Since the very beginning, 2026 has been an eventful year for non-immigrants, particularly Indians in America. Every other day comes with a USCIS or DHS or CBP update for visa holders. Through 2026, the US immigration system has undergone major overhauls with strict compliance measures, like new signature rules for H1B, Green Card, work permit, etc. Travel Beats, the Indian Eagle blog for aviation news, travel guides, and diaspora stories compiles the latest US immigration rules and changes in 2026 for Indians and others.

USCIS updates Forms I-539 and I-765 effective September 15 

Starting 15 September 2026, non-immigrant visa holders must use the new edition of Form I-539 and Form I-765, in compliance to the US immigration 2026 rules. I-539 is for non-immigrant status extension/change applications filed by student visa holders and dependent visa holders (H4 and L2). I-765 is for EAD (employment authorization) applications used by F1 Visa holders and spouses of H1B visa professionals in the US. The 09/15/26 edition of these immigration forms comes with no grace period for outdated forms.

USA ends open-ended Duration of Status for F-1 students

The F1 Visa new rules 2026 constitute a majority of the latest US immigration updates. Effective 15 September, A maximum four-year period of admission will become effective starting 15 September for F1 students who will be admitted for the length of their academic programs, or up to a maximum of 4 years. On or after 15 SEPT 2026, even the existing students in USA will have to request a ‘Duration of Status’ extension beyond four years through a formal, paid application.

Also, the F-1 Visa grace period (after completion of academic programs) is reduced from 60 days to 30 days. The post-study transition window to apply for OPT, transfer to another program, seek the change of status, or exit the US has become much shorter.

New Advance Parole travel rule 2026: BIA Ruling 2026 

In 2026, the new US immigration rules include an advance parole travel change for certain individuals with pending Green Card applications (I-485) and others in high-risk categories. The Board of Immigration Appeals’ (BIA) decision (dated 13 August 2026) makes it riskier to travel outside the US on an Advance Parole. Traveling on an Advance Parole is now treated as a departure from the US and results in a 3-year or 10-year re-entry ban. Read more about the new advance parole travel rule and check whom it impacts.

Consular interview for minors at US embassies and consulates 

There are some USCIS updates for minor visa applicants, from the newborn to the 17-year-old. The US Embassy in India clarified on 14 August 2026 that minor visa applicants must appear in person for consular interviews, regardless of age. If you are applying for a US visa even for an infant on lap, you must take the infant for the scheduled visa interview, as consular officers need to see every visa applicant in person, irrespective of age, during the interview process.

USCIS can reject incomplete applications without RFE

Among the new immigration rules 2026, the USCIS’ RFE policy has tightened for incomplete applications. Your immigration application or petition is now at the mercy of the officers who are given more discretionary power to reject incomplete applications without issuing a Request for Evidence (RFE) or Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID). This USCIS update applies to pending or filed applications, effective 5 August 2026. The officers may still issue RFEs whenever they think it is appropriate. Even if an RFE is issued, it would come with a tight response deadline unlike the previous 12-week window.

Before filing, make sure you:

• Submit all required forms
• Include the required initial evidence
• Provide supporting documents that establish eligibility
• Use the updated edition of forms and signatures

CBP’s 10-day email alert to US visitors 

Among the new changes in US immigration 2026, CBP’s 10-day email warning is a reminder to foreign visitors and travelers about their remaining days of authorized stay in USA. It aims to prevent them from overstaying the visa and accruing days of unlawful presence in the US. The CBP 10-day heads-up currently targets B1/B2 visitors and those who enter America under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). It will gradually expand to other temporary visa categories, including F, J, H-1B, and H2, in the coming days.

Additional L1 and H1B extension fees for US employers 

Starting 9 September 2026, H1B and L-1 visa extension petitions will cost US employers more. The Department of Homeland Security has added the 9/11 response and biometric entry-exit fee (Public Law 114-113 Fee) to certain US employers filing renewal petitions for their L-1 and H1B employees. In addition to the regular USCIS filing fees, qualifying employers must pay an extra $4500 for L-1 visa extensions and an extra $4000 for H1B visa renewals.

Public Charge 2026 rule for Green Card applicants

Replacing the relaxed Biden-era public charge rule, the Trump administration brought back a stricter public charge test against Green Card applicants. Effective 18 September 2026, the public charge test would help USCIS officers assess whether non-citizen immigrants are likely to depend on public benefits in the future and their eligibility for a Green Card. This US immigration 2026 policy would authorize USCIS officers to deny Green Cards if the applicant is deemed to use government resources like food stamps, Medicaid, and housing vouchers.

USA seeks to restrict refundable tax credits

In a new move, the US government is seeking to tighten refundable tax credit rules by reviewing non-citizen immigrants’ eligibility criteria. The Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) proposed regulations to enforce the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) – which states that any refundable portion of individual income tax credits is considered a federal public benefit. If this proposed regulation becomes a law, US work visa holders would face “Public Charge Rule” and consequently lose Green Card eligibility for claiming this federal public benefit.

Child Tax Credit (CTC), Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC), and the Adoption Tax Credit are the four major federal tax credits with high likelihood of being restricted to aliens. It aims to strengthen the federal tax system for Americans and mitigate the abuse by illegal non-immigrants and ineligible aliens.

