Dr Amarjit Singh Marwah, an Indian American community leader, philanthropist, and scholar, is among the few Indian Americans whom the US honored by renaming major thoroughfares and intersections after them. The City of Los Angeles immortalized Dr. Marwah by naming the intersection of Vermont and Finley Avenues, Marwah Square, in 2019, just 2 years before Berkeley City got a street named after Indian American Kala Bagai in 2021.

A pioneer of American Dream for Indian students in the 1950s, a decade of possibilities and uncertainties for a free India; Dr Marwah took his last breath on January 7, 2025 at the age of 98. His journey from Pakistan to India to the United States after the 1947 Partition became a legacy of achievements, community activism, and unparalleled philanthropy. Air India having started international flights in June 1948, gave a runway to the dreams and aspirations of young Indians amidst the socio-economic volatility across the country. Dr. Marwah was one of them.

PC: Dr. Rajwant Singh | LinkedIn

Not many Indian immigrants in USA know that it was Dr Amarjit Singh Marwah who founded Hollywood Sikh Gurdwara, the first Sikh temple in America, in 1969. Early in the 1950s, he came to the US on a Fulbright Scholarship after 4 years of practice as a dentist in Punjab. He graduated in dentistry from King Edward Medical College in Lahore before his family of physicians shifted to Punjab after the partition. He dared to dream big while the aftereffects of the partition continued to linger.

Turban-clad Amarjit in his 20s was an anomaly in the 1950s’ New York. Owing to his bushy beard and inherent benevolence, he earned the nickname “Young Santa” alongside having secured the Guggenheim Foundation’s Pediatric Dentistry Fellowship in New York. His pursuit of American Dream took an exciting turn with an MS degree in Pathology from the College of Dentistry at the University of Illinois, Chicago.

In 1954, he became not only a Doctor of Dental Surgery at Howard University in Washington DC but also the first Indian to obtain a license to practice dentistry in America. In the same year, he returned to his alma mater, the University of Illinois, as a faculty member, very much in line with what he had grown to be known for – a man of roots.

At the same time, Amarjit was not blind to the underlying social alienation faced by Asians, particularly Indians, in the 1950s USA. He recognized that increasing the community’s representation within the establishment could be of great help. In 1957, he managed the election campaigns for Dalip Singh Saund, the first Sikh and the first Indian American to be elected to the US Congress, thus opening doors for Indians in the American corridor of power.

In 1957, Dr. Marwah was granted U.S. citizenship, the culmination of his American Dream. This was the first brick to the first-ever Indian home that came up in Los Angeles after he relocated to Baldwin Hills, as a professor at the University of Southern California.

Dr. Marwah’s skilful hands in dentistry quickly earned him a prominent place in the field. His fame spread, attracting some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Among his clients were Gregory Peck, Elizabeth Taylor, sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, spiritual teacher Harbhajan Yogi, and champion boxer Muhammed Ali. Singer-actor Barbra Streisand was one of his neighbors at 14-acre Malibu Ranch where he owned a property.

As Dr. Marwah’s influence expanded, he became well-acquainted with influential personalities from different walks of life. He hosted both President Zail Singh and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at his California home. The Marwah family property at Malibu Ranch overlooking the Pacific Ocean served as the wedding venue for the 38^th US President Gerald Ford’s son.

The experience of social depravity brought Dr. Amarjit Singh Marwah close to Tom Bradley, Los Angeles’ first Black mayor. Bradley appointed Dr. Marwah as a City Commissioner, a position he held for 18 years, setting a record for any Indian American. During his tenure, he chaired both the Cultural Heritage Commission and the Hollywood Art Commission, overseeing the protection of nearly 300 historical sites, including the Walk of Fame and Roosevelt Hotel. This was poetic how an immigrant conserved the nativity of a foreign land.

Dr Marwah built a community nest in California and offered warm hospitality to many Indian immigrants there. Additionally, he supported many humanitarian causes in USA and India. He helped establish a Los Angeles High School in Mumbai, with an annual contribution of $10K to support the school. He adopted two villages, Guru Ki Dhab and Guru Nanak Basti, in Punjab. He founded KK Marwah College for Girls (named after his wife, Kuljit Kaur Marwah) in Punjab. He co-founded the Bank of Punjab, a precursor to present-day HDFC Bank.

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Durga Puja is one of the globally celebrated Indian festivals. Be it California, Canberra, or Canada, Indians celebrate the homecoming of Goddess Durga and her children in so grand way as if there is no tomorrow. Especially Bengalis don’t mind borders or bounds when it comes to nourishing their cultural roots and celebrating their festive traditions this time of the year. With Indian Bengalis growing in numbers, California has become home to some of the best Durga Puja events in USA.

As the beating of dhak has started resonating in the air; the fragrance of Sheuli flowers has started filling the atmosphere, Indian Eagle – a most trusted travel-booking partner of Indians in USA – recommends the following best places for Durga Puja 2024 events in California.

PC: Indian Eagle | Travel Beats

Los Angeles Durga Puja: Dakshini Bengali Association, CA 

Dakshini Bengali Association of California hosts one of the biggest Durga Puja events 2024 in the Great Los Angeles Area. A nonprofit, charitable, cultural organization; Dakshini Bengali Association, California, has a great lineup of events including live concerts to enthrall the audience during the celebration. Among the performing artists on the guest list is Richa Sharma, an Indian playback singer, who will perform on October 12. Another live performance by Prashmita Paul and Dipaayan Banerjee is scheduled on October 11. Both are ticketed shows at Dakshini.  

