s strengths and attributes. Perhaps “Funny-For-Life,” “Makes-People-Smile,” or “Witty-With-Words.” I asked my wife and she responded, “Too-Cheap-ForChocolates” and “Hates-Washing-Dishes.” I asked my sons, and they came up with “Gives-useless-DatingAdvice,” “Too-Tight-For-Taco Bell,” and “Crazy-forChappals.” On second thought, I think I like the Indian system of naming better. Raajeev. Simple, easy, and eﬀortless.

Raajeev Aggerwhil is a Los Angeles-based comedian and is a regular contributor to Saathee. Follow him on Instagram @raajeevcomedy See his videos on YouTube, search for his name. March 2021

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The Universe is Kinder Than You Think a song fifty times and you’re likely to achieve the capability of reciting the song, verse and chorus, in your sleep, maybe even along Thinking About Thinking with much of the accompanying instrumental music. This pliability is useful. “20 + 20?” You blurt out “40!” without by Balaji Prasad missing a beat. This is the stuﬀ of SAT’s and IQ tests and such, where your ability to repeatedly do things accurately and quickly is tested and calibrated by those who value mindless gymnastic abilities as “Follow your bliss and the a key to success. That was maybe a tad bit harsh. There is likely value in being frugal with the mind’s scarce conscious resources, universe will open doors pushing some automatable things down into the unconscious layers where there were only walls.” of the mind’s infrastructure. There are things like “20+20” that we - Joseph Campbell know for sure and don’t need our conscious brain to derive from fundamental principles each and every time we confront this rather Things that you think are wrong may actually be trivial question. right. And things that you think are right may be wrong. That is a scary thought! Because it turns the An Inside Choke world literally upside down. Literally, because, at the But, as with many other things, alas! Our very strengths are also end of the day, the only world that really exists is the insidious carriers of weaknesses that can lead to an ignominious one inside your head. But there is an “outside” too. downfall. If our ability to automate certain things can be hijacked and hacked by those motivated to do so, things that should not be An Inside Job automated can get pushed down into the powerful nether regions This chasm between the “inside” and the in our minds that possess the capacity to mechanize things into “outside” is what makes things both interesting as repeatable algorithms and programs. So things can be rapidly and well as challenging, perhaps even terrifying, at times. continued on page 80 The inside is quite pliable and malleable. Repeat Saathee.com

March 2021

NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover Safely Lands on Red Planet This image is part of a video taken by several cameras as NASA’s Perseverance rover touched down on Mars on Feb. 18, 2021. A camera aboard the descent stage captured this shot. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech

study samples collected by Perseverance to search for definitive signs of past life using instruments too large and complex to send to the Red Planet. “Because of today’s exciting events, the first pristine samples from carefully documented locations on another planet are another step closer to being returned to Earth,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for science at NASA. “Perseverance is the first step in bringing back rock and regolith from Mars. We don’t know what these pristine samples from Mars will tell us. But what they could tell us is monumental – including that life might have once existed beyond Earth.” Some 28 miles (45 kilometers) wide, Jezero Crater sits on the western edge of Isidis Planitia, a giant impact basin just north of the Martian equator. Scientists have determined that 3.5 billion years ago the crater had its own river delta and was filled with water. Equipped with seven primary science instruments, the most cameras ever sent to Mars, and its complex sample caching system, Perseverance will scour the Jezero region for fossilized remains of ancient microscopic Martian life, taking samples along the way. A primary objective for Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology research, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet’s geology and past climate and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith, paving the way for human exploration of the Red Planet. Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), will send spacecraft to Mars to collect these cached samples from the surface and return them to Earth for analysis. For more details, visit Nasa.gov.

The largest, most advanced rover NASA has sent to another world touched down on Mars on February 18, 2021, after a 203-day journey traversing 293 million miles. Packed with groundbreaking technology, the Mars 2020 mission launched July 30, 2020, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The Perseverance rover mission marks an ambitious first step in the eﬀort to collect Mars samples and return them to Earth. “This landing is one of those pivotal moments for NASA, the United States, and space exploration globally – when we know we are on the cusp of discovery and sharpening our pencils, so to speak, to rewrite the textbooks,” said acting NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk. “The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission embodies our nation’s spirit of persevering even in the most challenging of situations, inspiring, and advancing science and exploration. The mission itself personifies the human ideal of persevering toward the future and will help us prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.” About the size of a car, the 2,263-pound robotic geologist and astrobiologist will undergo several weeks of testing before it begins its two-year science investigation of Mars’ Jezero Crater. While the rover will investigate the rock and sediment of Jezero’s ancient lakebed and river delta to characterize the region’s geology and past climate, a fundamental part of its mission is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. To that end, the Mars Sample Return campaign, being planned by NASA and ESA (European Space Agency), will allow scientists on Earth to Saathee.com

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Colon Screening

Read Watch Listen

continued from page 44

continued from page 42

place to visit. But after the twenty-minute exam is over, most people marvel about how easy the procedure was and how they should have never worried about it in the first place. The day before the procedure, a clear liquid diet is consumed, culminating with drinking a laxative the evening before and morning of the examination. While this is usually the most disagreeable part of the process, it is also the most important. The cleaner your bowel preparation is, the better your colon examination will be. There are several diﬀerent bowel preparations available and you can discuss the options with your doctor. Do not allow fear or dread of the cleansing process increase your risk of dying from a preventable disease. Since the procedure is done while you are sedated, the exam itself is painless and basically feels like a short nap. In addition to the cleanliness of your colon, another critically important factor that determines the quality of your colon examination is your doctor. All doctors who perform colonoscopy should be aware of their ADR, or adenoma detection rate. This doctor’s “report card” is the rate at which one or more precancerous polyps are found during a screening colonoscopy in patients 50 years and older. Current standards suggest a minimum ADR of 30 percent for male patients and 20 percent for female patients, but you can expect higher rates from your doctor. Don’t be afraid to ask your doctor what his or her ADR is. Wouldn’t you want your house inspected by someone who is likely to find a preventable problem, so you don’t have to make costly repairs later? Your colon health should be no diﬀerent. Studies have shown that for every 1 percent increase in a physician’s ADR, the patient’s risk of colon cancer decreases by 3 percent over the next year. If you are going through the process of getting a screening colonoscopy, it is vital that the exam be done well. The American Cancer Society recommends that all individuals age 45 and older get screened for colon cancer. You might need a screening exam at a younger age if you have a family history of colon polyps or cancer, a personal history of inflammatory bowel disease, or other medical conditions. Your personal medical and family history will determine when and which type of colon cancer screening test is best for you. Screening tests for colorectal cancer are covered by your insurance. There are many resourceful websites where you can get additional information, including the American Cancer Society (Cancer.org) and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy colorectal cancer awareness website (Screen4coloncancer.org). If you have not done so already, talk to your doctor about getting screened for colorectal cancer. It is an easy, safe, and proven way of reducing your chance of dying from a very common and preventable disease. Having a colonoscopy will give you peace of mind. And it may just save your life.

It’s here that I should point out the sound design for this film, overseen by Nicolas Becker. As Ruben’s hearing further deteriorates, the film occasionally shifts to portray this from his perspective. This adds an extra layer to the already touching narrative as the film jumps in and out of the world of hearing; creating scrapes, choppy distortions and muffled thumps that place the character in-between those worlds and feels just out of reach. While at the rehab facility, Ruben must endure the difficult process of rebuilding his life. At first, he sits at the dinner table with the other residents and watches them all enjoy a gleeful conversation in American Sign Language. He is forced to watch them in a dumbfounded silence which causes him to feel even more isolated. Eventually he learns Sign by attending classes with deaf elementary school children. All of Ahmed’s scenes with the kids and their teacher Diane (Lauren Ridoff) are endearing and it’s easy to see how much the students loved having him around. So much so that he evolves from a fellow student to a sort of big brother and mentor to them over the passing weeks. He also becomes a helpful part of the adult recovery group as he becomes friends with some of the residents and by (reluctantly as first) following Joe’s request to sit every morning in a small room and write his feelings out with pen and paper. The haphazardly jagged script he writes at the beginning of this therapeutic exercise gradually changes to be more legible as time goes on. After a few weeks, Ruben seems to have found a peaceful balance between both his circumstances and environment. “You’ve become very important to a lot of people around here,” Joe eventually tells him during one of their counsel sessions. And if it were not for the fact that he was occasionally sneaking into Joe’s office to check on his girlfriend, we’d be inclined to believe him. Unfortunately, Ruben still desires to return to the world of the hearing and goes through drastic measures to do so. The last chapter of the film shifts from his struggles to accept his condition with a near 180 turn of determination to reverse it by any means necessary. It can feel a bit awkward to watch this somewhat jarring attitude change, but it leads to an ending that does feel satisfying. The film, and Ahmed’s performance, is unique in that it isn’t about a man who’s suffering and eventually finds acceptance with his new existence. It’s about someone living in false belief and bargaining with his own body to return to a life he’s more accustomed to. The story is not tied up with a warm fuzzy bow at the end or some cozy inspirational message. Ruben is a flawed human being who lives in a world of uncomfortable truths… and that raw and ultimately real portrayal is why this film is worth a watch. Dr. Ravikant Varanasi is a Fellow of the American Gastroenterological Association and practices Sound of Metal is currently available to watch on Amazon in his Pittsboro, Sandford, and Pinehurst offices. Prime. Contact: (919) 292-6110 for appointment or visit Pinehurstmedical.com. Saathee.com

March 2021

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here is that for the kids, tax planners should focus on keeping interests, dividends and capital gains under $2,200 where taxes are low for them. Gifting highly appreciated securities to adult children, who are not affected by the kiddie tax, is a good strategy, especially if the children are in the low income tax brackets. It is assumed that these assets have a long-term holding period (over one year) carried over from parents. I think the main message I am trying to convey is that with some careful advanced planning, many tax hassles can be avoided. Let us move on to another good way of avoiding capital gain taxes. Out of panic, when the market goes down unexpectedly or for whatever reasons, people may have much appreciated stocks sold to lock into the profits. There is nothing wrong with it of course; but what is generally not thought of is the capital gain taxes that you may end up paying or the sudden rise of the taxable income (or AGI) because of the capital gains that need to be reported on the income. This sudden rise may affect many other variables such as Medicare premiums which are the most visible; loss of some tax credits or not able to invest in a ROTH IRA or higher deductible for medical expenses, among others. When the securities are sold in such a hurry the effect cannot be reversed easily. Given these circumstances, the right thing to look for is if there are any securities that are not doing so well and in fact if we sell them now we could capture some losses. Human nature is such that we do not want to admit that we made a mistake in buying a security; and it may not be even a mistake but if we have such stocks then we should seriously think of selling them to get some losses on the books which can be used to balance the gains on other stocks and thus reduce the sudden rise of income. This is known as capital loss harvesting and it is commonly used to reduce income. Two points to note: you can have more losses than gains in which case you can claim up to $3,000 loss on 1040 and thus in fact reduce your total income by that amount. Additional losses can be taken forward indefinitely up to $3,000 every year or can be used to balance more gains. The second point was that even if you have sold a security in loss, you can buy it back, if you really like it much and wish to own it after waiting for 31 days with no adverse implications, but not before that without penalties. With much advance planning and with carefully thought-out long term goals, you can certainly master this “paying too much tax” issue. You need to do your preliminary 1040 filled in before the year is over, while doing some advance planning for next five years is not that far-fetched.

