Thiruvananthapuram: An eight-year-old from Kerala who was raped in neighbouring Tamil Nadu is in stable condition but is in trauma and needs counselling, said doctors attending to her at a hospital in Coimbatore. The child was raped allegedly by her neighbour on April 13 in the town of Tirupur, famous for its textiles. She lives with her mother who works at a knitwear factory. She was alone at home when her 23-year-old neighbour, allegedly drunk, sexually assaulted her. In addition to the main suspect, three other men have been arrested for trying to prevent the girl’s mother from reporting the case to the police….
Terror suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was charged on Monday with two counts of using a weapon of mass destruction to kill, injure and cause widespread damage at the Boston Marathon a week ago. If convicted, the 19-year-old could face the death penalty. Three people were killed and more than 200 others wounded when two powerful homemade bombs exploded near the race’s finish line. Tsarnaev made his initial appearance before a magistrate judge in his hospital bed at the heavily guarded Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where he remains in serious condition. According to a federal official, Tsarnaev is sedated and unable to speak. Tsarnaev is charged with one count of “using and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction (namely, an improvised explosive device or IED) against persons and property within the United States resulting in death, and one count of malicious destruction of property by means of an explosive device resulting in death.” If convicted, Tsarnaev could face the death penalty. According to the U.S. attorney’s office in Boston, the judge advised Tsarnaev of his rights and the charges against him. Tsarnaev declined to answer bail questions and agreed to a probable cause hearing, set for May 30. “Court is satisfied that the defendant is alert and able to respond to the charges,” the criminal complaint unsealed Monday read. Tsarnaev, who had been detained by the FBI, is now in the custody of U.S. marshals….
Chennai:
Two Australians, Shane Watson and Mike Hussey, dictated the play when Chennai Super Kings hosted Rajasthan Royals at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Monday (April 22), but it was Hussey who eventually had something to show for it, helping Chennai get across the line in a remarkable chase. It rendered Watson’s knock of 101, the first century of this season, futile. Even 186 was not enough. Read match stats. So far, in this tournament, talk has been about how Rajasthan’s prowess is based on the balance of their team and not on outstanding individual performances. However, Watson delivered. His knock was helped by a shabby bowling display by Chennai, as apart from R Ashwin, the rest of the attack crumbled against some violent hitting. Ravindra Jadeja, in particular came in for a bashing, his three overs going for 45 without a wicket to show for his troubles. Ashwin was exemplary, though, and it prompted Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the captain, to use him up in a single spell. Had it not been for his 2 for 20, Chennai could have been much worse off. Read how Watson found form in a losing cause….
Bangalore:
Royal Challengers Bangalore pacer Zaheer Khan wants to bowl at Super Over in the IPL as he is excited at the prospect of two good deliveries ending a contest. “I will take wickets. We just have to take two wickets to get the team out. Let’s look at it that way,” Zaheer, who is yet to play in this season’s IPL, said. “Honestly I have never been part of Super Over. So it is interesting for me to see how it goes and you can’t plan anything. That is the way I look at it. You have to back yourselves and back your instinct. You know the batter is going to come at you,” he said….
From Left: Drs. Subodh Chauhan, Dr. Sonal Dholukia, Dr.Imran Mohiuddin, Dr. Uttam Tripathy, Dr. Salil Deshpande, Dr. Rakesh Mangal, Dr. Kulvinder Bajwa, Dr. Prasun Jalal, Dr. Raghu Athre, Dr. Veena Chandrakar, Dr. Sujit Prabhu, Dr. Manish Gandhi.
HOUSTON: The Indian Doctors Association of Houston stayed true to its mission as the networking forum for physicians of Indian origin at this year’s annual gala held on April 13, 2013 at Houston’s Health Museum. The ‘Un-Gala’ marked the IDA’s 30th year in Houston. The physician organization continues to promote healthcare and education to the Greater Houston community and provide mentorship to young physicians.
Dr. Kulvinder Bajwa, the 2012-2013 IDA President changed the format of this year’s gala “Wings of the Butterfly” to encourage networking and fellowship. The unique evening was highlighted by the fact that it included no speeches, an open seating arrangement, did we mention, no speeches? Instead, the high tech, eco-friendly event was one of easy camaraderie for guests amidst the fun visuals of the Health Museum. The superb food provided by Daawat Catering with a Macallan Scotch tasting provided by The Edrington Group USA, and lots of raffle prizes. No one seemed to miss the standard format of having to sit through a formal program. Instead, the beautifully decorated hall was filled with laughter, good music and lighting by AD Sounds.