• Dates: October 11, 12 and 13
• Venue: Torrance High School, 2200W Carson St, Torrance CA | Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, Manhattan Beach Boulevard, LA County
• Contact: Communications@dakshini.org, +1 310-895-6094

Also Read: Amazing Things to Know about Durga Puja

Bay Area Prabasi Durga Puja 2024

Bay Area Prabasi, a nonprofit Bengali Cultural Organization in Alameda County, is hosting the biggest Durga Puja celebration in North America this year as a mark of the community’s 51st anniversary. Famed for one of the oldest and best Durga Puja events in California, Bay Area Prabasi is known for its simplicity and sophistication rather than extravagance.

On October 11, Bay Area Prabasi Durga Puja presents Chandalika, a gripping dance drama by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. The evening of October 12 will rock with an enthralling performance ‘Jai Ho’ by Sukhwinder Singh from India. The Bengalis’ love for retro Bollywood music will be brimming over during a live performance by Trijoy and Chandrika. The performance titled ‘Down the Memory Lane’ is a tribute to Lata Mangeshkar, Bappi Lahiri, Asha Bhonsle, Manna Dey, and Hemanta Mukherjee.

The cultural celebration will culminate with Cactus’ Reunion on the Sunday evening, October 13.

• Dates: October 11, 12 and 13
• Venue: Santa Clara Fairgrounds, 131 Old Tully Road, San Jose CA 95111
• Contact: info@prabasi.org, 626-277-7932
• Website: Prabasi.org

BASC Durgotsav 2024, Southern California

BASC, the Bengali Association of Southern California, hosts one of the best Durga Puja celebrations in California. A nonprofit philanthropic organization in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, BASC is among the few best places to catch up with Indians and indulge in Bengali culture during Durga Puja away from home. 

On October 18, the first day of the puja, the Bengali Association of Southern California will present an unforgettable evening with Nandy Sisters, the social media sensation duo in playback singing. A live performance by Sukhwinder Singh will make you grove to hit Bollywood numbers on October 19.

• Dates: October 18, 19 and 20
• Venue: Bridges Auditorium, 450 N College Way, Claremont, CA 91711
• Contact: info@bascweb.org, 714-342-5266, +1 626-390-1224
• Website: bascweb.org

Also Read: How Goddess Kali Came to California from Kolkata

Pashchimi Durga Puja 2024, Bay Area

Wondering where to celebrate Durga Puja in SF Bay Area? One of the most popular California Durga puja events 2024, Bay Area Pashchimi Durga Puja is an unmatched celebration of Bengali culture and traditions. Founded in 2004 as a nonprofit organization, Pashchimi has teamed up with Children International for this puja. Children International strives to provide underprivileged girl children with seamless access to education in India. Pashchimi Durga Puja is known for its adherence to age-old traditions. October 22 is a DJ and dandiya night at Pashchimi.  

• Dates: October 9 to 13
• Venue: Oasis Palace Restaurant, 35145 Newark Blvd, CA
• Contact: contact@pashchimi.org, 408-883-5304
• Website: Pashchimi.org

Santa Clara WomenNow Durga Puja, SF Bay Area

Of Bay Area Durga Puja events 2024, WomenNow TV’s Durga Utsav in Santa Clara is a unique, all-women celebration. Inspired by the idea of celebrating the collective power of women in real, WomenNow TV’s CEO Ena Sarkar and her team organize the festivity every year. Ena Sarkar, the founder and CEO of WomenNow TV, a South Asian talk show, is at the helm of this California Durga Puja. Their celebration starts with pushpanjali on Maha Ashtami and ends with sindoor khela on Maha Dashami. The outdoor event features shopping markets, street food stalls, and cultural activities including Dandiya nights.

Read our exclusive article on Santa Clara Durga Utsav by WomenNow TV.

The traditional festivity will follow a Tauba Tauba Dandiya evening on October 11. It is a ticketed event and the entry fee is $10 per person. Since festivities and revelry go hand in hand, WomenNow TV organizes a DJ night on the evening of October 12 for its members and other attendees.

• Dates: October 12 and 13
• Venue: 617 Jackson Ave, San Jose, CA
• Contact: info@womennow.tv, +1 510-364-4271

Los Angeles Durga Puja 2024: Valley Bengali Community

Valley Bengali Community’s Durga puja is another grand celebration in the Greater Los Angeles Area. Musical evenings are a highlight of their event. The 9th Durgotsav celebration by Valley Bengali Community will see gripping performances by none other than Usha Uthup and Cactus band from Kolkata. Usha Uthup, who needs no introduction, and Cactus will set the stage on fire with electrifying rock music on October 4 and 5 respectively. Both are ticketed programs. You can enjoy classic and contemporary music, from Rabindra Sangeet to retro numbers to folk music and Bollywood hits.