Personal Finances by Mo Vidwans

If you have good intentions of transferring assets to family members, before your time has come, then shifting assets “up the ladder” or “down the ladder” is a good way to do it. Aid to struggling parents or to the deserving younger generation could be the right ticket. Maybe we have to keep an eye on that Kiddie Tax because that tax also has changed façade a few times in the last few years. We are basically talking about transferring assets or making gifts to either parents or adult children who are in need of it and in a much lower tax bracket than you are. It can be done in many diﬀerent ways. You can start by just giving away $15,000 each to any and as many folks as you desire every year. Yes, hard to believe but very true. This is, of course, a one-way journey which means that once parted with that money then it is not coming back; at least one should not be anticipating it. Generally, this kind of gift works out the best when a down payment for a house needs to be anchored down and the children are strapped for cash. Dad and Mom each can give a gift to son/daughter and spouse, which will create a down payment of $60,000 right away. If timed right for end of a year and the beginning of the new year, it can be doubled in a few days. There is no paper work required. I would recommend though that the gifting person just keep a record somewhere. Under the same umbrella of $15,000 or separately, transfer to parents or children may involve gifts of dividendpaying stocks or stock funds or ETFs. The payouts are usually qualified dividends on which the new owner may owe generally 15 percent taxes or nothing depending on the taxable income that is claimed on their 1040. The dividend paying equities might move to a younger generation to generate untaxed dividends or you can transfer highly appreciated securities that are planned for sale so that seniors or children may cash in without paying taxes on the gains. The kiddie tax which applies to dependents under the age of 19, or full-time students under 24, may aﬀect downstream gifting. To determine if a dependent child is subject to the kiddie tax, first step is to add up child’s net earned income and net unearned income; then subtract the child’s standard deduction to arrive at the taxable income. The portion of taxable income consisting of net earned income is taxed at Mo Vidwans regular rates, but net unearned income over $2,200 this year is an independent, board certified financial planner. For details visit, is taxed at parents’ marginal income tax rate. The message VidwansFinancial.com, call 984-888-0355 or write to: mpvidwans@yahoo.com Saathee.com

March 2021

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The Adult Indian Dance Student My continuing journey of lifelong learning My Voice by Preethi Sriram

Role of the Guru Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu Gurur Devo Maheshwarah Gurur Sakshat Parambrahma Tasmai Shri Gurave Namah

In Indian Dance, specifically within the classical dance tradition, there is the concept of the “Guru Shishya Parampara” or with translation, the Teacher/Student tradition of passing on knowledge. The word “Guru” has been used in modern parlance such as “Tech Guru” or “IT Guru”, but the word “Guru” itself has a deeper connotation for those within the classical Indian tradition. The Guru is a highly respected teacher who guides their student to the path of knowledge and spiritual growth. In Bhakti Yoga, the student is required to completely surrender to the Guru and the relationship between the student and the Guru is based on the student full heartedly surrendering to the Guru as the divine and the belief that the Guru can give wisdom that can lead to liberation. But how does an ancient tradition translate to a today? How does it relate to me and my experiences as an adult student of dance? How does the tradition compare from that in India to what is practiced in the West (i.e. America)? From a personal perspective, I have had many teachers of dance. Each teacher imparted some knowledge that I felt was valuable to me in my personal learning experience. There have also been experiences that I have learned what I do not want as well. I have heard of stories comparing teachers of dance from India to those in America. The teachers in India are very strict from what I have heard and do not take excuses. In the book by Douglas M Knight Jr. about the life of well-known dancer Balasaraswati, called “Balasaraswathi Her Art and Life” the biography gives details of her experiences with her Guru. Balasaraswati seemed to revere her Guru. In the book by Knight, the author quotes her relationship to her Guru with the following, “My guru was my god and my duty was to obey his instructions faithfully. I danced to his tala and the constant sight of the cane compelled me to execute my lessons with greater caution.” As a young child, it was noted in the book that she was drilled for hours in practice, and sometimes carrying a bag continued on page 94

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March 2021

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March 2021

News Notes The Bhagavad Gita Comes Alive A Radical Translation by Jeffrey Armstrong / Kavindra Rishi Jeffrey Armstrong is an author, linguist, and poet. He has been teaching the Vedas for more than 40 years. His spent years creating a new English version of the Bhagavad Gita, the world’s most translated, and according to Armstrong, mistranslated, ancient Indian scripture. Armstrong spent ten years researching and writing his recently released translation. He says it is purer because it does not include colonial, western or Christian distortions. The Bhagavad Gita, written more than 5,000 years ago, is considered a guide or daily roadmap to navigate life’s struggles and dilemmas, while finding meaning within existence. The Gita is the central text of Hindu and other eastern cultures. The Gita is considered by many scholars as a literary masterpiece and its philosophy has universal appeal. The text has been translated hundreds of times in many languages. When Armstrong embarked on being the first Canadian to translate the Gita into English, he thought he was doing a straight Sanskrit-toEnglish translation. Through his research, according to press release, he discovered that previous western versions had distorted the Gita with concepts, words and theories that do not exist in Sanskrit or Indian cultures. Armstrong spent 10 years “decolonizing” the text to capture it accurately. “As we navigate a changing world amidst a global pandemic, climate change, and universal calls for social justice, the Gita offers guidance and lessons that are timely, including about ethical and moral dilemmas, politics, and cooperating with nature,” said Armstrong, vice-chair of the Vedic Friends Association and scholar with the British Board of Dharmic Scholars. The Bhagavad Gita Comes Alive: A Radical Translation is available via booksellers.

Applications Now Open for a Paid Cybersecurity Apprenticeship in Charlotte Road to Hire Apprenticeships (Roadtohire.org) pay young adults ages 18-25 as they train in tech, develop professional skills, and launch their careers. The organization is now oﬀering a cybersecurity apprenticeship. After a rigorous sixmonth paid training program, participants transition to career-path jobs with Charlotte Saathee.com

employers like Bank of America, Red Ventures, and Duke Energy. An inaugural class of up to 50 apprentices will train to become cybersecurity professionals, protecting people and companies from cyberattacks and data breaches. Curriculum will include: Networking Fundamentals; Threats, Attacks and Vulnerabilities; Risk Management and Cryptography; and Cyber industry certifications. Cybersecurity is a high-demand talent need for Charlotte business – but more importantly, Road to Hire is committed to continuing to ensure young people who are under-represented in tech careers and without access to college have access to this high-growth field as a steppingstone to a higherearning, stable career. The application will be open on rolling admission from now to March 24, 2021. Apply at: Roadtohire.org.

Voice of India Research Essay Competition The Voice of India Research Essay Competition is now accepting essays. The purpose of this initiative is for student to explore the history of India from ancient times to the contemporary era and various forces which significantly influenced its course. The subject of the essay is: “Glorious past of India, its downfall and revival.” The competition is open to all the students (both undergraduate and graduate students) enrolled for the 2020/2021 semester in any college or university in North Carolina. A committee of three members will evaluate all the submissions based on various factors and without knowing the identity of the candidates. The committee’s cumulative decision will be final. Voice of India committee reserves the right to publish these essays in a variety of media. It may include but not limited to Facebook, WhatsApp, Hindu Society newspapers, publications, and internet sites in addition to newspapers and other local and international publications. The student will also have the right to publish the essay that was submitted by him/her. The target length of the essay should not exceed 30 pages inclusive of maps, diagrams, and tables, all in 1.5 line spacing. Font size shall be 12. A list of references should not be included in the page count. All content contributes toward the overall evaluation of the essay. Include the following information: Name, email and phone number and college details of the participant on the front page. All work submitted for this competition is expected to be the result of the entrant’s own research and thoughts, expressed in his/her own words. Each entrant is required to submit his/her respective Essay electronically by email to voiceofindia@tahts.org by the deadline of April 30, 2021. The essay must be in Microsoft Word format. Results will be announced on the TAHT (that.org) website on May 15, 2021. Scholarship Money: 1st Prize $800, 2nd Prize $500, 3rd Prize $200. In addition, all the participants will be recognized through a certificate of appreciation. 64

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March 2021

A Modern “Joint” Family math expert, another science enthusiast among other subject matter experts along with a fitness guru who strives to keep the family active. Young parents’ childcare responsibilities could be shared and the labor of household chores could be divided among more people. I am picturing an assembly line set up for dishing out large quantities of roti. From our childhood kitchen, I recall Bordi (oldest sister) kneading the dough, Mejdi (second oldest) rolling, Sejdi (third) roasting the rotis on the pan and all I had to do was apply a generous spoonful of ghee as it came oﬀ the pan. In a small family, one individual must churn this all out by himself or herself. Ancient societies that flourished were more cooperative than competitive. In general, those cultures promoted sharing and interdependence within the multigenerational family. A family after all, forms the foundation of the larger society. It was the drive for survival and need for continued prosperity that fortified that kind of societal structure. In our recent pandemic ridden history, it has become abundantly clear that cooperative cultures were better at mask adoption and in recognizing how their behavior impacts the community they live in. Sacrifice is not a bad word; on the contrary it is expected. I would confess that my family members are quite adept at emotional arm twisting when they want you to give up your individual choices. The seemingly exaggerated dialogues and melodramatic expressions of characters from Hindi soap operas accurately portray some of our relatives. Despite benefits, there are disadvantages to living in a joint family set up where simmering problems can explode