Attendees were able to walk through the museum, meet old friends, make new friends, visit the green screen photo booth and try the delicious appetizers. In a brief welcoming speech, Dr. Bajwa introduced the incoming IDA President Dr. Uttam Tripathy , the current Texas Medical Association President, Dr. Michael Speer, and Harris County Medical Society President, Dr. Russell Kridel.
The Indian Doctors Charity Clinic liaison, Dr. K.T. Shah was presented with a $10,000 check from IDA and a pledge for $10,000 in additional funding for the upcoming year. An additional check was presented by the IACF by Anu Bala. The IDA introduced three endowed $5000 scholarships to 3rd and 4th year medical students.
After dinner, guests were treated to a dessert bar sponsored by Medical Protective. The evening ended on a high note with dancing to the sounds of DJ Zee.
From Left (first row): Elliot Gershenson, Judge Ed Emmett, Bill King, Mayor Annise Parker, Council Member Andrew Burks, (second row) Dr. Fatima Mawji, Council Member Jack Christie
HOUSTON: The Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston held a ground breaking ceremony on Thursday, April 11 for a new Meals on Wheels facility.
As the population of Houston grows, so does the need for services. To keep up with this demand, IMGH is expanding from two confined spaces to one large campus, giving the organization the room it needs to enhance its services and outreach. The new Meals on Wheels building will enable the organization to deliver meals to 10,000 enrolled seniors, an increase from 4,500.
The organization will occupy two sites in Midtown, one located at 3200 San Jacinto St. dedicated to the Meals on Wheels program and the second building, located at 3303 Main St., for the interfaith, refugee and administrative departments and a conference center.
Featured speakers at the groundbreaking ceremony included Mayor Annise Parker and County Judge Ed Emmett.
IMGH is also gearing up for its fourth annual Tapestry Gala to be held on May 9, at the Hilton Americas Houston. The fundraiser celebrates Houston’s diversity of cultures, ethnicities and faiths and this year’s event will honor Marie and Vijay Goradia with a Tapestry Award which recognizes community leaders who have shown remarkable dignity through tangible work for the betterment of Houston and the world.
Co-chairs of the event are Shazma and Arshad Matin and Paula Sutton and Bill Gross with honorary chairs Shaista and Shahzad Bashir. The evening’s musical entertainment provided by Kenneth Gayle productions and Lisa Malosky will be the Mistress of Ceremonies.
In preparation of the Tapestry Gala, on Thursday, April 4, IMGH held an event in appreciation of the underwriters of the event which has been generously underwritten by Wells Fargo. Event underwriters and other prominent guests mingled at the home of Sunanda and Ashoke Nath.
Proceeds from the 2013 Tapestry Gala will benefit the IMGH, a local non-profit organization that brings people of diverse faiths together for dialogue, collaboration and service. The organization provides four main services: Meals on Wheels for Greater Houston, Refugee Resettlement Services, Disaster Preparedness and Interfaith Dialogue.
The services IMGH provides are: Meals on Wheels, which provides meals to approximately 4,500 home-bound seniors throughout Harris County; Refugee Services, which resettles more than 500 refugees and helps them make Houston their new home; and Interfaith Relations which fosters understanding, respect and engagement among people of all faiths through educational opportunities. For the past few months, the organization has spent time focused on the Indian community through its Dinner Dialogue series to learn about the Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist religions.
Dr. Ratheesh Radhakrishnan and KTRU’s Varsha Vakil at the film festival at Rice Cinema.
HOUSTON: KTRU’s Navrang show expands its understanding of India’s Experimental films by hosting two informative interviews. The first interview on Saturday, April 6 was with director Gurvinder Singh, India’s 2011 National Award winner for the Punjabi film Anhe Ghore Da Daan (Alms for the Blind Horse). KTRU’s Navrang show director Varsha Vakil introduced listeners to this film through the lens of Gurvinder Singh. Samhita Sunya, a Rice University graduate student accompanied in the conversation and shared information about the film festival.