• Dates: October 4 to 6
• Venue: Birmingham Community Charter High School, 17000 Haynes St, Van Nuys, CA 91406
• Contact: vbc@valleybengali.org, 818-564-6592
• Website: Durga.valleybengali.org

SAIKAT Durga Puja 2024, San Diego

Among Southern California Durga Puja events, SAIKAT Durgotsav 2024 has a great lineup of cultural programs, including a melodious evening, a dance drama, a stage play and other performing arts by different age groups. SAIKAT, the Bengali Association of San Diego, is an active philanthropic organization volunteering hours for and contributing to charities. On the occasion of Durga Puja, SAIKAT releases an annual magazine wherein their community members’ literary and creative writeups find space.

• Dates: October 12 and 13
• Venue: San Pasqual High School, San Diego
• Contact: ec@saikat.org
• Website: Saikat.org

Also Check: What Makes Travel to Kolkata Cheaper and Better

Baybasi Durga Puja 2024, Foster City

For the past 15 years, BayBasi has been organizing one of the best Durga Puja events in San Francisco Bay Area. Their handmade pandal set against the panoramic view of a lagoon in the backdrop is a must-see attraction. A leading non-profit organization of Bengalis in Foster City, BayBasi has a crowd-pulling schedule of cultural programs including dandiya and DJ night on October 4, the first day of the celebration.

• Dates: October 4, 5 and 6
• Venue: REC Center Meadows, Foster City, CA 94404
• Contact: +1 650-489-8139 | baybasi@baybasi.us
• Website: Baybasi.us

Santa Barbara Vedanta Temple Durga Puja 2024

The Vedanta Society of Southern California organizes Durga Puja at the Santa Barbara Temple every year. Founded in 1956 and consecrated to Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa, the Santa Barbara Vedanta Temple deserves a mention for its absolute devotion to Goddess Durga in compliance with the rituals and traditions followed by Belur Math in Bengal. Unlike other Durga Puja events in California, the Santa Barbara Vedanta Temple’s Durga Puja celebration is known for its simplicity. The serene location of the temple in a scenic mountain range overlooking the Pacific Ocean is another pull.

• Dates: October 10 to 13
• Venue: 927 Ladera Ln, Montecito, CA 93108
• Contact: santabarbara@vedanta.org, 805 969 2903
• Website: Vedanta.org/santa-barbara-temple/

NorCal Bengali Association Prothoma Durga Puja, SF Bay Area

The Northern California Bengali Association of Silicon Valley is one of the best places to enjoy Durga Puja events in the SF Bay Area. More than 100 members of the community prepare the culinary offering (bhog) for Goddess Durga and her children. Various cultural performances including dhunuchi naach and Prangon dance are lined up as part of the schedule at NorCal Prothoma Durga Pujo 2024. The women members of NorCal Bengali Association will perform a Prangon dance to welcome Maa Durga.

Papon, a popular playback singer and composer from Mumbai, will lend cheers to the Durga Pujo celebration by Prothoma, NorCal Bengali Association, on October 12. Fakira, a local music band, will churn out groovy numbers to a live audience on October 13.

• Dates: October 11, 12 and 13
• Venue: HUSD Performing Arts Center, Hayward, 2390 Panama Street, CA 94545
• Contact: +1 408-940-6846
• Website: Norcalba.org

The post Visit These Best Places in California to Celebrate Durga Puja 2024 and Other Indian Festivals appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

The 10-year-old Indian American prodigy who earned accolades for her first stage performance at Carnegie Hall, New York in 2016 has grown into a musical genius with an M.A. degree. Once again, she created history and made Indian Diaspora proud with her master’s degree in music of voice at only 18 years. She is the youngest to have achieved this milestone across the statewide campuses of Indiana University.

She is none other than Tiara Abraham, sister of another Indian American prodigy Tanishq Abraham, the world’s youngest biomedical engineer who earned a PhD at 19. The sibling duo hails from an immigrant family of scientists and engineers in California. Their grandmother, who celebrated her 90^th birthday last year, holds the distinction of being the first Indian woman veterinarian with a PhD. Despite having a strong family background in STEM, Tiara chose music as her career when she was merely 7 and debuted as a singer at 10.

PC: Tiara Abraham (right) with her mother and brother Dr. Tanishq Abraham

“We were at first skeptical, because being a singer is competitive and there’s no guarantee how far you can go in music,” said Tiara’s mother. “That was always a fear for us. But it’s always good to be in something you enjoy doing. There’s no point in forcing her to do science just because it brings more security,” she was quoted by the magazine of her daughter’s alma mater, the University of California, Davis.

Tiara started classical voice training and community college at a tender age of 7, just like her brother who had enrolled for Stanford University’s Education Program for Gifted Youth at the age of 5 and delivered his first TEDx talk at 9. Within 3 years of having started vocal training, she recorded and released her first music album titled Winter Nightingale, a collection of nine classic carols and holiday songs in 6 languages – English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, and Latin.

Indian American Tiara Abraham’s first album was a wonderful culmination of her father’s discovery of her latent musical talent when she sang ‘Happy Birthday’ in vibrato style, which is quite difficult for someone at the age of 5. Tiara’s father, a software engineer, appointed a private tutor to train her in vocal music. Owing to her regular practice, hard work and passion, she won a local music competition and got the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York.