Namaskar, Y’all by Shyama Parui A large family is seated around a table making dumplings as they laugh and share stories. The matriarch of the family gives out instructions while cousins joke about their childhood antics and they continue to nurture family traditions. This was my favorite scene from the movie, Crazy Rich Asians, as it reminded me of my family’s tradition of making pithe (rice flour dumplings) together in January for the festival of Sankranti. During those times, my mother often reminisced how preparing special delicacies during festivals were always more fun in a joint family set up. At that recollection, I couldn’t help wonder if the traditional Indian joint family is too good to give up. Will it ever make a comeback in India’s metropolises or among NRIs around the world? I cannot speak from personal experience as I have only lived in a nuclear family set up. Frankly speaking, as a quiet introvert having too many people around all the time would be exhausting for me. Yet, the bleak lockdown period of 2020 exposed the limitations of a nuclear family. The individuals within a single-family unit involuntarily took up the workload of a village. Having an extended family living under one roof might have been a blessing. Elderly family members would have been spared the dangers of isolation. They would not have to worry about little things like shopping for groceries or picking up medication. Children would potentially have playmates and interaction with peers. And in this mini utopia, there would be one Saathee.com

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March 2021

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March 2021

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Upcoming Hindu Center Events & Activities: Temple Open for Worship Daily Maha-Shivratri: Thursday, March 11 Holika Dahan: Sunday, March 28 Ugadi: Monday, April 12 Vishu / Gudi Padava / Cheti Chand: Tuesday, April 13 Chaitra Navratri: Tuesday- Wednesday, April 13 thru April 21 Cheti Chand: Sunday, April 18 Ram Navami: Wednesday, April 21 Ram Sita Kalyanam: Saturday, April 24; Ramayan Reading starts April 24 & ends April 25 Mahavir Jayanti: Sunday, April 25; Hanuman Jayanti: Tuesday, April 27 Swaminarayan Jayanti: Saturday, May 1 MahaPrabhuji Patotstav: Sunday, May 9

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OF CHARLOTTE MAHA-SHIVRATRI March 11, 2021 (Thursday)

Lord Shiva Abhishekham all day Maha Shivaratri will be celebrated by performing Pooja all night long including Rudhrabhishekham. Lord Shivji Archna: $21 (all day), Sit down Abhisekham: $51 (every hour between 9 to 4)

Evening Rudra Abhisekham: $101 sponsors with special seating and Archna names will be announced before Aarti.

Holika Dahan

March 28, 2021 (Sunday) Puja & Aarti 6:30 - 7:30 pm

Ugadi

April 12, 2021 (Monday) in Temple Lord Balaji Archnas all day every hour $11 donations.

Vishu / Gudi Padava / Cheti Chand: April 13, 2021 (Tuesday) in Temple

HINDU CENTER New Vedanta Bhavan

OF CHARLOTTE Chaitra Navratri

April 13 (Tuesday) thru April 21 (Wednesday)

Cheti Chand Sindhi New Year

April 18, 2021 (Sunday) in Vihar Hall Presented Sindhi Association Of The Carolinas

Sri Rama Navami

Ram Sita Kalyanam: April 24 (Saturday) Ramayan Reading starts: April 24 (Saturday) and ends on: April 25 (Sunday)

Lord Mahavir Jayanti Celebration April 25th, 2021 (Sunday)

Hanuman Jayanti Celebrations April 27, 2021 (Tuesday)

108 times Chanting Hanuman Chalisa from 10 am to 6 pm followed by bhajans, aarti and Prasad

Saathee

Crispy Pakoras

RECIPES

Spring is just around the corner and so are Holi celebrations! Here’s hoping for beautiful Spring weather so we can safely celebrate outdoors with friends and loved ones. Let’s safely share and enjoy our favorite holiday foods! One of my personal favorites has always been pakora or Amma’s paita na bhajia! Pakoras or bhajias are veggies dipped in a spiced batter and fried; basically spiced fitters. These fritters are some of the most popular street snacks in India, usually made with potatoes or onions. We will be using potato and onion for our recipe, made possible by the one and only Amma Shukla! Amma is my hidden partner in crime when it comes to these recipes, her knowledge of Indian cuisine and her kitchen tips and tricks never fail to impress! This pakora recipe is surprisingly simple and absolutely delicious! And as always feel free to adjust the spice levels to your preference and to experiment with diﬀerent types of veggies. By Taige Shukla Watch step-by-step video for this recipe & others at: saathee.com/taige

Ingredients 1 cup gram ﬂour (Besan or chickpea ﬂour)

Directions 1

Start by prepping the batter. Combine gram flour, rice flour, ground red pepper, turmeric, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Lightly grind the ajwain seeds between your palms and mix into the dry ingredients. Now slowly stir in water, ¼ cup at a time, until a thick batter is formed (should be like pancake batter consistency) (I used about ½ a cup). Set aside for 10 mins.

Prep your veggies. Thinly slice the potato (into rounds) and soak the slices in water for about 5 mins. Now cut the onion into thin slices, mix in a pinch of salt, and you can add in cilantro for extra flavor. Once the potatoes have soaked, drain and set aside. Feel free to use diﬀerent vegetables as well, such as zucchini or sweet potato. Hint for zucchini: shred it, mix with a pinch of salt, and encase in a paper towel to get rid of excess moisture.

Now coat your veggies in the batter. Work in batches. First add the potato slices to the bowl of batter and make sure they are completely covered. Once the potato slices are all fried (explained in step 4), you can stir the onion mixture into the excess batter.

Finally it’s time to fry the pakoras. Add about an inch of oil to a deep pan or kadai and bring to medium-high heat (if the pakoras begin to cook too fast turn heat down to medium). Working in batches and once the oil is hot enough, add in your batter covered veggies. Make sure the pakoras do not touch one another in the oil. For onion pakoras, simply scoop about 1 tbsp of the onion mixture covered in batter and place in the oil (I find it easiest to use my hands).

Fry the pakoras until golden-brown and place on a paper towel to soak up excess oil. Serve with your favorite chutney or ketchup!

1 tbsp rice ﬂour 1 medium potato (thinly sliced) ½ onion (thinly sliced) ½ tsp ground red pepper ¼ tsp turmeric powder ½ tbsp ajwain seeds ½ tsp sugar ½- 1 tsp lemon juice Salt to taste ½ cup water Oil for frying Optional: 1 tbsp chopped cilantro & 1 tbsp ghee

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March 2021

We Sp e Hindi ak & Gujar ati

ua ing Yo i! h s i W y Hol Happ

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March 2021

Biden Overturning Many Trump Initiatives

be able to apply for residency status in the US, cutting down on sometimes year-long consular wait times and significantly reducing the expense of the green card process. The Biden Administration has also moved quickly to eliminate new rules issued in the waning days of the Trump Administration focusing on H-1B filings. Prior to Biden’s inauguration, the Department of Homeland Security issued a notification indicating that new CAP-subject H-1B filings would be prioritized based upon a particular job’s wage level with most senior Level IV applicants garnering a more favorable placement in the lottery compared to newer Level I workers. Level IV workers are required to be paid a higher salary under current regulatory framework and as a result, the Trump Administration’s regulatory scheme would have virtually eliminated newer workers from being eligible for H-1B visas. While this may seem reasonable at first blush, the rule would have crushed the chances of recent college graduates from getting selected in the H-1B CAP lottery, as Level I physicians, software engineers, teachers and chemists would have been deprioritized when compared to higher paid individuals in these same jobs. As a result, the US would be educating, but exporting much of the foreign student talent pool to compete against us in the global economy. While the United States still does this given the caps on the H-1B lottery system as a whole, targeting younger workers was seen as folly by a host of immigration observers. The Biden Administration has paused the implementation of this regulation, citing the lack of public input and the need for the Department of Homeland Security to adequately prepare the necessary software system capable of implementing such a change. The delay was met with a collective sigh of relief from prospective H-

Immigration Matters by Rishi P. Oza A common feature of new incoming administrations, particularly those that are diﬀerent from the previous incumbent administration, is to immediately do away with priorities and ambitions of a prior president. The Trump Administration’s desire to limit lawful (and unlawful) immigration is well-documented and was implemented through a variety of executive actions and regulatory initiatives through various governmental agencies, including the Departments of Homeland Security, Labor and State. The Biden Administration has moved swiftly to reverse many Trump initiatives, which has had wide-ranging on a variety of immigration areas, including DACA, H-1B filings and ICE enforcements. A top priority of the Biden Administration has been the protection of DACA recipients, commonly known as “Dreamers”. President Biden has not only reinstituted the ability of new applicants to apply for DACA, but has also opened up the ability of Dreamers to apply for Advanced Parole travel documents, which not only permits Dreamers to depart the United States for family, business or educational reasons, but also provides them to return to the United States without issue. This return has proven to be extraordinarily beneficial, as their return constitutes a “parole” into the United States. Why is this important? Thousands of Dreamers have no evidence of a lawful means of entering the United States at all, many brought unlawfully across the US/Mexico border as youngsters, which usually means that they are unable to apply for permanent residency status in the United States. By getting paroled back in to the US, DACA recipients may Saathee.com

continued on page 80 74

March 2021

Ballantyne Village 14815 Ballantyne Village Way, Suite 170 Charlotte, NC 28277 704.369.5777 www.TheBlueTaj.com

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Coming Soon - Ballantyne Townhome Completely updated!! Beautiful 2 Bed / 2.5 Bath townhome in Ballantyne. Large Bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, walk-in closet and vaulted ceiling. Spacious Kitchen with center island. Private, fenced courtyard with outside storage. Amazing opportunity!