A lively interview ensued in which Singh spoke about his journey from journalism to film school to his making of critically-acclaimed 2011 feature that won National Awards for Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Direction in Punjabi films. Singh explained on KTRU that the film was adapted from a Punjabi novel by the same name written by Gurdial Singh, to whom a Jnanpith (highest Indian literary honor) was awarded in 2000.
Alms for the blind horse, Singh clarified is a phrase that refers to a custom by which alms are requested in the name of a blind horse on the night of a lunar eclipse. However, the film – like the novel – does not take up this idea in any literal fashion, but rather explores it symbolically, as it tells the story of a community of poor farmers who continue their everyday struggles within a feudal structure controlled by landowners – a structure that remains in place despite other changes in size, growth, transportation, and technology that have overtaken the rural town.
The second interview was hosted on Saturday, April 13 with the Festival of Experimental Films from India’s curator, the visiting humanities scholar Dr. Ratheesh Radhakrishnan from the Indian Institute of Technology-Mumbai. The festival showcased contemporary experimental films as well as a retrospective of films by the renowned, late filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak. Dr. Radhakrishnan pointed out the coincidental connection between director Gurvinder Singh’s mentor late Mani Kaul, a student of Ghatak, and the retrospective of Ritwik Ghatak at the festival.
Houstonians devoured this rare treat hosted at Rice University. This one of a kind film festival was free to the public and commenced at Rice Cinema (Rice Media Center) on April 5 and ended on April 15. The festival was presented by Rice University’s Chao Center of Asian Studies in conjunction with the Rice Visual and Dramatic Arts Department.
Legendary filmmaker Ritwik Kumar Ghatak films at the festival were the Golden Line, The Cloud Capped Star, A Soft Note on a Sharp Scale and A River Called Titash. Dr. Radhakrishnan emphasized on KTRU the innate artistry captured in each of these films and the brilliance in direction exhibited by Ritwik Ghatak. Varsha praised other extraordinary films at the festival – Miss Lovely, Bidesia in Bambai and Nainsukh.
Navrang show is one of KTRU’s specialty shows. Navrang show airs on Saturday’s from 10am to noon. Listen to the 24/7 radio station via ktru.org, iheartradio app, iPhone and droid apps or on the dial at 90.1FM HD2. For more information about KTRU’s Navrang show email ktru@ktru.org.
Here is a very easy recipe that is also very fast to make. It comes in handy when you have a starving bunch of people who crave for the desi taste of food. I have made it many times for my two grown grandsons and watched in delight as they finished the bhurji down with paranthas, roti or even heated wheat tortillas!
Eggs are, of course, popular all around the world. In India, which is a predominantly vegetarian country, some vegetarians do eat eggs (mostly on doctors orders) to supplement their protein intake. Egg stalls can be found all over the country in India, offering eggs in a wide variety of ways. Egg production has grown tremendously through large scale hen raising methods in huge farms. Still, most people visiting the country say that the eggs taste better in India.
Chicken eggs supply protein through essential amino acids, vitamins A, B2, B9, B5, B12, and choline, iron, calcium, phosporus and potassium. Vitamins A, D and E are in the egg yolk, which also has two-thirds of the recommended daily intake of 300mg of cholestrerol. A large egg yolk contains approximately 60 calories; the egg white contains about 15.
You can make the bhurji using many different ingredients – some even put coconut milk in it – but the difference is that my recipe uses the spices and basic ingredients that we used in our ancestral village before the Partition and it retains a Northern Indian flavor.
Ingredients:
• 3 large ande (eggs) (the brown type have a better taste)
• 1 small aloo (potato)
• 1 small pyaaz (onion) (green onions may be used too)
• 1 small tamater (tomato) – soft ones are best
• 1 tablespoon of mutter (peas) (optional)
• 2 teaspoons of vegetable or olive oil
• Spices: namak (salt), mirch (red pepper) and haldi (turmeric)
Directions:
1. Peel and cut the potato, onion and tomato into small pieces and keep them aside.
2. Heat the oil in a medium skillet and lightly brown the onions and potato in it. Now throw in the peas and tomato and let them vegetables cook a little bit, turning a little browner.