Both Tiara and Tanishq are members of Mensa, a high-IQ society in America. Tiara became a member of Mensa when she was only 4. Tiara, along with Indian-origin Viveka Saravanan, won the YoungArts Awards 2024 in the classical voice category. YoungArts Week is the most prestigious national competition for emerging artists across the United States. Inspired by opera vocalist Renée Fleming and soprano lyricist Kathleen Battle, she wishes to become a soprano classical singer.

This story is part of our continued effort to give a shoutout to achievements of Young Indians in America. Travel Beats is a leading diaspora portal and a subsidiary of Indian Eagle, a most trusted air-ticketing partner of Indians abroad. Sign up to our newsletter for latest community stories, US visa and immigration updates, and everything about US-India air travel.

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The US is home to more than a million Hindi-speaking Indian immigrants, who have been eagerly anticipating linguistically inclusive classrooms for their kids for years. After all, the day may not be far when Hindi will be exalted to the status of a second language at American schools and when Indian-origin kids will essentially learn Hindi from the elementary school level. California seems to be spearheading this linguistic inclusivity in schools and finally, the most widely spoken Indian language in the US is getting her due.

Two renowned schools – John M. Horner Middle School and Irvington High School in Fremont – are all set to add Hindi as a world language to their curriculum for the academic year 2024-2025 that starts in August. The Indian American community welcomed the Fremont Unified School District (FUSD) Board’s pilot program, which came with the promise of expansion to other middle and high schools in the region in the coming years.

PC: IndianEagle.com

“I look at the demand, and I look at the value that this Hindi offering will produce for the community, (and hence) for me, it’s a no-brainer,” said FUSD Board member Vivek Prasad, who voted in favor of the pilot program along with other trustees and board president.

Nearly one lakh Asian Indians have settled in and around Fremont, the epicenter of the Silicon Valley, making it one of the American cities with a growing Indian-origin population. Kids of these Indian immigrant families account for more than 50% of students attending Fremont schools, including Horner Middle School and Irvington High School (where a whopping 65% students are from Indian-origin households).

The scenario is more or less the same in various US cities like San Francisco, New York, Dallas, and Washington DC with the highest concentration of Indian immigrants. Hence, the vast Indian-origin community, whose contribution to America’s economy is significantly higher than any other ethnic group, has been demanding inclusion of Hindi in the US education system for years. As of now, Hindi-language courses are offered at the high school or university level in the USA. Therefore, many Indian families resort to after-school programs for their kids to learn Hindi and foster their cultural connection to the Indian language.

Leading Indian American groups have also submitted a proposal to the US President Joe Biden for teaching of Hindi as a second language in US schools, highlighting its socio-economic impact among other potential benefits. While the proposal is yet to find its course to approval, the latest initiative by the US Silicon Valley schools raises hopes of a favorable outcome in near future, just as the declaration of Deepavali as a public school holiday by New York and other states fueled the hope for Deepavali Day Act enactment – another long-awaited dream of the Indian American community in USA.

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The search for exceptional young talent across America often results in a winning moment for Indian-origin prodigies, and in turn, a matter of pride for the vast Indian community. After 4 Indian American kids emerged as the nation’s brightest students in the 2023 Junior Innovators Challenge, 9-year-old Preesha Chakraborty is named one of the world’s brightest students by the prestigious Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY). And her achievement at the start of 2024 rings the bell for yet another remarkable year for America’s Indian-origin kids taking part in various national-level competitions, from STEM to spelling to beauty pageants.

PC: NDTV

Preesha Chakraborty now joins the meritorious club of Indian American child prodigies such as Natasha Perianayagam, Samedha Saxena, Aaryaveer Kochhar, Advay Misra, and Vihaan Mane, who have been adjudged as the world’s brightest students by Johns Hopkins in recent years. Her cognitive abilities shined through in the above-grade-level tests such as SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test), ACT (American College Testing), and School and College Ability Test (SCAT) conducted as part of the CTY Talent Search 2023. The 3^rd grader from Fremont, California, was among the 16,000 students who appeared for the esteemed CTY Test from across 90 countries.

Preesha’s impressive score in the verbal and quantitative sections is on par with the 99th percentile of advanced Grade 5 performances. This catapulted her to the coveted list of brightest students and earned her the Grand Honors distinction, which qualifies her for more than 250 CTY’s online and on-campus summer programs for 2-12 graders in various academic areas such as mathematics, computer programming, chemistry, physics, reading, and writing.

Johns Hopkins recognition adds a grand feather in her tiny cap. Her Indian-origin parents recognized young Preesha’s exceptional learning abilities and encouraged her to take part in various talent tests and competitions, including NNAT (Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test), which became a launchpad for her Mensa Foundation membership.

At the age of 6, the young mastermind made an envious entry into the Mensa Foundation as one of its youngest members. The renowned foundation offers life-time membership for the intellectually gifted who score 98th percentile or higher in an approved intelligence test. Apart from academics, traveling, hiking and mixed martial arts interest Preesha Chakraborty from Fremont.

The Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth identifies promising students and provides a genuine index to their academic potential. Around 30% of students qualify for High Honors or Grand Honors/SET distinction from among tens of thousands of participants every year. The alumni of this renowned organization in the field of education, include Rhodes Scholars, MacArthur Fellows, and the founders of Facebook and Google.