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SOLDAY!

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Community Organizations • modulates neuromuscular function which plays a role in preventing heart disease (since the heart is a large muscle) • helps to keep arteries flexible and relaxed, which in turn helps to control high blood pressure. • modulates glucose metabolism – Low vitamin D may aﬀect beta cell function in the pancreas, insulin resistance, and inflammation, thus increasing risk of diabetes • improves immune function – low levels of vitamin lowers the body’s immunity and increases risk of infections as studies have shown during the pandemic. There have also been many studies associating Vitamin D deficiency with autoimmune diseases

Hello Readers Our Community Organizations section guides you to all the organizations in the Carolinas. Non-profits, social organizations, religious organizations, meditation groups, cricket associations, and many others are listed here and updated regularly.

How much should we take as supplements? Vitamin D is not naturally present in foods. Only a few foods such as eggs and fatty fish have some amount of vitamin D. Research is also showing that factory farming of animals and the diet they are fed has also aﬀected the amounts of naturally occurring vitamin D. Majority of vitamin D available in foods is because of fortification, which means that synthetic Vitamin D is added to milk, yogurt and other foods. We need to take supplements to get adequate vitamin D. Until 1997, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for vitamin D was 200 IU for all adults. Faced with growing evidence of vitamin D deficiencies in Americans, the RDA for 51- to 70-year-olds was increased to 400 IU, and to 600 IU for people older than 70. New research suggests taking 1,000 – 2000 IU per day for maintenance (if your levels are normal). The normal range of vitamin D is measured as nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). A normal level is considered anywhere between 30-100 ng/mL. If your level is too low, you may be given a prescription dose of 50,000 units to be taken once a week. The general protocol is to take the prescription dose for 6-8 weeks, then lower to the maintenance dose of 2000 IU daily.

This month, you can find our Community Organizations section online at Saathee.com/community.asp. The section will be back here on these pages in the near future. Contact: Saathee@saathee.com

Vitamin D toxicity Too much of anything is not a good thing. Excess amount of vitamin D can cause health issues. A 2010 study published Nutrition in JAMA showed that intake of very high doses of vitamin D continued from page 40 in older women was associated with more falls and fractures. Why is Vitamin D important? Excess vitamin D has also been shown to increase risk of kidney stones, and also kidney failure. Excess vitamin D can Vitamin D has many important functions in the body. cause elevated serum calcium levels which may cause • promotes calcium absorption in the gut • maintains adequate serum calcium and phosphate digestive distress, such as vomiting, nausea, stomach pain, fatigue, dizziness, and confusion. vitamin D toxicity can have levels to enable normal bone mineralization devastating health eﬀects, which may not show up until • essential for bone growth and preventing osteoporosis months or even years after starting to take high doses. • helps with muscle contraction, and thus prevents Generally, it is not recommended to exceed the upper muscle cramps and involuntary spasms limit of safe intake, which is 4000 IU (100 micrograms) per • reduces inflammation day. • modulates cell growth which may play a role in preventing cancer (studies have found that Vitamin D Parul Kharod can inhibit the development of tumors and slow the is a registered dietitian and licensed nutritionist and works as a Clinical Dietitian. She can be reached at parulkharod@gmail.com growth of existing tumors) Saathee.com

March 2021

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March 2021

Immigration

Thinking

continued from page 74

continued from page 54

mindlessly bucketed into the good, the bad and the ugly with the swiftness of a magician’s hand. And voila, we have as many dichotomies as our hearts desire: Safe and unsafe, cultured and uncultured, smart and stupid, considerate and inconsiderate, science and not science. And so on. And if we like to be a little more nuanced, we might stretch these dichotomies into trichotomies like Goldilocks might have done so that we try for “just right” rather than duel with dualism. “Trualism” has a better ring to it, and interestingly may amp up our illusion of truth. Three feels more true than two; it improves the resolution from two pixels to three, never mind that reality operates in an infinite continuum rather than in twos and threes. Reality is messy, often intractable and more often than we realize, unknowable.

Outside Everything All this sounds pretty bad, except if you realize that the 99% that you don’t know about is not chock-full of firebreathing dragons, slithering serpents and grim reapers salivating to get you. Much of that is Mother Nature or God, or however else you see it. And She generally works, and works pretty well for the most part. So the 99% holds lots of potential, but it requires faith and it requires trust. If you are able to overcome fear and self-concern, and get to trust, you may find that the universe is not as unkind as you might believe it to be. It just needs a small leap of faith to something with a pretty good track record. And, of course, some humility.

1B applicants, employers and practitioners, given that the H1B CAP lottery registration process will be open from March 9 – 25, 2021 and that last-minute governmental changes have often resulted in confusion and filing problems. Biden’s most telling departure from his predecessor may be with regards to the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an agency which President Trump provided wide-latitude in enforcement actions. Under Trump, ICE did not delineate between immigration violators, eﬀectively targeting the non-violent mother of three who had overstayed her visitor visa from 1998 in the same manner as a violent criminal finishing up a long prison sentence. The Trump Administration’s focus on enforcement led to a rise in the number of active cases before the Immigration Courts, which the Department of Justice sought to stem by surging the hire of new Immigration Judges and requiring judges to meet specific case completion metrics on an annual basis. While the strategy did have a modicum of success, it did so by largely defanging the concept of prosecutorial discretion, which is the judgment that DHS prosecutors make on a case-by-case on where to use limited resources. Under President Obama, violent criminals and multiple immigration violators were of highest priority, whereas nonviolent immigration violators or long-time unlawful residents were often given discretion and allowed to remain, with DHS leaving open the ability to prosecute their removal at any time in the future. Under Obama, Immigration Judges similarly had options to place removal proceedings on hold while awaiting actions outside of court, a procedure known as “administrative closure”; President Trump’s DOJ largely eliminated the concept of unilateral administrative closure by an Immigration Judge, eﬀectively forcing Judges to rule on cases despite circumstances where an individual could pursue a means of remedying his/her status outside of the court process. Biden appears to be rolling back these Trump enforcement initiatives and returning to the priorities articulated by the Obama Administration with respect to prosecutorial discretion and administrative closure. This more immigrantfriendly approach is an about-face for ICE, an agency with the term “enforcement” in its own title and charged with the duty to implement and carry out the laws of Congress. Biden’s calculation may be centered on his bid to reform the immigration system as a whole, which he has pledged to pursue during his term. The opening days of his presidency has seen a notable list of immigration-focused executive actions and all indications are that immigration reform will be Biden’s priority after the passage of his COVID-19 relief bill, to which he has also pledged prompt action. All of this is to say that 2021 should prove to be a consequential year in the field of immigration, as Biden’s focus on the area and desire for genuine systemic reform is refreshing considering high priority he has given the issue considering the myriad of problems facing the nation.

Balaji Prasad

Rishi P. Oza

is an IIT/IIM graduate, a published author, SAT/ACT Online and in-person Coach, and K-12 Math Tutor at NewCranium. balaji.prasad@newcranium.com.

is a partner at Brown Immigration Law, a firm that focuses solely on immigration law; he practices in Durham. roza@rbrownllc.com

Outside the Box The notion of “unknowability” strikes terrors in the average mortal’s heart. Especially when the stakes seem really high. “Could I die!?” you ask anxiously as you deal with bits and pieces of “knowledge” that could lead to this most tragic of outcomes. But is the “knowledge” that you think you have really knowledge? “I am just a simple being,” you mutter to yourself, adding, “but there are experts, of course, that I can rely on, to answer these literally grave questions, and perhaps to even intervene and do something magical to save me from the grim reaper.” But all this is too simple. In very complex things, the experts may know more than you, even a whole lot more than you, but they too, may be flying blind for the most part. Knowing 2% of something is not much better than knowing 1% of something. It is quite possible too that your 1% is worth a lot more than the 2% that the expert knows. Mathematics is strange, and creates strange illusions. Some things can be way more important than other things, and that’s where your 1% can demolish the other’s 2%. But none of this matters more than knowing that neither of you knows that much at all. And you don’t have a choice but to fly blind whether you do so on your own, or engage another equally blind driver for a fee.

Saathee.com

March 2021

student. An arangetram is the culmination of many years of training, investment, and hard work. Let the student focus on the dance. The student rises to a new level of performance, and moreover, develops the discipline to achieve a long-term goal. Student must meet many expectations and it is not easy for them. Help the student to relax and keep them engaged with rehearsals. Take some time off for the event. Do not do what I did by working all the way to the arangetram day. You will be guaranteed to stress out. Make sure you take at least a week or two off before the event and take a couple of days off after the event to recoup and get your house back together. It may also be the time for a huge family gathering if times allow. Your house could be full of guests with different needs. Couple of days before the event, you cannot cook and clean or even let them cook as they do not know your house. Make sure you understand their needs and plan ahead to arrange for food either by catering or by asking your friends to send a major dish or two to help you. Parents must seek help from close friends and delegate the work. I was blessed with many good friends who literally taught me to seek and accept help. Assign tasks to friends and delegate clearly and reaffirm the duties a week before the event. Most important of all, enjoy the arangetram. It will never come back again!