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The post US Immigration 2026: New Rules, Major Changes for H1B, H4, F-1, Advance Parole first appeared on Indian Eagle Blog | US-India Travel News | Diaspora Stories.

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Self-sufficiency has always been a fundamental of the US Immigration law for individuals seeking entry to the United States on various visas, for non-citizens seeking lawful permanent residency in the country, and those on a temporary visa seeking extension of their stay in the same non-immigrant category or shift to a different non-immigrant category.

Public Charge Rule 2026 for Green Card applicants

Replacing the Biden-era relaxation of public charge, the Trump administration brings back a stricter public charge test against Green Card applicants. Effective 18 September 2026, the public charge test would help USCIS officers assess whether non-citizen immigrants are likely to depend on public benefits in the future and their eligibility for a Green Card. President Trump’s public charge policy 2026 would authorize immigration officers to deny Green Cards if the applicant is deemed to use government resources like food stamps, Medicaid, and housing vouchers.

Public Charge 2026: Who it affects

It would primarily affect if it becomes effective on 18 September;

• Family-based green card applicants with unemployment and/or poor health records
• Employment-based green card applicants with poor credit history and/or financial health
• Other immigrants subject to the public charge ground of inadmissibility

What is a Public Charge test?

Often criticized as a wealth test, a public charge test is now broader and stricter. It gives the USCIS officers more discretionary powers to evaluate Green Card applicants ability to support themselves and consider the totality of their circumstances before determining their eligibility for permanent residence. The Trump-era public charge test integrates a new framework to evaluate several factors like an applicant’s age, health, education, skills, family status, employment history, assets, and overall financial health. DHS and USCIS will also take into account other personal aspects like credit history, insurance claims, and number of dependents.

What is Public Charge in the US?

In the United States, public charge is a category of immigrants and non-immigrants who primarily depend on the federal government schemes for sustenance. The public charge designation could lessen one’s chances for lawful permanent residence or Green Card in America. The new public charge rule 2026, if it remains legally unchallenged and unblocked, is likely to reshape America’s population of aliens on the basis of self-sufficiency, financial capacity, and skills, and the use of public benefits in the past. Effective 18 September 2026, public charge determinations would be made against a broad set of parameters.

Public Charge impact on aliens with health issues

Medical conditions or health issues of immigrants may also be taken into account as per the public charge rule. Immigration officers could take an extremely discretionary approach towards determining whether immigrants having physical ailments or pre-existing medical conditions can afford to buy health insurance instead of applying for Medicaid. Immigration officers could also check whether large immigrant families are able to afford their own food without depending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps).

White House weighs $100K Bond for Green Card applicants

In addition to the Public Charge rule for aliens in the US, the Trump administration is planning to add a bond to Green Card applications from abroad. The White House is considering a $100,000 bond for those who apply for Green Cards at the US Missions abroad. They would have to submit the bond upfront and get it refunded only after they are naturalized as US citizens – which usually takes 5 years or more. A litmus test to the self-sufficiency of Green Card applicants abroad, the $100K bond proposal is still underway.

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Neither Sundar Pichai nor Satya Nadella. Neither Arvind Krishna nor Nikesh Arora. Who is the highest paid Indian-origin CEO in not only the US but the world? The Wall Street Journal’s 2026 annual CEO compensation rankings revealed the name – which was quite unheard of until it became breaking news most recently. Even this name was missing from Forbes’ 2026 list of America’s 250 Most Successful Living Immigrants. He is Welltower’s CEO Shankh Mitra, the highest paid Indian American and the world’s second highest paid CEO.

Who is Indian American CEO Shankh Mitra?

Born in Kolkata, Shankh Mitra is an Indian American business leader whose journey from India to one of the highest-paid leadership positions in the world reflects the American Dream. Unlike many Indian-origin CEOs who built their careers in tech, Mitra chose a different path. He built his reputation in finance, investment management, healthcare, and real estate before becoming the CEO and Vice Chairman of Welltower.

Mitra earned his Bachelor’s degree in Instrumentation and Electronics Engineering from Jadavpur University, a most prestigious institute in east India. Driven by a keen interest in capital markets, he moved to the USA to pursue an MBA in Applied Value Investing from New York’s Columbia Business School. The combination of engineering discipline and financial expertise would later become the foundation of his investment philosophy.

His career began at PwC, followed by leadership roles at Fidelity Investments, Citadel, and Millennium Management, where he specialized in real estate investments and capital allocation. In 2016, Welltower appointed him as Chief Investment Officer. Just four years later, in October 2020, he was promoted to CEO and Vice Chairman at a time when the company’s biggest business vertical – senior housing – was facing unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CEO Shankh Mitra’s salary and net worth

Welltower CEO and Chairman Shankh Mitra’s salary package in 2026 made him the world’s second highest paid executive next to Elon Musk. His headline-grabbing $821.1 million compensation package is not a traditional salary. Mitra received a base salary of about $1.3 million and a cash bonus of approximately $6.5 million, while more than 99 percent of the compensation came through long-term stock incentives worth over $813 million.

The stock incentives are designed to vest over the next several years and closely linked to Welltower’s future performance as well as shareholder returns. Half of the shares will vest only in 2031 if he continues to lead the company. The remaining shares depend on Welltower’s market value if it increases by 45% over the next 5 years beating major stock market indexes.