The origin of the Center for Talented Youth dates back to the late 70s when a seventh grader from Baltimore had finished all mathematical lessons one could have at school. It prompted a professor of psychology from Johns Hopkins to design unique grade-based academic assessment programs for talented kids. According to Amy Shelton, CTY’s executive director, recognizing their curiosity and capacity for learning motivates them to pursue their passions, enrich their knowledge, connect with other young scholars, broaden their perspectives and achieve milestones in their respective communities and beyond.

This story is part of our continued effort to give a shoutout to achievements of Young Indians in America. Travel Beats is a subsidiary of IndianEagle.com, a most trusted air-ticketing partner of Indians abroad. Indian Eagle flight deals have a proven track record of making USA to India travel cheaper throughout the year.

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No matter how familiar the beats of dhaak, the fragrance of shiuli flowers (Nyctanthes arbor–tristis), the taste of festive food, the ambience of festive evenings, the feeling of sacred flower offering, the significance of Sandhi Puja and the joy of sindur khela are to those living abroad, they strongly feel drawn to home this time of the year. They brave the odds to come home and go on a celebration spree in the neighborhoods where they have grown up. Undeniably, Durga Puja is not just an annual festival but a homecoming occasion for NRI Bengalis. So strong is their umbilical cord with the roots that many Bengalis in the Indian American community book last-minute flights to India out of an overwhelming urge to get together with the family, friends, and relatives back home during the festival.

On the other hand, there are those who have never been away from home during Durga Puja. They wonder how Durga Puja is celebrated abroad, how culturally different the celebration is, how authentic the rituals are, how joyous the festivity is, if young Bengali NRIs flaunt traditional fashion, etc. A women-only group from the Indian community in the San Francisco Bay Area has the answer to all these. Ena Sarkar, the founder and CEO of WomenNow TV, a trend-setting South Asian talk show in the Bay Area, shares nitty-gritty of their all-women Durga Puja celebration in Santa Clara with Sourav Agarwal, the Editor of Travel Beats, a leading Indian American community portal. 

Initiated in 2015 by the WomenNow TV team, the Santa Clara Durga Utsav is one of the best Durga Puja events in California. The women-only group is prepared with a better and greater plan for the celebration which has become one of the most awaited Indian events in the Bay Area. Ena Sarkar and her team of women from different walks of life pull all stops to make various arrangements for four days of the festival from buying the idol to shopping for puja-special things to organizing cultural functions to making culinary offerings for the Goddess to distributing Prasad to managing the gathering of visitors in the marquee.

WomenNow TV founder & CEO Ena Sarkar at Santa Clara Durga Utsav

What made the WomenNow TV team come forward to organize Durga Puja in the San Francisco Bay Area was the idea of celebrating the collective power of ‘women now’ (today’s women) that they represent. It coincided with the tradition of invoking Goddess Durga or Shakti to bless her children with the power of good over evil. In addition, a cultural platform was needed for the Bay Area Indians to gather under one roof and interact with each other.

“The Santa Clara Durga Utsav is an interface between the divine purpose of this festival and the philosophy of WomenNow. We also wanted to provide a cultural platform for the Bay Area Indians to gather under one roof and interact with each other. Ours is not just a women-only celebration but a community get-together,” Ena Sarkar said.

WomenNow TV’s celebration of Durga Puja is an absolutely different picture of what appears a male-dominated activity in the patriarchal society of India. In aristocratic households from urban India to rural India, women prepare for the celebration and make arrangements for ceremonies on each day of the festivity behind the curtain, while menfolk gear up with their tasks and activities in the outer world. However, the scenario is changing for women among the urban aristocrats of Bengal.

In contrast to it, WomenNow’s Santa Clara Durga Utsav is a women-only celebration in terms of preparation and arrangement. Needless to say, Durga Puja is a mammoth celebration which entails a lot of doing from fund collection to venue management to cultural performance to immersion of idols. However, the WomenNow team has proven that nothing is impossible for the collective power of women by overcoming all initial difficulties and challenges including selection of the venue. Since the celebration is not limited to worshiping but comprises feasting and cultural functions, they required a venue with ample space to accommodate a considerable crowd of visitors during certain rituals like dhunuchi dance.

The Santa Clara Durga Utsav in the Bay Area is no exception to such usual contrasts as India vs USA, East vs West, the Oriental vs the Occidental, and Indians vs Indian Americans which often come up in regular discussions, debates and conversations. Ena Sarkar unhesitatingly bared her mind regarding if there is any cultural difference between Durga Puja celebration in USA and that in India.

“Definitely, there is. You can never compare the way Bengal celebrates Durga Puja to anywhere else in the world. What a grand, fabulous, joyous, incredible celebration in Bengal! But we try to get as close to home as we can by dressing traditionally, having the traditional food and observing the age-old rituals during the festival no matter how many thousands of miles we are away from Kolkata. There is no dearth of enthusiasm about the celebration in the Bay Area Indian community.”

When Ena talked about the boundless enthusiasm of Bengalis in the Bay Area, we at Travel Beats felt curious to know if young Indian Americans who were born in USA feel the same about Durga Puja and connect with it the same way as India-born Bengalis or Bengalis from India do in America.