3. Now crack open the eggs into the vegetables and mix thoroughly, adding the salt, pepper and turmeric to taste. Stir till the liquid is congealed but the eggs must be mostly scrambled.
4. For best results, serve the bhurji with hot paranthas. This dish is also best eaten with roti.
Shakuntla Malhotra recently returned to Houston after a six-week vacation in her homeland India. She is a skilled cook of Punjabi dishes made in the old-fashioned style that she learnt as a young woman in her ancestral home in Lyallpur, India before it became part of Pakistan after the Partition in 1947. People have often admired her cooking for its simplicity and taste that comes with each mouthful. Even in her mid-eighties, she continues to cook daily and agreed to share some of her delectable Punjabi recipes.
Kathleen M. O’Connell, professor of comparative literature at University of Toronto, was the keynote speaker.
By Sanchali Basu
HOUSTON: The Tagore Society of Houston held its annual fundraiser on April 13 at India House with a lot of dedication, enterprise and enthusiasm. The evening started with social networking half-hour around drinks and delectable appetizers provided by Nirvana restaurant. A Brahmasangeet rendition by Shyama Mishra accompanied on the violin by Biplab Samaddar set the tone for the evening.
TSH President Ruma Acharya welcomed the guests and thanked all the sponsors, donors, dignitaries and well-wishers. Ryan Walsh, special assistant to Harris County Judge Ed Emmett read out a proclamation declaring April 13 as “Tagore day”.
Neeta Shetkar gave an update of the year’s activities in the field of branding and education. She explained how TSH is actively involved in introducing Tagore to University level students with the Flagship Tagore Passport Scholarship, which is being implemented in partnership with the English Department of University of Houston; as well as to high school students via essay contests. Professor Wynan Herendeen Chair of the English Department, spoke highly of the society’s work and of his student Samantha Lay’s report that won the Passport Scholarship in 2012. In her absence he received her certificate.
The High School Essay contest winners could not be present due to college schedule, but the parents of the second place contestant attended the dinner and presented Neel Bhan’s winning entry to the audience. This year, TSH is now trying to innovatively introduce Tagore and his works to Middle School level students.
Randy Bossarte, librarian of the Harris County Northwest branch was awarded a certificate for his involvement in the society’s book donation to the library. He mentioned that the book donation has aroused a lot of interest in Tagore amongst readers and they are expecting to increase their collection of Tagore works.
John Liner, a high school student from Cinco Ranch High School in Katy with a passion for composing music, who will be attending the Berkley College of Music next year, played an audio clip of his version of a fusion Orchestra Score, including some Rabindra Sangeet tunes, written in western notes. Till date, Rabindra Sangeet cannot be played by westerners since there are no notations available in the western classical style of music. Liner’s endeavor at such a tender age won him TSH’s Music scholarship to transcribe Tagore Songs into western notations.
Bulbul Sengupta, the retired Dean of Fine Arts at Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata, an acclaimed singer and recipient of the National Cultural Scholarship for advanced training in Rabindra Sangeet at Visva Bharati, Shantiniketan, in India was felicitated by the society for her accomplishments. She was very touched and reminisced about fond memories as a student at Shantiniketan with esteemed Rabindra Sangeet singers. She also captivated the audience by singing a few lines of Rabindra Sangeet.
Sailaja Bandyopadhyay presented an excellent audio visual about the plight of the “Baul” community in Bengal, which the society is trying to help by submitting a request to the Chase Community Drive. Dinner was served and the society’s plan of installing a statue of Tagore in Ray Miller Park was discussed.
Kathleen M. O’Connell, the keynote speaker then took the stage and gave an excellent overview of Tagore’s life, works, vision and achievements with a powerful slide show. She is a professor of comparative literature at the University of Toronto and a world renowned Tagore Scholar. Her association with Shantiniketan and Tagore dates back to her M.A. in Comparative Literature at Jadavpur University (India) in the mid-1960s. She received her Ph.D. in South Asian Studies from the University of Toronto, where she currently offers courses on Rabindranath Tagore and Satyajit Ray.