CEO Shankh Mitra is the world’s highest paid Indian-origin business leader in USA, but not a billionaire unlike Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai. Shankh Mitra’s net worth is a little more than $21 million, according to some sources; whereas some sources refer to his net worth of $30 million. It is obvious that he is yet to enter the elite club of billionaire CEOs.

His billion-dollar bet on America’s aging population

The real story behind Shankh Mitra’s success is not executive compensation. It is his conviction that America’s rapidly aging population would reshape the country’s healthcare real estate market. Every day, thousands of Americans reach retirement age, increasing demand for independent living communities, assisted living facilities, memory care centers, and outpatient healthcare services. By the end of this decade, every Baby Boomer will be at least 65 years old, making senior housing one of the fastest-growing segments of the US real estate industry.

When the Covid pandemic severely disrupted senior housing in 2020, many investors viewed the sector as risky. Occupancy rates had fallen, operating costs had surged, and several companies delayed expansion plans. Mitra saw the downturn differently. Instead of waiting for conditions to improve, he identified the temporary slowdown as a rare opportunity to acquire high-quality assets before demand rebounded.

How Shankh Mitra built Welltower into a $160 billion empire

Under Mitra’s leadership, the company invested more than $40 billion to acquire thousands of senior housing units across North America. Today, Welltower owns more than 2,500 senior living communities, making it the largest owner of senior housing in the industry and the world’s largest publicly traded real estate company, with a market value approaching $160 billion.

Beyond acquisitions, Mitra repositioned Welltower’s portfolio by focusing on premium senior housing markets and strengthening partnerships with leading operators. The company’s ability to anticipate demographic trends and invest during a period of uncertainty has made it one of Wall Street’s biggest real estate success stories.

The post Meet CEO Shankh Mitra, World’s Highest Paid Indian-Origin Business Leader in USA first appeared on Indian Eagle Blog | US-India Travel News | Diaspora Stories.

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Rash Behari Bose is one of the unsung heroes and freedom fighters of India. His role in India’s struggle for freedom is a significant episode in the history of Indian independence movement. Deeply affected by the Partition of Bengal in 1905, Rash Behari Bose quit his job as an officer of the British Raj and became a revolutionary. He was issued a death sentence for his involvement in some conspiracies against Lord Hardinge, the then British Viceroy of India. He fled to Japan where he did the groundwork for the foundation of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s Azad Hind Fauj by writing about the colonized India’s struggle for freedom in the contemporary Japanese publications.

Rash Behari Bose is mostly known as a revolutionary in India, but Japan remembers and honors him for another thing, which only the few know. During his stay in Japan, he introduced an authentic Indian curry that is a key dish on the menu at Tokyo’s popular restaurants, even today.

When the detective agencies hired by the British traced his whereabouts in Tokyo, Rash Behari Bose moved to Shinjuku, a commercial district of Tokyo and found a hideout there. The new hideout was the Nakamuraya bakery in one of the narrow, congested, bustling lanes in Shinjuku. The Nakamuraya bakery was owned by Aizo Soma and Kotsuko Soma, who hailed of a wealthy family in Shinjuku. Being supporters of India’s struggle for independence, the Somas sheltered Rash Behari Bose in the basement of the house.

Gradually he got close to other members of the Soma family and developed a bond of affection with them. During his stay there, he shared the recipe of his favorite Indian chicken curry with the Somas. They found it delectable and thumbed it as their favorite too. Thus the Indian dish became popular in the Soma house in Shinjuku.

Eventually Rash Behari Bose married Toshiko, the eldest daughter of Aizo Soma and Kotsuko Soma, in 1918, at a time when the act of tying the nuptial know with foreigners used to be condemned in Japan. Toshiko’s contribution to his pursuit of the mission, India’s freedom from the British, is still not much heard of. The nest of happiness collapsed like a house of cards when she died of tuberculosis, at the age of 28, in 1925 leaving him with two children behind.

After two years of bereavement for the demise of Toshiko, he got back to work and decided to help his in-laws who were struggling to run the bakery in competition with other stores in Shinjuku. He opened a small restaurant on top of the Nakamuraya bakery in Shinjuku and began to serve his favorite chicken curry along with other Indian dishes to the locals. The rich aroma of authentic Indian spices from the restaurant’s kitchen would attract passers-by. Bose himself selected the ingredients and supervised the cooking of the chicken curry which gradually became Indo Karii, a blend of Indian curry and Japanese rice.

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The print media of Japan described Nakamuraya’s Indo Karii as Rash Behari Bose’s “Taste of love and revolution,” which gave tremendous publicity to the restaurant and made it a must visit for the best Indian food in Tokyo. It evolved into such a big business that it went public on the Japanese stock exchange.

In 1944, Bose was hospitalized due to a collapse of the lungs. When the visiting doctor asked him about his appetite, Bose replied gloomily, “How can I have an appetite when the nurses don’t allow me to have the food I most desire?” The doctor asked what the food was. Obviously, it was Nakamuraya’s Indo Karii.