Namaskar

continued from page 66

in a crisis. Close relations can be your pillars of strength but at times be the very cause of your mental anguish. The strain of everyday stressors, not to mention the distress caused by a pandemic could be disastrous for grih-shanti (home’s peace). Nevertheless, I find myself thinking, what if a 21st century version of the joint family was adopted? It would embrace the strengths of the traditional model and at the same time integrate changes that can mitigate some of the major foreseeable problems. Joint Family in a New Avatar Love and a willing desire to coexist needs to be a prerequisite before any steps are taken. The success of a modern joint family depends on open communication about reciprocal expectations including financial contributions. Non negotiables and boundaries should be clear to all. All members must believe in equal or fair amounts of give and take. An individual’s life stage and circumstances dictate needs and wants from other members and if a conscious eﬀort is taken to repay that in kind based on what others need, a balance can be maintained. Additionally, elephants that are likely to sneak into the living room must be addressed head on. Smaller family units living in separate households within walking distance, maybe be better suited today’s lifestyles. Mutual respect and a policy of non-interference should be Dr. Maha Gingrich followed on sensitive topics. Both family time and For questions or comments contact via e-mail at Gingrichmaha@gmail.com. individual time should be fiercely guarded. To me, they are equally important and for that same reason, my recommendation would be to vacation separately with your smaller unit or alone if the bulk of your free time is spent with and around the extended family. And one’s potential should not be limited by sex role stereotypes. A family should be a true team where roles are assigned based on a person’s unique set of skills allowing them to thrive. And finally, the purpose of the joint family should be to strengthen bonds without becoming a trap. Family members with a strong independent streak should not be exiled or stigmatized for moving out. As we know humans are unique and thereby one size does not fit all. Therefore, I am eager to hear your valuable thoughts on this contemporary hybrid family model and the caveats for its success.

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Dances of India

continued from page 22

to invite and find a venue with double the capacity). Remember to gather the email or physical addresses of your guests well in advance. Book your photographer and the videographer in advance. Write up a contract if you wish. Set up your expectations with their technological capabilities for a virtual show if needed and be very clear about your event needs. It is a stressful time not only for parents but also for the Saathee.com

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March 2021

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Who wants to be a Scholar?! Answer the ones you know and research the rest. There is only one correct answer!

1. Arrange these rivers in Canada from largest to smallest in length. (a) Columbia (b) Nelson (c) McKenzie (d) Yukon

Word World

2. The first Indian feature talkie film (1913) was (a) Lava-Kusha (b) Shakuntala (c) Balika Badhu (d) Raja Harishchandra

By Kirit Shukla

A C

3. “Marmoreal” is pertaining to (a) Marble (c) A tomb

4. 12 oz. of this soda has the most caffeine. (a) Pepsi Cola (b) Mountain Dew (c) Coca Cola (d) Jolt

6. The curve drawn by the equation y=x³ is a (a) Parabola (b) Cubic Parabola (c) Hyperbola (d) Ellipse 7. Nobel Prize for the Law of Photoelectric Effect was given to Einstein in (a) 1917 (b) 1919 (c) 1920 (d) 1922

Make words using 4 or more letters. The central letter must be used in each word. Letters cannot be used more than once per word. Use all letters for the subject word (underlined in solutions below)

8. The tallest mountain in our Solar System is on (a) Mars (b) Jupiter (c) Earth (d) Saturn

11+ words = Excellent; 8 to 10 words = Good; 7 or less = keep looking. Words we found are in solutions below.

9. Chhatrapati Shivaji, Indian warrior king, formed the Maratha empire in the year: (a) 1627 (b) 1657 (c) 1674 (d) 1680

Brain-Train

10. This year’s Super Bowl winners (a) Falcons (b) Hornets (c) Panthers (d) Buccaneers

Here is a simple quiz. See if you can solve it. No peeking! Match the number in column 1 with letter in column 2 Longest Rivers of the World

Country or Continent

1. Amur 2. Congo 3. Paraná 4. Ob 5. Yellow 6. Yenisei 7. Mississippi 8. Yangtze 9. Nile 10. Amazon

A. South America B. China C. Africa D. Africa E. Russia F. South America G. China H. Siberia I. United States J. China

Answers are on bottom left. No Peeking. Scholar: All correct; 1st Class: 9 Correct; 2nd Class: 8 Correct; 3rd Class: 7 Correct; Need to improve: 6 or less

Dadaji’s moral stories for kids DUCKS AND THE HUNTER

A flock of hungry ducks were flying and noticed some grain on the ground. They landed and began eating. Soon their feet became tangled within the net just under the dirt. The hunter hiding nearby was glad to see so many ducks caught in his net. As the flock began to panic, the lead duck said: “All is not lost yet. Listen and do as I say. Maybe this can save us. We must fly together as one and carry the net with us.” Immediately, the entire flock rose from the ground and flew over the tree tops, carrying the net along with it. The hunter ran after them. Eventually, the hunter gave up. He realized he didn’t catch any of the ducks but also lost his net.

Scholar 1. c, d, b, a 2.d 3.a 4.d 5.c 6.b 7.d 8.a 9.c 10.d Brain Train: 1-E, 2-D, 3-F, 4-H, 5-J, 6-B, 7-I, 8-G, 9-C, 10-A Word World (Solution): ACRE, AERO, ALOE, CALLER, CARE, CARLE, CELL, CELLA, CELLAR, CELLO, CLARE, CLEAR, COLE, CORE, CORELLA, EARL, ECOL, LACE, LACER, LARE, LEAL, LEAR, LOCALE, LORE, ORACLE, ORLE, RACE, RALE, REAL, RECALL. Saathee.com

(b) Lower order of monkeys (d) Fruit jam

Moral: United we rise. Divided we fall. (A Panchatantra tale). 84

March 2021

PUZZLES AND JOKES

Clues Down: 1. Mahadev Shankar. (Sanskrit word) 2. A person who eats human flesh. 3. To hide in a recess.

By Kirit Shukla

4. Portable Document Format. (*) 5. The weight of a container deducted from the total weight to determine the weigh of the contents or load. 6. A fish, the blue cod. 7. The resident of Iran. 8. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. (*) 10. A small armadillo having nine movable bands of scutes. 13. “Hereafter” jumbled. 14. An oval eminence on a ventrolateral of the spinal cord. 15. An American Indian people of the N Mississippi River. 19. Sita; the daughter of Janak Raja. (Ramayana) 21. To float on the water; not sink.24. Packed By Owner. (*) 27. Of men having qualities more suitable for women. 28. ‘___ Harris’, Vice President of the United States. 30. ‘____ Polo’, the explorer from Venice. 32. A young child. 35. A species of finch, found in sub-Saharan Africa. 39. About. (*) (Internet chat) 40. Having or showing a cunning and deceitful nature.

Note: * denotes abbreviation of the word or phrase

41. The dominant ethnic group in China. Clues Across:

42. Rhode Island. (*)

1. An aromatic spice made of the dried outer cover of nutmeg; Or a spiked medieval war club for breaking armor. 4. “St. ___’s Day: Observed on March 17, 2021. 9. Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion Department. (*) 11. American Association of Retired Persons. (*) 12. From this point onward. 16. A Bengali first name meaning ‘foaming ocean’. 17. To incline, deviate or bend from a vertical position. 18. An Indian warrior king, founder of the Maratha empire. 20. A situation involving exposure to danger. 22. The daughter of Hera and Zeus & cupbearer of the gods. 23. An acronym from "Alert, Verbal, Pain, Unresponsive". (*) 25. Warrant Oﬃcer. (*) 26. Individual Retirement Account. (*) 27. Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. (*) 28. A set of equipment needed for a specific purpose. 29. The author/poet of the epic Ramayana in Sanskrit. 31. ”Barack ___”, the 44th president of the United States. 34. The monetary unit of Laos equal to 1/100 of a kip. 34. Australian Security and Intelligence Services. (*) 36. Amplitude Modulation. (*) 37. Hearing organs for humans. 38. A 503-mile-long river in the states of Indiana & Ohio, US. 42. Radio Frequency. (*) 43. The largest part of human brain. (Plural) 45. The rudimentary antler of a young male red deer. 46. The letter ‫ ع‬in Arabic script. Saathee.com

44. Rupees. (*) (solution on page 88)

Hee Hee

Jokes From Around The World

Boddhoo: “It’s raining outside.” Mafatlal: “Have you ever seen it raining inside?” ********* Booddhoo: “I wanted to marry. I was young and my parents were insisting I get married. I desperately looked for a girl. There was a problem. If I liked her, she didn’t like me. If she liked me, I didn’t like her. But, I kept on trying.” Mafatlal: “Did you ﬁnd a girl?” Booddhoo: “Yes. I found a girl who also liked me. But, her husband did not like me!” *********

March 2021

WordFind

Math Magic Use these numbers only once: (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9) in empty squares, to get = the final given answers. Note: Follow the order of operation per basic math rule: ×,÷, +, The multiplication or division is done before addition and subtraction. (solution on page 88)

Find & circle the words in the puzzle. (Subject: Canada) ALBERTA BC DUCK ELK ELLIOT FUNDY JASPER KOOTENAY MANITOBA MEADOW MUSKOLE

EZ-BZ

NEWFOUNDLAND NIAGARAFALLS NOVASCOTIA ONTARIO PASS PRINCEEDWARD PUKASKWA QUEBEC ROCKY SASKATCHEWAN YUKON

TEST YOUR IQ The common letters are “IV” - Fill in the blanks)

Note: * denotes abbreviation of the word or phrase

The unused 10 letters spell: ”The capital of Yukon, CN”. (answer on page 88)

1. A veterinary medication used to treat certain parasitic roundworm infections & river blindness. IV _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 2. Belonging to a particular place by birth. _ _ _ IV _ 3. Human Immunodeficiency Virus. (*) _ IV 4. A ventral and lateral protuberance of the vertebra. _ _ IV _ 5. Advisor to former President, Donald Trump. IV _ _ _ _ 6. A word formed from another word. _ _ _ IV _ _ _ _ _ 7. A natural stream of water of high volume. _ IV _ _ 8. A slacker; a person who shirks work. _ _ IV 9. Hard, white material from the tusks of elephants. IV _ _ _ 10. Cheat; give a mistaken impression. _ _ _ _ IV _ 11. Very strong, very high in chroma. _ IV _ _ 12. To relinquish something voluntarily. _ _ IV _ 13. Eurasian vine of the ginseng family with evergreen leaves, small yellowish flowers, and black berries. IV _ 14. Rainbow colors in order from top to bot. (*) _ _ _ _ _ IV 15. Hand over to freely. _ IV _ 16. An American car designed to transport passengers in rear seating, with high roof & sliding doors. _ _ _ IV _ _ 17. Interactive Voice Response System. (*) IV _ _ 18. Impelling to action. _ _ _ IV _ _ IV _ 19. The study of the rights & duties of citizenship. _ IV _ _ _ 20. The second-largest city of Bulgaria. _ _ _ _ _ IV 21. A person showing a lack of wisdom or judgment. _ _ IV _ 22. Creating disunity or dissension. _ IV _ _ IV _ 23. A Romance novel by Walter Scott. (1819) IV _ _ _ _ _ 24. Of or proceeding directly from God. _ IV _ _ _ 25. Filipino in the Batanes islands, Philippines. IV _ _ _ _ (Puzzle solutions are on page 88. NO peeking!)