O’Connell’s writings on Tagore have been included in journals, encyclopedias, as book-chapters and in conference volumes. Her published book on Tagore “The Poet as Educator” is a study on the contributions of Rabindranath Tagore in the development of education in Bengal. Her speech emphasized Tagore’s education methods (Vishwa Bharati), where students are not restricted to the confines of a classroom, his cosmopolitanism (China Bhavan), rural development and economic sustainability (Sriniketan).
She also referred to his spirit of genuine international collaboration through his association with famous personalities of the time including Mahatma Gandhi, C.F. Andrews and Leonard Elmhurst. Tagore’s introduction of several new festivals including Halakarshan, Nabanna, Barsha Mangal, Basanta Utsab, Magotsab and Briksharopan was also highlighted in her speech as was his ever dynamic vision of culture which integrated several different dance styles, sculpture and paintings. The society concluded the evening with a special recognition of Kathleen O’Connell by presenting her with a certificate and flowers.
Participants and organizers at the MTS 5k Walkathon.
PEARLAND: The first ever 5-K Walkathon event took place at Sri Meenakshi temple on Saturday April 13, 2013 and it turned out to be on Tamil New Year’s day. Around 200 people participated in this fund raiser event arranged to benefit the Ganesh temple renovation project.
The entire walking track was prepared within the MTS premises which included both paved and non-paved areas in the field. Despite the heavy rain few days ago, the ground was mostly dry on that day and the organizers did a tremendous job getting the track ready. It was a feast to the eyes to see the cheerful participants starting to come from around 7 am on a Saturday morning with their active sporting gear and walking shoes.
The weather was perfect with sunshine and breeze and the event started off with a pooja and aarthi for Lord Ganesh, performed by the temple priest, Kalyanasundra Bhattar.
The kids ranging from the agesg of 5-12 years participated in a shorter version of 2-K walk followed by creative craft work, whereas the adults completed the full 5-K which comprised of three full rounds on the track.
It was a serene atmosphere at the temple with the morning raga music playing in the back ground which made the walk even more enjoyable. Several volunteers distributed water, breakfast bars and fruits to the participants and free hats were given out by the event coordinators. The event concluded with a hot sumptuous breakfast sponsored by Madras Pavilion and Sri Meenakshi temple.
The fund raiser was a grand success, and Dr. Al. Alagappan, the coordinator of the event, thanks the corporate and individual sponsors who supported this event. There was lot of enthusiasm among the participants to continue having similar health focused events at the temple more often.
YLDP session #7 held at Unique Industries where Pankaj Malani and Bikram Singh spoke about entrepreneurship.
By Reena Jasani
HOUSTON: On Saturday, March 30, 2013, YLDP (Youth Leadership Development Program) students had the pleasure of hearing from two distinguished company presidents at the Unique Industries Warehouse. Both Pankaj Malani, president of Elite Components, and Bikram Singh, president of NewAge Casting, graduated from the University of Texas and have been through many obstacles before achieving their esteemed positions. Through bumps on the way to success they learned many skills that they were able to implement into their business careers.
Pankaj Malani had a very different career before he became a businessman, a career that he credits as “the best training for [his current] job”—teaching. His years as a teacher taught him the importance of “planning ahead” and “gave [him] patience.” As president of a company, Malani engages in a lot of communication with other companies and clients, always trying to stick to his ethics in order to preserve a good reputation for his company.
Bikram Singh has concluded over his years as a businessman that “you don’t know what you’re going to get any day” so “you [have to] learn how to get through [unexpected struggles]” and “be able to look on the brighter side” of things. To Singh, in order to be a successful businessman it is important to never be complacent, to always put in your best work, and to communicate effectively with others.
Through the tour of the Unique Industries Warehouse and the two active interactions with Pankaj Malani and Bikram Singh, the YLDP students were able to see the inner workings of successful business corporations and discover the essential attributes of a prosperous businessman.
While arriving with just curiosity, the students left with increased knowledge and guidance to help them pave their futures and reach their goals.
Contributors: Ruchika Bengani, Rohan Kondetimmanahalli, Anoosha Moturu, and Sanchi Palicha.
TiE Houston President Shri Iyer (on mic) flanked with Chapter Presidents at the networking event held on Wednesday, April 10 at Mangiammos on Post Oak.
HOUSTON: Student entrepreneurs from around the world are gathering in Houston this week to compete at the Rice Business Plan Competition (the world’s largest and richest business plan competition, with prizes totaling over $1.5 million), and some have been getting unique support from a global entrepreneurs network.