Even so many decades after Rash Behari Bose breathed his last in 1945, Nakamuraya’s Indo Karii continues to be a household name and a popular dish in Japan. The restaurant, Nakamuraya Manna in Shinjuku, was renovated in 2015, and is spacious enough to host more than 100 people at a time. Vintage photographs of the Somas and Bose in the lobby add to the historical significance of the restaurant.

Visiting Nakamuraya Manna restaurant during a Tokyo stopover is an act of pure nostalgia for some Indians who travel on Japan Airlines flights from India to USA or any other country. This exclusive story is brought to you by Travel Beats, the Indian Eagle blog for travel news and diaspora stories.     

The post Rash Behari Bose, who Worked for Netaji, Made Japan Fall in Love with Indian Chicken Curry first appeared on Indian Eagle Blog | US-India Travel News | Diaspora Stories.

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“Dreams do not always wear lab coats. Sometimes, they wear sarees and reach Mars.” More than a decade after India’s ‘Mars Orbiter Mission’ success stunned the world, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC honored ISRO Scientist Nandini Harinath by displaying the saree she wore during the historic mission. The recognition has sparked global curiosity about Nandini Harinath and her contribution to India’s first mission to Mars.

Who is Nandini Harinath?

Nandini Harinath is one of India’s most respected scientists and among the key brains behind ISRO’s successful Mars Orbiter Mission, popularly known as Mangalyaan. She worked as Project Manager, Mission Designer, and Deputy Operations Director for the mission that elevated India’s place in global space exploration. Over the past two decades, she has worked on around 14 ISRO missions and become famous as one of the rocket women of India.

Born and educated in Tamil Nadu, Nandini grew up in a family where education is a lifeline and science is a daily staple. Her mother was a mathematics teacher, and her father worked as an engineer. Science dominated the morning news, dining table conversations, and bedtime stories at home. It naturally shaped and nurtured her curiosity about technology and space. Interestingly, Harinath has often spoken about how the science fiction series Star Trek deepened her interest in space exploration.

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)is the first organization Nandini Harinath ever applied to for a job. She joined ISRO’s Satellite Centre in Bengaluru and slowly built a remarkable career over years of hard work, mission planning, and spacecraft operations. Reflecting on her journey at ISRO, Harinath once said, “It’s been 20 years at ISRO, and there is no looking back.”

During crucial phases of the Mangalyaan-1 mission, she and her team worked 12 to 14 hours a day. In the final days before the launch, Harinath barely went home as the entire team focused on ensuring smooth execution and success of the mission, since it was a matter of India’s image to the world. When her daughter was preparing for Class 12 exams, she would wake up at 4 am to check the daughter’s lessons and preparedness.

The Nandini Harinath saree – a global symbol of women power from East to West

The women scientists of ISRO, who are collectively known as India’s Rocket Women, wore sarees while leading one of the world’s most complex space programs. They made news headlines not only for the successful mission launch but also for their elegance in six yards of draping. In addition of international dailies, fashion magazines featured them as modern scientists in traditional wears. It helped break stereotypes across the world by showing that not just modern outfits define women power at workplace.

If you visit the Great American State Fair in Washington DC, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum must be on your bucket list. The museum displays scientist Nandini Harinath’s striking red saree with a blue border, which she wore on the day Mangalyaan successfully left Earth’s orbit and began its 300-day journey to Mars. The Smithsonian Institute has acknowledged that the sarees worn by the women scientists of ISRO are not just regular workday outfits; they represent India’s success and glory in space exploration.

“From historical times to the present day, Indian Saree has been a ubiquitous symbol of women power. The Queen of Jhansi fought against the British, wearing a saree. In 1936, India’s first female pilot Sarla Thakral entered the cockpit wearing a saree. Kasturba Gandhi, Sarojini Naidu, Usha Mehta, Aruna Asaf Ali, and Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay were saree-draped political activists in British India. Indira Gandhi represented India, draping sarees on her 52 international trips,” said Sourav Agarwal, Senior Editor of Travel Beats.

The post Who is Nandini Harinath? Her Saree is Now a Global Symbol of Women Power from ISRO to US Capital first appeared on Indian Eagle Blog | US-India Travel News | Diaspora Stories.

The post Who is Nandini Harinath? Her Saree is Now a Global Symbol of Women Power from ISRO to US Capital appeared first on Indian Eagle Blog | US-India Travel News | Diaspora Stories.

Saas and Bahus are mostly at loggerheads from Indian TV family soaps to Indian households. Either mothers-in-law are dominating and daughters-in-law are submissive, or daughters-in-law are scheming and mothers-in-law are suffering. In times when their “kitchen politics” grab eyeballs to raise TRPs for TV serials, a real-life saas-bahu duo – Sushila and Aishwarya – have bonded over food as friends and business partners though they are thousands of miles apart from each other.

Sushila cooks Marathi flavors in her kitchen in Mumbai and her daughter-in-law Aishwarya serves the same from New York. The saas creates culinary magic in India and ships to New York with dollops of nostalgia. The bahu packages it and sells to Indian expats across the United States where all Indian things are available these days, except authentic Maa ka Khana. Their bond is called and celebrated as Namkeen Queens.