Ena Sarkar said in no uncertain terms, “It is somewhat difficult for young Indians in USA to feel connect with the festival as they have been growing up in a country where there are multiple cultures and religions existing side by side. They have not yet understood the value of surrender to a single divine power – the essence of Hinduism. However, children certainly visit the puja venue with their parents and enjoy the festivities. They may not groove to the beats of dhaak but they enjoy the festive music.”

On a closing note, Ena Sarkar acknowledged that the Santa Clara Durga Utsav would not have been a grand celebration in the Bay Area without her WomenNow team and that it has become popular with their American friends as well.

This article is part of the series, Indian Life in America, by Travel Beats, a leading community portal for Indian Diaspora. Travel Beats is a subsidiary of IndianEagle.com that thousands of Indians in USA have chosen as their reliable travel-booking partner for international trips. Subscribe to our newsletter for community stories, US-India travel news, visa and immigration updates.

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Shivaranjini, a simple middle-class Indian woman, is living her American Dream though she is not a STEM professional with a US work visa. Her key to unlocking the American Dream for a happy life thousands of miles away from India is her passion for cooking – which she inherited from her parents in Karnataka. Ranjini’s journey as a businesswoman from her small home kitchen is an inspiration for other Indians, mostly on H4 visa, in the US.

Born in the family of cooks in Davanagere, the heart of Karnataka, Shivaranjini grew up learning and admiring cooking as a labor of love. When she moved to the States after her marriage in 2013, she arrived with a handbag, checked baggage, culinary creativity, love for food, the art of cooking authentic South Indian dishes, and hopes to make America her second home. Soon after having settled in California, she realized that homemade food is the way to the Indian immigrant community’s heart.

PC: Suggi Oota | Facebook

Her belief in the magic of authentic home-style food stemmed from her family restaurant, Hotel Sharabheshwara, that has been serving regional delectables with a perfect balance of flavors in the Davanagere district of Karnataka since the 1990s. The restaurant is a temple for her father, and working in the restaurant kitchen is a ritual for her mother. In her growing years, she watched her mother creating wonders with hand-ground spices, following the quality checklist, ensuring compliance with hygienic practices….

No compromise on quality – is the mantra that Shivaranjini imbibed from her family in India and instilled into her commercial kitchen ‘Suggi Oota’ in the Bay Area. Suggi Oota that Shivaranjini started early in 2020 is now a most sought-after Indian catering service in California. Be it a get-together, birthday bash, anniversary celebration, housewarming ceremony, or a community event of any size, Shivaranjini and Suggi Oota (meaning ‘feast’ in Kannada) are among the few names that influential Indian Americans recall to relish traditional Indian delights.

Her Suggi Oota kitchen has grown into a popular establishment with daily capacity of whipping up various north and south Indian thalis for an average of 100 guests. All this started with her son’s first birthday celebration in the Bay Area, their second home away from home, in 2015. “I still remember how the guests savored to their heart’s content the authentic South Indian food that I had cooked alone,” said Shivaranjini with a broad smile. “Some of them went on to ask me how I managed to cook for more than 20 people at once. I replied it is a lot more difficult to cook only for two people,” she added.

It was her epiphanic moment overwhelmed with the guests’ compliments – which encouraged her to start her own commercial kitchen service for those craving pure south and north Indian meals on various occasions. However, she started with baby steps, like taking small orders from neighbors and friends, registering with professional caterers for orders, etc.

Eventually, she became the talk of several neighborhoods in San Jose and beyond. Her name began to be circulated through word of mouth. It boosted her confidence to set up her own commercial kitchen. With her husband’s support, she obtained the official permits that she needed to start and run a commercial venture legally. She refers to the kitchen as a sanctuary where she works long hours with her team.

The USP of her Suggi Oota thalis is the use of millet and other immunity-boosting ingredients in her recipes. You name any dish from south Indian cuisines; she will cook it for you. You may wonder what worked in favor of an Indian woman in America; it is her steadfast love for food, passion for cooking, and the bond that she shares with a kitchen, no matter where it is. “While my cousins and friends would play or roam outdoors on school holidays, I spent time working and helping out in the family restaurant kitchen in Karnataka,” said Shivaranjini.

“If you have a dream and show up for it, there is nothing that can stop it from happening,” Suggi Oota’s founder Shivaranjini believes wholeheartedly. With both demand and love growing for her food, she is now aiming big to serve one million orders.

This exclusive story is part of the new series, Indian Life in America, by Travel Beats, a leading community portal for Indian Diaspora. Travel Beats is a subsidiary of Indian Eagle Travel that thousands of Indians in USA have chosen as their reliable air-ticketing partner. Subscribe to our newsletter for community stories, US-India travel news, visa and immigration updates.

The post With Suggi Oota, Shivaranjini not only Lives Her American Dream, but also Keeps Her Family Legacy Alive in USA appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

On his first state visit to USA in June, PM Narendra Modi declared the opening of the sixth Indian Consulate in Seattle, Washington and also revealed plans to establish two more consulates in America. While making this announcement during his address to thousands of Indian immigrants in Washington DC, he quipped about the requests that would follow for the seventh and eighth Indian consulates to be set up elsewhere in the US.

This remark, although done humorously, isn’t baseless. For example, the Indian population living in Southern California has long been urging a new Indian Consulate in Los Angeles. And given the highest likelihood of two new consulates to be set up anywhere in the USA, their demand to get Los Angeles recognized as a prime location for a new Indian consulate, is gaining momentum in the form of a petition to the government of India.