Kirit Shukla kiritsshukla@gmail.com

Saathee.com

March 2021

Festivals & Holidays Spot the Diﬀerences Solutions from page 50

March 2021 Mar. 6 - Janki Jayanti Mar. 8 - International Women’s Day Mar. 8 - Dayanand Jayanti Mar. 9 - Vijaya Ekadashi Mar. 11 - Maha Shivaratri Mar. 11 - Lailat al Miraj Mar. 13 - Phalguna / Darsha Amas (No Moon) Mar. 14 - Daylight Saving Time Begins Mar. 17 - St. Patrick’s Day Mar. 21 - Spring Equinox / Ostara Mar. 25 - Āmalaki Ekadashi Mar. 28 - Palm Sunday / Passover Begins Mar. 29 - Holi / Phalguna Shukla Purnima (Full Moon) Mar. 29 - Hola Mohalla (Sikh)

1. Tree added 2. Color Changed 3. Man removed 4. Post removed 5. Boat added 6. Words removed 7. Post added 8. Sign color changed

9. Boat removed 10. Building removed 11. Color changed 12. Band removed 13. Post added 14. Window removed 15. Man removed

April 2021 Apr. 1 - April Fool's Day Apr. 2 - Good Friday Apr. 4 - Easter Sunday / Passover Ends Apr. 5 - Pāpmochini Ekadashi Apr. 8 - Yom HaShoah Apr. 12 - Darsh / Somavati Amas (No Moon) Apr. 13 - Gudi Padwa / Ugadi Apr. 13 - Ramadan Begins Apr. 15 - Income Tax Day (US) / Matsya Jayanti Apr. 15 - Yom Ha'atzmaut Apr. 14 - Cheti Chand / Baisakhi Apr. 18 - Birthday of Guru Angad Dev Apr. 21 - Ram Navami / Swaminarayan Jayanti Apr. 21 - Administrative Professionals Day Apr. 22 - Earth Day Apr. 23 - Kāmadā Ekadashi Apr. 25 - Mahavir Jayanti Apr. 27 - Chaitra Purnima (Full Moon) Apr. 27 - Hanuman Jayanti Apr. 30 - Arbor Day / Lag BaOmer

5 8

9 2

6 4

13 11

Puzzle Solutions from page 86-87

Math Magic from page 87

Saathee.com

March 2021

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March 2021

Astroscope

March 2021

Aries (March 21 – April 19)

Libra (September 23 – October 22)

Don’t miss an opportunity to take advantage during the ﬁrst week of the month. A very positive change is possible. Make quick decisions in order to move forward. Luck is favoring you, so be sure to make the most of it. Ignore your morality and ideology for this to happen. Your dream may come true during this month. Confusion may attempt to distract you; ignore it. Avoid short distance travel.

You are stepping firmly towards a stronger and superior part of your life. Everything will flourish as luck is on your side. You will be involved in more than one activity simultaneously. Even though most of them may appear fruitless at first, they will build a firm base for future achievements. Don’t lose your confidence and remain open-minded. Be watchful of your partner as he or she may cheat on you.

Scorpio (October 23 – November 21)

Taurus (April 20 – May 20)

Even though there won’t be any ﬁnancial problems, your hyper personality and fear will rule you this month. Try to develop your mental strength. If you feel it necessary, spend some time to do meditation. The period is not negative, but your worried mind won’t let you enjoy it. Insecurity will prevail and disrupt many things. Watch your health.

This will be a quick and busy month for you, so try to keep up the pace. You will enter a new venture and experience an important turning point in your life because of it. You must realize that there is no alternative to hard work. If involved in legal matters, compromise is more beneﬁcial for you. Speculation may bring in some extra money. Watch your health very carefully.

Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21) You could be subjected to false charges, where your involvement is negligible. If already suffering from a chronic ailment, then preventive measures should be taken immediately. You overall well-being will feel imbalanced this month. You should avoid spending on frivolous worldly comforts. Conﬂict with your partner is also possible. There won’t be any signiﬁcant loss in your income. Take care of your health.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20) Success will be yours in whatever you undertake this month. You will easily defeat your enemies as they will have no power to harm you. There should be a rise in status and position. Try to control your ego and continue to work hard. Your partner will prove to be very helpful. You may spend a bit more on luxury items. Overall, this will be an extremely satisfactory month for you.

Capricorn (December 22 – January 19) Every activity appears to be acceptable, except traveling. Try to concentrate in your education or profession. Negligence could prove very costly. Things will improve rapidly, and by the end of the month you will be able to control any situation. Also remember to avoid driving when possible. Your competitors won’t succeed in damaging your reputation. Be sure to welcome any changes you may experience.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22) You will come in contact with inﬂuential people. A rise in income is clearly indicated. You may also enter a new venture. Family life will be very pleasant. You shall overcome strife and win over your enemies. Income through speculation is possible, though you should avoid the stock market. You could be involved in spiritual activities. Try to make the best of this uplifting time.

Aquarius (January 20 – February 18) Your hard work and labor will provide dividends. Good news from a far-off place is possible. You will enjoy the power of artistic expression and interpretation. Decisions based on emotions will offer amazing rewards. A pleasant journey or change in workplace is also possible. A relaxed state of mind is clearly indicated. Leadership and conﬁdent speech will bring success for you.

Leo (July 23 – August 22) This is the time to think about moving to a new place, maybe even finally find a happy home. You will feel much more confident and energetic this month. Money may flow from multiple directions and you could spend some of that money on social or religious activities. This month is going to be a boon for love and romance. Your friends and siblings will provide their best support.

Pisces (February 19 – March 20) You will see mixed results this month. There would be many opportunities coming your way, but you may not be able to utilize them all. A health problem may disturb you. This is a bad time for family happiness but favorable for students and teens. There may be a rise in status and position, but without much financial benefit behind it. There is a possibility of a new family member entering into your life.

Virgo (August 23 – September 22) Your own decisions and mistakes will cause ﬁnancial losses this month. Don’t get involved in any new projects and try to control your ego. It is very important that you curb your expenses along with any risk-taking tendencies. Your credit will help you to some extent in recovering your ﬁnancial losses. Your friends and siblings will provide full support for you.

Jalendu Vaidya 973-223-5047

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CLASSIFIEDS Gas Station / Convenience Store for Lease 30 min from Charlotte airport. Neighborhood store with great traffic. Inside sales $65K per month + Lotto Commission $51K / year. Call 980-289-8537. Growing Liquor / Wine Store for Sale in lucrative Fort Mill, SC area. Gross sales $240k+. Great time for quick ROI with spring approaching! Asking $50k + inventory. Call 646-477-4654 for details. Popular Restaurant for Sale in Greenville, SC. Loyal customer base & excellent reviews. Central area on leased property. Current owners looking to retire or be silent partners. Price negotiable. Contact 864-908-4754. Lakeview 12-unit Motel for Sale on Lake at 942 N 5th Street in Hartsville (near Florence, SC). Call 843-332-8145. Convenience Stores for Sale: Greenville, SC $470,000 + Inv., Prop incl. Annual $945,000, Fuel Gals 300,000; Gastonia, NC $545,000 + Inv., Prop incl. Inside $502,000, no gas; County South: 704-440-4433 or visit www.Countysouth.biz. Fully Furnished Studio Rental for personal service professionals (hair stylists, brows, massage, facials.) Aura Salons is in Fort Mill close to Charlotte, Rock Hill, & Waxhaw. Great rates and modern build out. Contact 704-606-7887 or aurasalons@outlook.com. Indian Restaurant for Sale in high traffic area of North Charlotte. Serious inquiries only. Call 515-441-4390.

Hiring Couples for Housekeepers, Front Desk Clerks, Assistant Managers, Managers, and Renovation Managers. Positions available in NC, SC, FL, TN and IN. Contact MB at 980-208-3038. Live-in full-time Nanny needed in south Charlotte (Ballantyne area) to help in the kitchen work and some light housework. Please call 704-783-7376. Hotel Help Wanted: Looking for all positions (GM/AGM/Front Desk/Housekeeping/Laundry) for properties in Charlotte & near Greensboro, NC. Contact 704-502-2630 or Gm.nita.shah@gmail.com. Single or couple wanted for Front Desk and general resident duties at independent motel 45 minutes from Raleigh. Must speak English. Accommodations provided. Contact Bob Shah at 847-354-8120. Front Desk & Housekeeping needed for Motel in Durham, NC. Legal status required. Accommodations provided. Call Ken Patel 919-452-3131 or email kenco00@gmail.com. Looking for full-time position to join the team at 7- Eleven in Charlotte, NC. New store and location. Flexibility in shifts a plus. Standard pay. Contact 704-491-9970 or 711independence@gmail.com.

32-room Motel for Sale in Birmingham, AL for 2.5 times gross revenue. Owner financing possible. Contact 801-631-3658 or hasuvila@yahoo.com.

Hotel Help Wanted: Front Desk, Night Auditor and Housekeeper Couple for franchise hotels in Shelby, NC. Accommodations provided. Must have legal status. Contact 704-974-1521 and leave a message if no answer.

C-Store for Sale by Owner in Gastonia, NC. Owner retired. Located near highway and State Park. Easy in and out access. Call 973723-6924 for details.

Help needed at Perfume Stores in Charlotte and Pineville, NC. For more information, please call Veer Singh at 415265-8686.

High Volume Gas Station/C-Store for Sale or Lease in the heart of Gaffney, SC. Neighborhood store on busy street with new pumps! Call 704-726-7544.