Before Namkeen Queens was born, Sushila Aai would send her handmade sweets and snacks to her son and daughter-in-law in New York on festive occasions like Diwali. Engaged in the American rate race, their only comfort of home away from home was Sushila’s besan ladoo, rava ladoo, and chakli from India. Festive boxes of homemade savories on flights from Mumbai to New York blossomed into a full-blown business – Namkeen Queens in the US.

For Aishwarya Shankar, a Keralite of Tamil descent, the Marathi snacks with touches of Kolhapur cuisine tasted completely different; however, the love, warmth, and care that Sushila Aai cooks with felt familiar to her. Little did she know then that they, in-laws by relation, would bond over food as daughter and mother, and business partners. With the neighboring Indians showing interest in her mother-in-law’s snacks, Aishwarya hatched a business idea.

Aishwarya quit her corporate career in the US and launched Namkeen Queens with Sushila Aai as a co-founder. She was a seasoned product manager with years of experience navigating the dynamic landscape of product development in digital commerce. Though located in different hemispheres, they teamed up with both ‘excitement and uncertainty’ – only to start ruling as ‘Namkeen Queens’ in September 2024.

When Aishwarya pitched the idea to the family, Sushila Aai did not turn averse to cooking savories at a commercial scale. Rather, she agreed to don a home chef’s hat for herself. Commercial cooking is not difficult for her, as she cooked for large gatherings and festive occasions for years – an age-old tradition in joint Indian families. Aishwarya’s brother-in-law also stepped in to supply logistics and provide any other support to Sushila Aai in Mumbai.

Piloted by the daughter-in-law’s business acumen, the mother-in-law’s culinary artistry began to take flights to USA from India, delivering an experience, a feeling, an authentic taste that Indians abroad long for.

“Namkeen Queens is not just a brand—it’s a tribute to the rich culinary legacy of my mother-in-law (Sushila Aai). Her cooking skills and authentic recipes are at the heart of our mission. She’s a remarkable woman with incredible culinary talent. I’m committed to preserving and sharing her culinary magic with the world, turning traditional Marathi flavors into a global sensation,” Namkeen Queens’ CEO Aishwarya told Travel Beats, a leading overseas Indian community portal.

Namkeen Queens’ authentic Indians snacks are equally popular with Indian expats missing the taste of home and other ethnic groups curious about Indian flavors. Yearnings for Maa ka Khana and value for the authenticity of ingredients used keep Namkeen Queens alive as a bridge not only between Aishwarya and Sushila, but also the US and India. Aishwarya defines Namkeen Queens as “a connection to heritage, a celebration of tradition, and a way of sharing the warmth of home…”

The post Namkeen Queens: A Heartwarming Story of Saas-Bahu Running a Kitchen between India and USA first appeared on Indian Eagle Blog | US-India Travel News | Diaspora Stories.

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President Draupadi Murmu officially declared Amaravati as the new capital of Andhra Pradesh 12 years after the foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Soil and water from 16,000 villages in the state, prominent pilgrimage sites from across the country, and some foreign countries were used for the foundation ceremony, attended by around 4 lakh people. Located between Vijayawada and Guntur, Amaravati is easily accessible because of its central location. The new Andhra capital has a great deal of economic, geographic, cultural and historic value. Travel Beats, your favorite Indian Diaspora portal, gives a sneak peek of Amaravati’s history and culture.

Andhra Capital Amaravati History: Facts

The history of Amaravati dates from the 2^nd century BC. If the 2000-year old history is believed, it was a thriving capital of the Satvahana Kingdom in ancient India just as Patliputra (modern-day Patna) was the capital of Magadh during the Maurya era. The rulers of the Satvahana dynasty were in power from 3^rd century BC to 2^nd CE between the Maurya and Gupta eras, which are considered golden times of India. Evidently, Amaravati has rich history for being the yesteryear capital city of the Satvahana Empire.

Amaravati traced its history till the fall of Nizams in the princely state of Hyderabad. After the fall of the Satvahana Kingdom, the Pallava Dynasty annexed the Krishna River valley where Amravati is located. Then the region was ruled by the Chalukyas and the Cholas subsequently till Amaravati was made part of the Telugu Empire by the Kakatiyas in the medieval times.

The rulers of several dynasties added to the history of Amaravati from the medieval times of India till the end of the Mughal era. The Delhi Sultanate, the Bahmani Sultanate, the Golconda Sultanate, the Vijayanagar Empire, and the Mughal Empire possessed Amaravati successively till the first Nizam of Hyderabad occupied it. Even Hyder Ali of Mysore possessed it for a brief period. Amravati was colonized by the French in 1750 and by the British in 1759, too.

Among the foreign pilgrims to ancient India, Chinese traveler and Buddhist monk Hiuen Tsang visited Amaravati in 640 CE.

Andhra Pradesh Capital Amaravati’s Cultural Facts

Being part of several different dynasties over centuries, Amaravati has a miscellaneous culture, rich and diverse. It used to have great cultural impact on the people of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra during the post-Mauryan period. The Satvahana rulers preserved Hinduism and patronized Buddhism with equal care. It enriched the culture of Amaravati with enlightenment and rationality.

Many historical facts bear a testimony to the Buddhist influence on the culture of Amravati in the bygone years. The valley between the Krishna and the Godavari River had been a prominent site of Buddhism since before the Satvahana rose to power. A stupa and a monastery were built when Ashoka was the Mauryan emperor in the 2^nd century BCE. It is said that the stupa at Amravati, measuring 50 meters in diameter and 27 meters in height, was one of the biggest Buddhist stupas in Andhra Pradesh. The panels carved on it depict the story of Lord Buddha.