PC: LAcounty.gov/government

Representing the voice of the Indian Community in Southern California, Gunjan Bagla – an Indian American businessman settled in SoCal – has started the petition appealing the Indian Government to establish a new consulate in Los Angeles, America’s second largest city. In a week since its start, the petition has garnered over 2000 supporters. Gunjan Bagla is the founder and director of Amritt Ventures, a consultancy firm in Malibu. He is also an author, blogger, public speaker and proud Californian.

Currently, the United States has five Indian consulates: New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston and Atlanta (in addition to the Embassy at Washington DC) to serve 4.5 million people of Indian origin spread throughout the USA. California is the largest state in the country both in terms of US population and Indian immigrant population (accounting for nearly 20% of the total Indian diaspora in the States). Although California has an Indian Consulate at San Francisco, it is hardly able to extend its services to the fast growing Indian community in the south coast.

Moreover, for those living in Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and New Mexico, the Indian consulate in San Francisco is way too far – a long drive of more than 8 hours. And booking a flight all the way to Northern California to visit an overburdened consulate with long wait times and fairly little chance of getting the job done in the same visit (especially in case of miscellaneous services that do not require an appointment) is more than just an expensive affair.

“Currently, we are forced to drive or take costly flights with no guarantee of the success of the visit and end up traveling multiple times from Los Angeles due to the lack of customer service and long wait times to get anything done,” commented an LA resident of Indian origin who signed the petition. Many others echoed similar thoughts. It’s unfortunate that India, one of the top 5 largest economies in the world, does not have a consulate in Los Angeles while the city hosts local consulates of almost all G20 countries.

What also makes a strong case for a new Indian consulate in Los Angeles is the fact that this city, in its capacity as a hub for international trade, is of critical importance as far as India-US strategic partnership and bilateral ties are concerned. Petitioner Gunjan Bagla notes that the absence of a consulate or diplomatic mission in such a significant location affects American businesses’ plans to invest in India. for an area like Greater Los Angeles with a dense Indian immigrant population, both a dedicated consulate and nonstop flight service to India from Los Angeles Airport (LAX) have long been overdue.

“Opening a new consulate in Los Angeles would be a strategic step forward in strengthening diplomatic between both countries. The consulate will facilitate not only cultural exchange but also trade relations between Southern California and India. The stronger the commercial and cultural ties between SoCal Indian Americans and their home country, the more business flights to India from Los Angeles,” said Sourav Agarwal, the Editor of Travel Beats, a leading community portal for Indians in the US.

The post Southern California is Likely to Get Indian Consulate after Seattle in West Coast; Online Petition is Seeking Support appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

Many Indian-origin children in America become spellers before they grow out of the ‘diaper’ phase. Indian American Akash Vukoti whose journey to the national spelling marathon began at the age of 2 is a glaring example of such prodigious talent galore in the US. Why they have been the subject of a few documentaries, including Spelling the Dream that Netflix released in 2022, is no surprise. Likewise, a documentary should be made on the world’s youngest biomedical engineer who recently earned his doctorate at the age of 19.

He is none other than Indian American Dr Tanishq Mathew Abraham whose exceptional aptitude for learning was recognized at the mere age of 2. One of the world’s youngest PhD holders in science, Tanishq graduated in biomedical engineering from the University of California, Davis when he was only 14. Notably, he became the world’s youngest biomedical engineer with ‘summa cum laude’ – an academic level of distinction which is considered the highest honor by most educational institutions across the world.     .

PC: Tanishq Mathew Abraham @ Twitter

During the hearing of a petition over denial of college admission to a 16-year-old student of exceptional calibre, a judge at the Madras High Court in India referred to Tanishq Abraham and quoted his TEDx talk that Tanishq had given when he was only 9. The judge said, “People should go to university and college when they are ready, not when they are old enough to go”.

While pursuing PhD, he founded Medical AI Research Center (MedARC) to leverage the potential of AI technology in the medical field and revolutionize the way diseases are currently diagnosed across the globe. As CEO of MedARC, he spearheads a team of collaborators from prestigious institutes, such as Stanford University and Princeton University. He is on a mission to advance generative medical AI for accelerating the diagnosis of neurological diseases through real-time AI-based imaging of human brain activity.

Born in Sacramento to an immigrant couple from Kerala, Tanishq has been a brilliant student and an outstanding achiever since his kindergarten days. He started making achievements at the age of 4 when he became a member of Mensa, an international society of meritorious students by scoring 99.9% in the Mensa IQ test. His sister, Tiara Abraham scored 99% in the same test. Since then, his educational adventure has been running high.

Homeschooled by his parents, he enrolled for Stanford University’s Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY) at the age of 5 and completed the math course within 6 months of the enrollment. When 6-year-old, he started studying various science streams, including chemistry, paleontology, biology, and geology. He passed a chemistry course with flying colors, that the University of California Berkley offers online.

At the age of 7, Tanishq Abraham joined the American River College, Sacramento to pursue geology and astronomy courses. He scored ‘A’ grades in both the courses. Impressed with his merit and his interest in astronomy, the astronomy professor set up an astronomy club and made Tanishq its founding vice president. He qualified as a high school graduate with three associate degrees from the American River College in 2014 when he turned 11.