Looking for Energetic Employee (Fulltime/ Part-time, single or couple) for Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchise fast food store in Charlotte NC. Weekend availability preferred. Some English required. Excellent Pay! Call Pravin Patel 803-974-0291.

LEARN ABOUT LAND We specialize in helping groups invest in land. Contact Bob Atkinson “The Land Man” 919-362-6999 or visit www.learnaboutland.com Saathee.com

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Front Desk Clerks needed for all shifts at hotel in South Carolina. Must have fluent English and computer skills. Legal status required. Accommodations can be arranged, if needed. Email resume to employment9210@gmail.com. 92

HELP WANTED

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

Experienced Eyebrow Threaders

for the following locations

Cary, NC Triangle Town Center Mall (Raleigh,NC) Wilimington, NC Fayetteville, NC

Great Salary+Tip+Commission Call : 773-507-8848 or 773-503-8848 email: feah7189@gmail.com

Gas Station / C-store Help Wanted in N. Charlotte (15 minutes from UNCC). Legal status required. Must speak English. Salary commensurate per experience. Please call 704-733-0553. Looking for home health aide/companion for elderly parents in Cary, NC to help with daily routine. Live in/Live out options available. Please contact 919-271-1940. Full-time Nanny needed (Live-in/Live-out) Winston-Salem, NC. Gujarati preferred. Call/text at 980-298-2828. Live-In House Helper/Nanny needed in Greenville, SC for cooking, light housekeeping and help with 5 year-old girl. Call 318-562-0664. Housekeeping Couple needed for Hampton Inn in Galax, VA. Legal status required. Accommodations provided. Contact Sanjay at 276-733-9511 or sanjay32@email.com. Full-time Nanny needed (Live in/out) for 3 year-old girl near South Charlotte (Waxhaw). Competitive pay. Please contact Yashpal at 704-526-9810. Now hiring Cashiers for Gas Station/CStore near Greensboro, NC. Must speak English & have basic computer skills. Experience preferred. Good pay! Please call 336-509-4054. Front Desk Clerks needed for 7-3 and 3-11 shifts at franchise hotel in Fort Mill, SC (near Carowinds). Legal status, fluent English and computer skills a must. Email resume to bwhospitality78@gmail.com Full-time Sales Associate Needed for Perfume store in Greensboro/Raleigh, NC. Fluent English preferred. Contact via text 336-554-1377 or email durhamperfumes@gmail.com. Looking for Housekeeping Couple for newly renovated Franchise Motel in Burlington, NC. Accommodations provided with kitchen. Please call Renu 732-318-4878 or Aswin 336-693-9057. March 2021

Looking for Energetic Employee (Fulltime/ Part-time, single or couple) for Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchise store in Columbia, SC. Weekend availability preferred. Some English required. Call Yogi Patel 410-708-8475 or Dax at 803-470-8089. Franchise Hotel in NC is looking for single or couple for Housekeeping and Front Desk Clerks with computer knowledge for 3rd shift. Accommodations provided. Contact 704-465-8129. Front Desk Help & On-Site Maintenance needed for Franchise Hotel in Concord, NC. Legal status required. Accommodations provided. Call Rick 704772-5554. Hotel Help Wanted: Front Desk/Manager, Night Auditor and Housekeeper (Single/Couple) for franchise hotels in Charlotte, Gastonia, High Point. Accommodations provided. Call 704-4600379 between 6-9pm. Live-In Indian Nanny needed for 3 yearold, cooking and light cleaning. Contact Khyati Shah at 551-689-2491 or vikram0802@gmail.com. Front Desk / Manager, Night Auditor and Housekeeper (Single / Couple) for franchise hotels in Wilmington, NC. Accommodations provided. For details call 910-262-8357 or email ilmhotelemployer@gmail.com Cashier wanted for Convenience Store near Charlotte. Must speak English. Accommodations provided. Text / Call 704701-9975. Help Wanted for C-Store/Gas Stations in Charlotte, NC and Columbia, SC areas. Multiple positions open. Salary commensurate with experience. Call 803414-4883. Gas Station Help wanted in Rock Hill, SC (single or couple) for morning or evening shift. ASAP. Legal status required. Call 803792-4452. Eyebrow Threading Position: Winston Salem, NC. Excellent Pay + Tips & Benefits! Some Experience & fluent English required. Call 336-422-7582. Convenience Store help needed immediately in Charlotte, NC. Full-time including weekends and evening shifts. Call 704-241-4499. Experienced Front Desk Clerk and Housekeeping needed for Franchise Hotel In South Carolina. Accommodations provided with kitchen. Call 336-944-8003. Saathee.com

C-store / Gas Station Help Wanted in Gaffney, SC. Part-time or Full-time. Single, Couple or Family. Legal status required. Fluent English & previous experience preferred. Call 704-726-7544. Couple needed for franchise hotel 1.5 hours from Charlotte. Must be Fluent in English. Accommodations provided. Text or call 704-701-9975. Gas Station Help Wanted in North Charlotte. Full-time including weekends. Must speak English and have legal status. Experience preferred. Competitive salary package. Call/text 704-904-5613. Front Desk Help needed in South Carolina. Must speak fluent English & have legal status. Experience required. Call Raj at 704-915-1026. Front Desk needed for motel in Richmond, VA (Airport area). Legal status required. Accommodations provided. Call 804-5127810 or email airportbw@gmail.com. Virginia Econo Lodge now hiring experienced Front Desk and Housekeeping staff for newly renovated interior corridor property. Private accommodations with full kitchen provided. Please call 804-3178587 or 804-517-7484.

MATRIMONIALS Hindu South Indian family seeks girl for son. Well settled. Handsome. US citizen. Never married. Caste no bar. Girl with H1 visa is okay. Please call 828-994-0234. Seeking match for 37 year-old Indian male, divorced, US citizen. Caste no bar. No children. Divorcee ok. Seeking females 3035. Call 919-593-8013 or email umasriram23@gmail.com.

SERVICES SBA Business Loans for all businesses new or existing. SBA pays first 6 months of interest and principle. For full details, call Raj at 678-249-0022. Gujarati Priest in NC & SC for Ganesh, Randal, Laxmi, Sharda Pujan, Satyanarayan Katha, Wedding, Vastu, Baby Shower, Hawan, Grah Shanti. Kishor Trivedi Home: 336-774-0597 Cell: 336-4867925 E-Mail: kishor7@juno.com Saree Draping: specializing in draping sarees, dupattas and jewelry for any event. Weddings, Engagements, Baby showers, Birthdays, etc. Contact Rital Patel at info@bridaldraping.com or www.bridaldraping.com. 93

Henna for all Occasions: Weddings are our specialty. Other services include hand over heals, body art, and energy healing. Call for details 919-370-2371. Ezhenna.com. Gujarati Priest: Devendra Dave Independent priest. Ganesh, Randal, Navratri, Diwali's Laxmi & Sharda Pujas, Satyanarayan Katha, Weddings, Vastu, Baby Shower, Funeral Seva. Call Daveji 704-780-3563. God Blessings to All. IT, Telecom & Civil Engineering service Providers: website design, digital marketing, software products, education, training & certifications with placement assistance. Best quality at a reasonable price. Contact: 704-726-5695; email: gescpl@gmail.com Neeta's Beauty Parlor: Charlotte area open 7 days a week. Full service. Call for appointment. 704-968-0270. Dholi For Hire: Plays the Dhol (drum) for any occasion! Barat, Doli, Graduation, Birthdays, Baby Showers & any other festivity. Affordable rates! Call Arpan Bhandari 704-641-4761 or email: arpandholi@yahoo.com Priest Available for these services: Shree Satya narayan katha, Shanti hawan, Vastu shanty, Weddings, Baby shower, Bhumi pujan, Mata ki chowki pujan, Funeral, all types of karmakand. Please call Viral Bhatt 704-438-6334. Travel Passion: Call for International & Domestic Air tickets. We process India Visa, OCI, Indian Ppt Renewal, Hotel bookings & Tour packages. Call 509.550.9076 or 509.550.9034 Email: travelpassion24@gmail.com Pari Beauty in Matthews: Threading, Waxing, Facials, Massage for newborn and mom & other services. 31 years of experience. Special Deals & Great Service. Call: 704-846-7912.

To Submit a Classified visit: saathee.com/submit-classified or email: info@saathee.com or call 704.527.7570 Business ads are $25 Personal ads are $15 Upgrade to color for an additional $10 or add a box for $15 Saathee.com ads posted daily We accept all major credit cards. Ads up to 25 words. Deadline for print is the 20th. Web ads daily. March 2021

Ramana Maharishi Academy of the Blind (SRMAB) present at the Hindu Society of North Carolina (HSCN) in Morrisville NC, the concept of Classical Dance expanded for me. It was now not only for those who were strong and fit in body, but to almost anyone who wants to perform or learn of the art from various angles, be it through the music, watching dance performances, learning the theory and history, helping in costumes, etc. The dance and art form are supposed to make us better people and to elevate our consciousness and the consciousness of those around us. The ultimate goal of dance is not to just be technically good, but to actually be good and inspire the audience, ourselves, and society in general: and that should be modelled in the Guru to the student.