The Andhra capital, Amaravati is known for its own school of architecture influenced by the Buddhist art and culture. The Amravati school of architecture has unique features, which is evident from the sculptural work on the Buddhist monastery of Amaravati.

According to art historians and art critics, the Amaravati art is among the major three ancient schools of Indian art. Many works of the Amravati art are preserved at the Government Museum in Chennai and the British Museum in London. The Southeast Asian arts including the art of Sri Lanka are found to be influenced by it.

Amaravati, a sacred confluence of religions

According to some sources related to ‘Vajrayana Buddhism’, Lord Buddha himself visited Dharanikota, a place adjacent to Amaravati, and preached there. If this legend is believed, the history of Amaravati dates back to the 500 BCE. After the Emperor Ashoka, the Satvahana rulers contributed towards developing Buddhist culture by building imposing stupas in the Krishna River valley.

The famous Amaravati Stupa is said to have been built in presence of presence of the great saint, Acharya Nagarjuna.  Besides, Amaravati is home to some Buddhist relics dating 2000 years back. Evidently, the upcoming capital of Andhra Pradesh is an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists.

Amaravati is a seat of pilgrimage for not only Buddhists but also Hindus. It is home to several Shiva temples, of which the most famous being Lord Amaralingeswara or Amareswara Swamy Temple. That is why the new capital of Andhra Pradesh is also known as Amararamam.

Of the legends of Amaravati, one says that when the demon Tarakasura was killed, a shivalingam in his throat broke into pieces which fell out of his mouth in five different spots. The most significant of the five spots is Amareswara at Amaravati, and this is the place where Indra and the other gods are said to have worshiped Lord Shiva.

Jainism used to coexist with Buddhism and Hinduism in Amaravati during the bygone eras following the decline of the Satvahana Dynasty. Therefore, Amaravati is also known as ‘City of Tolerance’ or Sridhanyakataka. Being a center of pilgrimage for Hindus and Buddhism, Amaravati is also known as ‘Punyakshetra’ (holy land).

The nearest airport to Amaravati, the official capital of Andhra Pradesh, is Vijayawada International Airport (VGA). The new capital city is a 310-km road drive from Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. IndianEagle.com, your trusted travel-booking and air ticketing partner, books cheap flights from Dallas to Hyderabad, Vizag, Vijayawada, Tirupati, and the rest of India. 

The post It’s Official; Andhra Pradesh Capital is Amaravati: Interesting Facts of Amaravati History & Culture first appeared on Indian Eagle Blog | US-India Travel News | Diaspora Stories.

The post It’s Official; Andhra Pradesh Capital is Amaravati: Interesting Facts of Amaravati History & Culture appeared first on Indian Eagle Blog | US-India Travel News | Diaspora Stories.

The morning a ladle full of dosa batter makes it to a heated pan and then spirals from the middle of the pan to the outermost edge, emitting a fresh aroma that Indian immigrants in USA are quite familiar with, it makes a fulfilling day. The man who replaced the time-intensive preparation for dosa, idli, and vada with his readily available batter packets making it possible for nuclear Indian families to cook and grab a quick breakfast in the United States, where life is a ‘rate race’, is 70-year-old Mani Krishnan from India. Next to Nestlé’s 2-minute Maggi magic, his batter for South Indian breakfast sold under the brand, Shastha Foods, has been a staple in Indian households across the US and Canada over the years.

Celebrating World Dosa Day 2026, Travel Beats, a leading portal for Indian expats in North America by IndianEagle.com, offers a sneak peek into Tamil Nadu-born Mani Krishnan’s journey from rural India to America, from two grinders to a 35,000-sqft manufacturing unit, from selling hardware to making dosa-idli batter……

It was 1977 when he traveled to the US with a mind full of ideas and dreams, and joined his immediate family living in San Jose, California after graduating in commerce and following a short stint as an accountant in Mumbai. Before making his foray into the nascent Indian food market in the US, he ran an export business dealing in hard disk drives, motherboards, processors, etc. for 18 long years. After an initial success, the business hit the rocks following a bumpy ride for two decades. However, his urge to be own boss did not evaporate. Prior to exporting hardware products to IT businesses in India, he was hired for a routine job at a tech company in San Francisco – which he started disliking.

With Indians migrating to the US and yearning for authentic Indian food there during the dot-com boom in the late 1990s, Mani Krishnan hit upon the idea of selling idli and dosa batter – which took shape in 2003. He mortgaged his house, the only thing he could pawn for the potential success of his new business idea. With his wife’s support, he started manufacturing, packaging, labeling and distribution of idli and dosa batter from home, in order to cater to the growing demand for easy-to-cook Indian dishes.

Distribution of dosa batter packs was the very first challenge that he faced. He went on to visit grocery stores in San Jose and request them to accommodate his product on a shelf. He even agreed to be paid only when the product would sell. He had a hard time convincing the store owners about his compliance with the FDI guidelines right from manufacturing to labeling. Initially, Mani Krishnan’s dosa batter found space only in 10 stores. In spite of the best efforts he put in, the product made only 1,000 sales in the first year. By 2005, his brand, Shastha Foods, started gaining momentum as a household name in California. In 2006, the demand for Shastha Foods’ dosa batter shot up in other parts of the west coast.