When he was 9 years old, he appeared as the youngest science prodigy to speak at a NASA conference in 2012. Some of his essays were published on NASA’s lunar science website. The opportunity to speak at a TEDx conclave in Sacramento came his way the same year. His insatiable curiosity, appetite for knowledge, and passion for learning has been shaped by his parents and grandparents. His father is a software engineer and his mother is a veterinary doctor. His grandmom, Dr Thankam Mathew was the first Indian woman veterinarian to have received a doctorate degree. She has been a trailblazer. His grandfather was a veterinary surgeon and researcher. They all made sure that their genius child could continue his pursuit for infinite learning and innovation.

On successful completion of his PhD, he said, “My mom quit her own PhD to raise me. 20 years later, my PhD is the best Mother’s Day gift for her. I am thankful for two decades of her love, support and guidance. My mom is truly a super mom!”

Dr Tanishq Mathew Abraham aspires to be a doctor of medicine, research on new cancer treatments, win a Nobel Prize and run for the United States’ presidential seat. He has created a unique device that can measure the heartbeats of burnt patients without touching the body. The sky is the limit for this prodigy who encourages young scholars and scientists to push their limits.

This story about child prodigy Tanishq Abraham is part of our continued effort at Travel Beats, a community portal for Indians in USA to promote the achievements of young Indian Americans. Subscribe to our free newsletter for the latest community news, regular updates on US visa & immigration, India tourism news, and inspiring stories of Indian Americans.

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Let your bucket list include a trip to Mount Madonna if you are wondering where to spend the first few days of 2023 in absolute peace and harmony with nature. Lord Hanuman is sitting atop Mount Madonna, where serenity is so profound that you can hear your heartbeats, reflect on your innermost thoughts, meditate on your breaths, and listen to the whispers of redwood trees. The enthralling silence of the rolling meadows and the Monterey Bay coast that Mount Madonna overlooks is broken only by the sonorous chanting of Sanskrit slokas, the ringing of the bell in Sankat Mochan Hanuman temple, and the collective voice of prayers after daily arati to the deity.

Located near the southern end of the Santa Cruz Mountains in Santa Clara County, California; Mount Madonna houses a small residential community around the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple. Named Mount Madonna Center, the community offers vibrant space for yoga, spiritual disciplines, cultural pursuits, personal development programs, and ayurvedic therapies across 380 acres of grasslands and redwoods steeped in tranquility. Far from the madding crowd of California, the Mount Madonna Center helps inculcate its founding principles such as selflessness, discipline, devotion, service and collaboration through daily/weekly yoga classes, Bhagavad Gita classes, guided nature walks, volunteering at the temple/center, and value-based living.

A flight of steps carved in stone leads to the Hanuman temple that Baba Hari Das from the Himalayan foothills of Almora (in present-day Uttarakhand) founded in 2003.  Babaji, who came to the US in 1971 and called Mount Madonna his home until he breathed his last in 2018, is known as the Silent Monk. When he was 29 in 1952, he chose silence to connect with his innermost self and took a vow to not break this austerity till his last breath. A small chalkboard was his only medium of external communication. His life was utterly simple, immensely peaceful, and religiously disciplined. His American students established the Mount Madonna Center in 1978.

The hilltop temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman at Mount Madonna commands thrilling views of the sprawling lush green landscape and the Monterey Bay Coast below. The surrounding area of the temple is an open-air gallery of beautiful sculptures and stone-carved idols placed in fountains. A few steps down the Sankat Mochan Temple, there is a Lord Ganesh temple with mythological sculptures surrounding it. A pond in front of the temple is one of the natural attractions there. The beauty of the temple is not its minimalist architecture, but its idyllic location amid greenery.

PC: Siliconeer.com (sculpture in fountain) | Devin Kumar (Anjaneya Cafe at Mount Madonna Center)

You can stop by Anjaneya World Café at the Mount Madonna Center for refreshments. Located to the right of the steps leading to the aforementioned temples, the open-air café serves tea, coffee, cold beverages and snacks in cosy space. “I had their masala chai. It was aromatic and refreshing. Having a cup of tea while drinking to the scenic views around was a feel-good experience,” said Madhuri Jain, a visiting parent of Anirudh Jain who booked his mother’s flight tickets from Ahmedabad to San Francisco through IndianEagle.com two months ago. Anjaneya World Café operates from 9am till 6pm.

There is also a small book shop facing the ocean. The book shop is a window to the vast world of spiritual and personal development literature. You can buy journals, books, or audio-visual materials on yoga and meditation. Mount Madonna in central California is home to Kaya Kalpa Wellness Center where you can relax and rejuvenate yourself with ayurvedic spa therapies in the lap of nature. Advance registration is recommended for a visit to the Mount Madonna Center, California.

This article is part of the series – Hidden Gems of America for the Indian Community – by Indian Eagle, a most trusted travel-booking partner of Indians in the US. Travel Beats, a subsidiary of Indian Eagle, is a one-stop portal for US-India aviation news, Indian Diaspora stories, and US visa and immigration updates. Subscribe to Travel Beats for more such stories.

Also Check: Mount Soma, a Hilly Abode of Lord Shiva, is the Mount Kailash of the West

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