TiE (the world’s largest entrepreneur network spanning 18 countries) organized feeder competitions in Asia and Europe where over 300 teams from 12 countries participated. The winners gained automatic entry into the Rice Business Plan Competition. In total three teams were invited to Houston after having gone through semi-finals in their own countries and eventually the regional finals in Delhi and Brussels. With 42 teams competing for a share of the prize, every ounce of competitive edge counts, and TiE is actively assisting in coaching these teams in a unique way.
“TiE is all about paying it forward. In keeping with that spirit, successful entrepreneurs from as far away as England and Germany, have travelled to Houston to mentor our teams, along with numerous TiE Houston members,” says Ashok Rao, Chairman of TiE Global. “Our whole aim is to foster entrepreneurship and mentor the next generation of entrepreneurs. With teams from Thailand, Hong Kong and the UK competing at RICE, we wanted to do all we could to get them ready to compete against elite teams from schools like MIT, Harvard and Stanford.”
Matthias Schmidt, 27, is a young German entrepreneur who is co-founder and CEO of consumer brand start-up Kaffeination. “We cannot tell you how important this help has been…” says Matthias, “TiE has been there at every step of our business’s growth, and we’ve been able to get advice from some of the most successful people in the world…”
Schmidt’s team and the other team AG Cerez from Thailand were at hand at a networking event held on Wednesday, April 10 at Mangiammo’s Italian Restaurant on Post Oak, hosted by the current TiE Houston President Shri Iyer. Over 70 people attended and heard the enthusiastic sales pitches from each team’s spokesman, to rousing applause. The heads of the TiE chapters in Brussels, Manchester, Silicon Valley and Thailand were also on hand to express their solidarity in support. “This type of mentoring of young entrepreneurial talent is what TiE is all about,” said Iyer. “I’m so proud that three of our teams made it all the way to RICE to showcase how our organization can help.”
“We’re all about giving back…” says P.K. Agarwal, CEO of TiE Global, who also attended the Networking meet. “We have a virtuous circle supporting young entrepreneurs which includes mentoring, networking and many other forms of support.” Kaffeination went on to win a cash prize for elevator sales pitch and AG Cerez advanced to the next round to win for innovation.
“I’ve been judging at RICE for over five years..” says Aruna Viswanathan, an entrepreneur and investor who is President Elect of TiE Houston. “I’m so proud that we’re hosting these outstanding teams from TiE Asian and TiE Europe, and helping them to get prepared for this world-class competition.”
HOUSTON: History was created in Houston on April 13, 2013 when Ravi Shankar Puri and his wife Savita Puri hosted a successful and blissful “Mata Ki Chowki” at Shri Radha Krishna Temple, located on 11625 Beechnut.
It was an unprecedented event where more than 2,000 devotees showed up to watch and witness MataVaishno Devi“Gufa” and “Mata Vaishno Devi’s beautiful Bhavan”. The lovely evening began with the Mahaparsad by Bombay Brasserie. All the devotees enjoyed the food. Special sweets (jalebi and halwa) were provided by Bombay Sweets and Raja Sweets.
Devotees started lining up and started the journey from the beautiful main gate which was designed and built by Ravi Shankar Puri along with his friend Satnaam. Continuous chanting of “Jai Mata Di” was being heard right from the start. At the entrance of the beautiful gufa yatra, all yatris were given the sacred thread, imported from India, along with tilak and stamp for attending the yatra.
After passing through “Charan Paduka” and a Bridge (Saanjhi Chaat), devotees were served with delicious thandai at the Vaishno Dhaba just before reaching “Charan Ganga” (devotees have to go through the water before entering Maa Ka Darbaar). Those who have visited Vaishno Devi in India were reminded of their beautiful journey.
There was melodious singing by Ravi Shankar Puri. He was accompanied by professional dholak master, Shyamal Bhattacharya and Roopesh, keyboard player,Kamal haji, and octopad and drum player,Darshak Thacker. They were accompanied by the chorus which consisted of Prashaant Malik, Sunil Mishra and Amit Joshi. They all kept the devotees clapping and dancing.