Today, Mani Krishnan – the founder of Shastha Foods in the US – prides himself on distributing the batter to over 350 stores and selling 10 packets every minute. The launch of an online portal facilitating the booking of orders for and the delivery of dosa batter and other products gave the business a competitive advantage. Shastha Foods sold over 200 million dosa batter packets in the US and Canada over the past 20 years. A remarkable journey, indeed!

However, Mani Krishnan – the king of idli and dosa batter in America – did not let his journey cease on achieving several milestones. Rather, he continues it through experimentation on varieties of dosa and idli batter at home. Today, Shastha Foods’ merchandise includes batter for multiple dosa varieties, such as oats dosa, millet dosa, brown rice dosa, and pesarattu. He makes sure to take feedback from friends, families and colleagues before moving a product to a large-scale production. Most of his products, ranging from ready-to-cook packets to sweet boxes, sell like a hotcake on festive occasions, including Ugadi and Pongal in the USA.

This exclusive story is part of the series, Indian Life in America, by Indian Eagle, the most trusted travel-booking partner of Americans and Indian immigrants in the US. Subscribe to Travel Beats, a thriving community portal by Indian Eagle, for Indian Diaspora stories, US-India travel news, visa and immigration updates.

The post Meet Dosa King, who Makes it Possible for Indian Families to Cook and Grab Quick Breakfast in USA first appeared on Indian Eagle Blog | US-India Travel News | Diaspora Stories.

The post Meet Dosa King, who Makes it Possible for Indian Families to Cook and Grab Quick Breakfast in USA appeared first on Indian Eagle Blog | US-India Travel News | Diaspora Stories.

Love and travel have journeyed together since the time immemorial. Sally from Dallas followed her love marriage to India and fell in love with the local culture. Similarly, a love story that blossomed and travelled between USA and India in 2005 is shrining bright at Thattu, an award-winning restaurant catering coastal south Indian food to American taste buds. The Malabar cuisine of India sailed on a boat of love from the backwaters of Kerala to the Chicago River in the Midwest US, undermining sporadic visa and immigration curbs. All thanks to a Korean American and a Keralite Indian whose labor of love is Thattu Chicago.

A landmark for authentic flavors of Kerala, including Onam Sadhya in Chicago, Thattu was born out of the love marriage of Vinod Kalathil from Kozhikode and Margaret Pak from California. Be it spongy soft Appam, Kothu Parotta, Malabar Chicken Biryani, Meen Pollichathu (a flavorful dish of fish roasted in banana leaves), Avial (a thick stew of vegetables), or Jackfruit Cake, the Indo-American couple has been serving with love since 2018 when Thattu started just as a pop-up stall.

Vinod and Margaret fell in love at first sight in Los Angeles in 2002. After dating for 3 years, Vinod left for his native place in Kerala. Smitten by love bug, Margaret booked her flights to India from USA and followed him to Kozhikode, where they tied the knot. The post-wedding ceremonies, including a grand family feast, introduced Margaret to Malabar cuisine, of which Onam Sadhya is a quintessential part.

Being a food connoisseur herself, she took it as an opportunity to learn the cultural nuances of cooking Malabar dishes during her month-long stay at the in-laws’. She inherited a number of unique recipes from her mother-in-law; some dating back to 1970. This heirloom not only strengthened her alliance with the coastal Malabar cuisine but also urged her to popularize the cultural significance of Onam Sadhya far away from God’s Own Country. It went on to serve as foundation for their dream project – Thattu in the Midwest region of USA.

Located in Avondale, a chic neighborhood in Chicago, Thattu serves Filter Kaapi, Lime Tea, and Malabar Ginger Cooler with Malasa Biscuit, a popular snack in Kerala other than banana chips. Margaret took fancy to it and added it to her anytime favorites during her stay in Kozhikode, as her father-in-law used to bring Masala Biscuit from a popular local bakery. Made from as many as 20 ingredients with balanced sweet, spicy, and salty flavors, the Masala Biscuit sells like a hotcake at Thattu.

Opening a restaurant to serve authentic Kerala food to different South Asian communities and Americans was easier said than done. One fine day in 2017, she decided to set herself free from the corporate grind after 12 years of marriage, as her strenuous corporate job became a deterrent to her dreams. She took up jobs as an entry-level chef at some local restaurants to learn the fundamentals of a commercial kitchen and how to run it with passion and precision. At the same time, she dabbled as a home chef to perfect her hands in cooking the cuisine of Kerala.

Vinod Kalathil, co-owner of Thattu in Chicago, quit his job in 2019 and joined his better half in the new pursuit – to make the Midwest fall in love with the Indian state of backwaters and its culinary platter. In a very short time, Thattu became a small outlet from a food stall under the care of the couple and entered the semifinals for the James Beard Award, equivalent to the Oscars in the world of food.