Adult Dance Student

continued from page 62

of sand on her head to force her neck into the proper position and was hit with a switch if she made a mistake. Another story details how when the teacher asked her to perform a particular gesture and she faltered, he went to the kitchen and branded her with hot coal on her hand. Throughout her life, she seemed to have been highly impacted by her experiences with her Guru and always spoke highly of him and wanted his praise even with what we would call harsh treatment of her education, if not abuse in modern parlance. Her style of teaching varied from his of what was noted within the book. From her personal experiences, as an adult teacher, it seemed that while she revered her Guru, she did not replicate his style of teaching. Classical dance can be considered a form of Yoga. When I first started to become more interested in Yoga, a part of me started to become disconcerted, thinking thoughts on the accessibility of Yoga. What if a person has disabilities, and cannot do the asanas or poses that many are able to do? It bothered me to think that Yoga was only for a certain sector of the population of society with physical capabilities. I became perturbed in thinking that will one only reach enlightenment by being super flexible and contorting to diﬀerent postures? If I buy the right pants, and stretch perfectly in the gym, will that be the way to salvation? To truly understand what yoga is, I started to read and listen to talks from the Art of Living on Patanjali Yoga Sutras. From the readings and talks, it was enlightening to learn that the concept of asanas is only a very small part of Yoga. To my understanding, yoga is not only about asansas and postures, but about a discipline of life. It is a tradition that enables understanding that people are more than the physical form. Asanas are a physical aspect to that concept, but there are many ways to come to that understanding. The example of yoga and asansas can be parallel to dance and adavus. Dance and art should be fun. Teachers should instill a sense of joy of the art form. Yes, discipline is needed and the art form is strict: Yes, it is important to require the students to practice their adavus and to expect structure, but abuse should not be tolerated in the name of guru-shishya tradition. Hypocrisy should not be tolerated. Parents should play a role in advocating for their child (and other children) if they note that something is wrong. While the ideal that I am advocating for seems “American” in its thoughts with the balance of powers, this concept goes beyond the “American” or “Indian” dichotomy of thinking. And I do feel that children can be encouraged to practice and aspire for perfection and learning in the dance form, but in a way that builds the child up, and not tears them down. We are all human. And it is okay to make mistakes, be it a teacher or student. But we all need to balance each other and help each other when there are ways we think we can help each other. The teaching and learning should ideally go both ways. The teacher should be humble enough to admit when they are wrong as this will model proper behavior for the student. After watching a performance from artists who were visually impaired from Bangalore, India, from the Shree Saathee.com

Further Readings: Knight, D. M. (2010). Balasaraswati her Art and Life. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press. This series of articles is about the journey and unique insights of an adult dance student learning classical Indian dance. An introduction to the experiences and a perspective of taking classical Indian dance as both an American and an Indian, and how this shapes her personal journey, begins this series. Further articles will delve into specific topics and experiences from the perspective of the adult student.

Preethi Sriram is a classical Indian dance enthusiast and lifelong learner of dance. Contact: SriramPreethi@hotmail.com

Mirror

continued from page 46

The result is something both familiar and refreshing, and thus Favreau’s version becomes worthwhile as a remake. It provided more than what the original did, yet doesn’t ignore its origins either. A lot of remakes or retellings are far too shackled to their original versions which in turn make their necessity becoming completely pointless and meaningless. The remake needs to give more value to the audience rather than present itself as “the same movie, done differently”. This is why films like the 2016 The Jungle Book and Dobaara work. They’ve been made as improvements, with different points of view and the addition of themes previously unexplored in the original versions. Honestly, that’s what every remake should strive for. It’s just so disappointing that there are so many movies lately that are being made not for the sake of creativity and art, but for the sake of the box office. We need more emphasis on screenplays that can change the industry. Get more original films on the big screen. There is an abundance of creativity out in the world. Don’t let a new bright idea be wasted and looked over because of the want to get money or more publicity. Help those who are aspiring filmmakers get their voices heard. But if you must work on a remake, at least give the audience a compelling reason to see it. Give it enough value for audiences who return to once again enjoy a story they love, but not just a walk down the same park where the flowers this time around are made of plastic.

Jennifer Allen works at Saathee and is also a Podcaster, Blogger, Photographer, Graphic Artist, Gamer, Martial Arts Practitioner, and an all around Pop Culture Geek. 94

March 2021

Serving the Carolinas for over 15 Years. Our mutual goals in buying / selling are getting the best price on most favorable terms & a smooth transaction.

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Saathee.com

March 2021

Advertisers Accounting Solutions (Muhammad Kamran Awan)...65

Elev8 Ev3nts.............................................................61

Patel, Hitesh (Mortgage Loans).................................35

Alvin Kallicharran (Author: Colour Blind) ....................35

Eye Brow Threaded Wanted .....................................92

Patel, Kiran (Real Estate)...........................................59

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Patel, Mrugesh (Law Offices)....................................39

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Aspect Commerical Realty (Prashant Parmar) ..........47

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Global Engineering Services (GES)............................57

Pizza Twist (Concord)................................................29

Aura Salons (Booth Rentals) .....................................15

Global Mall / Legacy Jewels ....................................99

Pramukh Mandapam ...............................................49

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H2 Laser & Skin .......................................................30

Raj Jewels (Morrisville, NC) .....................................6-7

Bashyam Shah LLP - Immigration Law Group..........36

Hindu Center of Charlotte (Events) ......................68-71

Raja Reslan, CFA®| Financial Advisor (Edward Jones).....15

Bawarchi Indian Cuisine (Charlotte) ..........................73

Hirak Patel (Real Estate)............................................89

Rajdeep Video & Photography (Ramesh Panjabi)......51

Bhindi Jewelers ......................................................2

Home Decorators Of America (Atlanta) .....................52

Ramana Coaching Center ........................................85

Bipin Parekh Realty, LLC...........................................53

Insurance - Tushar Barot, Supreme Insurance Serv..63

Rug and Home ...........................................................5

Blooming Buds.........................................................65

Insurance Shopping (Sonal Patel - Ind. Agent) ..........41

Saathee Magazine Advertising information...............90

Blooming Smiles Pediatric Dentistry .........................73

Jyoti's World Cuisine ................................................17

Saffron Restaurant and Catering...............................97

Bombay Grille (Charlotte)..........................................83

KD Financial & KMD Realty.......................................31

Shah & Trivedi CPA, PLLC.........................................37

Brijal Shah (Keller Williams - Real Estate)..................25

Kebab Soul Food & Curry .........................................15

Shah, Anish (Real Estate) ...................................76-77

British International School of Charlotte.......................9

Khanna & Sons Jewelers .........................................23

Shah, Kirti (CPA - Sepa Consulting) .........................45

Brown Immigration Law (Rishi Oza, Partner).............43

Kumar, Kokila (Real Estate - Allen Tate).....................19

Shukla, Kirit (Music Lession & Band).........................19

C4D Mortgage (Jubi Chackunkal, P.E.) .....................65

Maharani Indian Cuisine (Charlotte) ..........................67

SLV Realty LLC (Krishna Vemuri)...............................45

Carolina Law Group (Monty Desai)............................16

Mahulkumar Makati (Adjuster)..................................47

Sona Realty (Venkat Suryadevara) ............................55

Carolina Medical Associates.....................................67

Malak Jewelers........................................................27

Speedway Harley-Davidson........................................3

CaroMont Medical Group (Dr. Manu Patel)................17

Malani Jewelers.....................................................100

Sue Mrithunayan (Realtor) ........................................91

Charlotte Chess Center ............................................79

Malaya Kitchen.........................................................89

SV Temple of NC (Fundraiser) .....................................4

Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat ..............................81

Mathur, Gitanjali (Allen Tate Realtors) ........................33

The Blue Taj..............................................................75

CHI Consulting (SBA Business Loans).......................41

Matthews Family Dentistry ......................................33

360insureall.com (Maqsood Khan)..........................51

Chiro-Carolina

....................................................95

Meineke Car Care Center (Raghu Mothukuri) ...........25

Travel Passion ..........................................................45

Classifieds ..........................................................92-93

Monroe Oil Company................................................98

Tyagi, Rita (Real Estate).............................................95

Concha, David (Immigration Attorney).......................45

Neeta's Beauty Parlor...............................................19

Uni World Travel........................................................39

Copper Restaurant (Charlotte)...................................75

New York Life Insurance (Rasheed Ulhaq).................19

Union Family Eye Associates (Dr. Keshav Bhat).........89

County South Realty & Business Brokers..................63

North American Bancard ........................................11

Vema Mortgage LLC (Sebastian George) .37/51/57/63

Desai & Desai LLP (CPA & Financial Services)..........57

One2 Entertainment .................................................39

Venu Parepalli (Insurance) .....................................10

Desai, Rajarshi (CPA, PLLC)......................................97

Passage To India - Fine Indian Cuisine......................24

Windsor Run (Retirement Community)......................21

DJ Services (Goldsboro Wedding DJ)........................57

Patel Brothers (Charlotte)..........................................32

Worldwide Travels ....................................................49

Saathee.com

March 2021

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E-mail: rd@rajdesaicpa.com Member: American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and NYSSCPA

I am committed to providing close, personal attention to my clients. I take pride in giving you the assurance that the personal assistance you receive comes from 15 years of my public accounting experience including several years of Big 4 accounting firm’s advanced training, technical experience and financial acumen. My continual investment of time and resources in professional continuing education and extensive business relationships is indicative of my commitment to excellence. Saathee.com

• Audit Representation and Tax Resolution to 100% clients satisfaction before federal, state and local tax authorities, including filing past year returns. • Review for possible Federal or State income tax exposure. • Monthly Bookkeeping Services. • Payroll and Sales Tax preparation and Compliance. • Financial reviews and compilation including compliance testing. • Corporate, partnership, individual, trust and estate tax consulting, planning and compliance. • Mergers and acquisition reviews including business valuations. • Comprehensive business services in accounting and auditing. • Management information systems consulting and technology implementation services. March 2021

69 Years

Monroe Oil Company is a Trusted Full Service Wholesale Petroleum Distributor. Our corporate office is in Monroe, NC and we are expanding with additional offices in GA to better service and grow the Southeast US Region.

We offer the highest quality branded fuels of BP, CITGO, & Liberty for gas stations solutions, unbranded spot fuels, commercial fleet fuels as well as a full line of quality bulk lubricants for fleets & heavy duty trucks along with TerraCair DEF- package or bulk.

Make my C-Store Great Again Let’s Talk! Call Us! Saurin (Sam): 706-587-6182 Paul: 704-292-9266 Ken: 706-617-9058 Ellen: 770-543-9236

MonroeOilCo.com Has a well known C-Store Chain opened near you or a Big Box retailer and you feel helpless? Please give us a call so we can as a team quickly devise a Winning Strategy to compete, so you can continue on the road as a re-invented successful gas station operations. Are you possibly taking over a new store? Congratulations! Let us do a site survey on all aspects of the fuel sales viability, current & future petroleum equipment needs to maintain EMV compliance, so you can stay focused on the profitability of your new exciting venture.