In mid-2020, the COVID-19 pandemic cut the lifespan of Thattu short by pulling down the shutters. But the Indo-American couple planned reopening, bigger and better, believing, “Every dark cloud has a silver lining.” In April 2023, Thattu reopened as a full-blown restaurant with 50 seats in Avondale and started receiving guests from far and wide. Soon, it became one of the best Indian restaurants in Chicago and went on to feature on The New York Times’ list of ‘America’s Best 50 Restaurants’.

Thattu owes a great fan following to its role in broadening the definition of Indian food to Americans beyond chicken tikka masala, butter paneer, and naan. The menu at Thattu celebrates South Indian cuisine beyond the quintessential dosa, idli, and sambar. Vinod and Margaret chose to walk the road less traveled by most Indian restaurateurs in the US by excluding those common dishes from the menu.

The USP of Thattu Chicago is Onam food festival that they host every year and serve Onam Sadhya (Kerala’s festive meal of 18 to 24 dishes) on fresh banana leaves. The guests, a majority being Americans, are offered illustrative menu cards with the etiquette of enjoying the Onam feast. At their restaurants, Vinod and Margaret promote the Indian culture of eating with hands, especially during Onam celebrations, and educate the guests on science behind this.

This exclusive story is part of the series, Indian Life in America, by Indian Eagle, the most trusted travel-booking partner of Americans and Indian Expats in the US. Subscribe to Travel Beats, a thriving community portal by Indian Eagle, for Indian Diaspora stories, US-India travel news, visa and immigration updates.

The post This Indo-American Couple’s Love Story Thrives at Thattu where They Serve South Indian Food in USA beyond Dosa, Idli first appeared on Indian Eagle Blog | US-India Travel News | Diaspora Stories.

The post This Indo-American Couple’s Love Story Thrives at Thattu where They Serve South Indian Food in USA beyond Dosa, Idli appeared first on Indian Eagle Blog | US-India Travel News | Diaspora Stories.

During a recent discussion on the Union Budget 2026 in the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of Indian Parliament), author and MP Sudha Murty recalled how she was treated on her first visit to the United States in 1970s and how India was looked upon back then. She shared an interesting anecdote from her travel memoirs to illustrate India’s global image that has undergone a sea change over the past two decades.

She set the clock back to 1979 when she visited the US and travelled by air for the first time. At Boston International Airport, the entry point in her itinerary, Sudha Murty stood in the immigration clearance queue. When her turn came, an immigration officer shot a spate of questions to her – why she came to the US, how long she would stay there, when she would go back, whether she had return flight tickets, where her husband lived in the US, what his salary was, how many dollars she had, and likes.

As a first-time young traveler to the US, Sudha Murty dealt with the entry inspection with some difficulty. She said she would stay 6 months there with her husband, Narayana Murthy. But the officer let her in for only 3 months without any explanation to her. This sort of questioning, maybe a little more than that, is rampant at major US airports these days, due to tightened CBP measures for both immigrants and non-immigrants, in the Trump administration.

When she proceeded for customs clearance, the customs officer keenly watched her from top to bottom and said, “What are you wearing so wavy and lengthy?” She replied, “A saree, a traditional attire for women.” Then he could not help but ask which country she came from. “India,” she said with an iota of pride.

What followed thereafter was an absolute surprise to Sudha Murty then. On hearing ‘India’, the customs officer went on to say, “Do you have snakes on the road?” “Is your father a Maharaja?” “Are there many magicians?” She countered his hilarious questions saying unassumingly that there were snakes in the fields, and that her father was a doctor, not a royal. He was wondering how she could speak so good English.

The officer further asked why she came to a developed country and checked her bags thoroughly. “He looked down upon me heavily as if I was an alien from a different planet. I felt sad and humiliated. India has given yoga, the concept of zero, so many things to the world. He treated me like one from some place with no history, no culture, no money…” she said in the Rajya Sabha.

A river of time has flown since then. The way the world thinks of India today is in stark contrast to what she experienced in the 1970s. After many years, she visited Canada and the US recently. She travelled to the US from Quebec City (Central Canada). Much to her pleasure, she had a different experience altogether this time, during the immigration and customs clearance in the US.

CBP officer: “Why have you come to the US?”

Sudha Murty: “I have a few lectures to deliver in America.”

CBP officer: “What are you?”

Sudha Murty: “I am an author and philanthropist.”

CBP officer: How long will you stay?

Sudha Murty: Only a week.

CBP officer: Welcome to America! Ours is a great country.

Incidentally, the officer felt curious to know which place in India she is from. “I am from South India. Precisely Bengaluru in Karnataka,” she said. “I see. Bengaluru, the famous Silicon Valley of India. I know some Indians who are IT professionals and work here. You Indians are very enterprising, hardworking, law-abiding, and large-hearted people. You invite everyone to celebrations and festivals. Indians are running unicorns here. You help each other a lot. Your food is excellent. Many Indian restaurants are in our country,” Sudha Murty happily recollected the officer’s words of admiration for India.

The post Sudha Murty Recalls Her First Visit to USA in 1979 and Her Immigration Experience; However, Things have Changed for Better first appeared on Indian Eagle Blog | US-India Travel News | Diaspora Stories.

The post Sudha Murty Recalls Her First Visit to USA in 1979 and Her Immigration Experience; However, Things have Changed for Better appeared first on Indian Eagle Blog | US-India Travel News | Diaspora Stories.