Attendees felt the spiritual vibration when one member from the Rana family, Shivali beautifully dressed as “Durga Maa” entered the hall. Harshi played the role of Dhayanu Bhagat. Manish goel and Sanajy Aggarwal carried out the duty of priests.
The entire event was a vision of Ravi Shankar Puri. “It was not easy, in fact it was a great challenge,” he said. “It would not have been possible without the help of several dedicated volunteers and donors from Houston and other cities. He mentioned some of the names who devoted their selfless time and labor like Sanjay and Jyoti Mehra, Anil Rana, Dr. Sudershan Sanduja, Radha Sanduja, Hemant Gaur, Lalita Srivastva, Raju Aggarwal, Shashi Singh, Kusum Sharma (and her group), Alpana (with group), Poonam Baweja, Manish Goel, Manoj Agarwal, Dinesh berry, Madhusudan , Nitin Narang, Rajni Narang,” said Ravi Shankar Puri.
He also mentioned and thanked some of the finanacial donors for the event. They are Manish Aaggarwal, Rakesh Agarwal, Dilip Bhargav, K P Wadhvani, Vinod Gupta, Arun & Vinnie (Vinodini)Verma, Pradeep Seernani, Ashok garg, Banke Bihari parivaar, Kiran Oberai (Keemat Grocers) ,Vinay and Guddi. Bijay Dixit was the official photographer for the event. A special thanks was also mentioned by Ravi Shankar Puri to TV Asia for the event coverage. In addition, he also thanked Vanshika Vipin of Indo-American News for her professional help and Amar Agarwal for providing the temple facility and for all the help that was rendered by him.
Overall, this was a memorable blissful evening. Ravi Shankar Puri along with his wife Savita Puri offered special thanks and blessings to all the devotees for attending the event.
For more information on Mata Chowki, Satyanarayan Katha, Bhajan Sandhya call Ravi Shankar Puri at 713-480-7284 or
Healthcare professionals volunteered their services at the BAPS Charities health fair.
STAFFORD: Many cars of today’s world have indicators when maintenance is needed and most of us typically follow this warning to extend the life of our cars. When it comes to the driver of the car, how often does he or she go in for routine health checks or screenings? The thought of periodic health check-ups is daunting for many. One organization that finds it important to promote healthy living and early detection of life threatening disease is BAPS Charities. On April 13, 2013, BAPS Charities held its 13th annual health fair in Stafford, Texas at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir.
By 8:00 am, doctors, nurses, techs and many other healthcare professionals were ready to offer their services in the areas of pediatrics, gynecology, cardiology, ophthalmology, dentistry and orthopedics. The BAPS Charities health fair stands out by offering a variety of tests from free physical examinations, dental screenings, vision screenings and some at very nominal costs, such as an echocardiogram with interpretation by a cardiologist for only $50 or a PSA hormone test for only $15. Dr. Larry Baum, an urologist from Sugarland, TX said, “This is a wonderful event, it really brings medical education and health screenings to the forefront for people that normally may not have access or be aware of the importance of medical screening in all different body systems”
Tests being performed during the Health Fair.
As most of us are very lost when it comes to the medical world, the health fair offered an opportunity for visitors to educate themselves through many of its sponsored booths and 8 interactive public health awareness seminars on educational topics such as heart-healthy life style, emergency preparedness, new health care policies, diabetes risk modification, prevention of osteoporosis, yoga and healthy smoothies for the general audience. “I learned how certain types of food are harmful to the body,” said Arjun Pandya “and that there are many vegetables like kale that can provide health benefits.” “Along with visitors walking away with an educational experience, many doctors learned of ways to improve their own practices and outcomes for their patients through medical lectures or CME. Each participant and allied healthcare professional was grateful to have sponsors like Medistar, Otsuka, and many others to contribute to this informative health fair.
By the end of a beautiful Saturday afternoon, over 1200 participants and a combined 6000 different tests were conducted by 100 various health care professionals. “Out of 200 patients that I had a chance to screen today,” stated Dr. Ghanshyam Patel, Ophthalmologist, “10 of them were diagnosed with eye diseases that could have eventually led to blindness without detection.” Dr. Patel shared 45 patients had cataracts, 8 glaucoma risk factors and 20 with diabetic retinopathy. The dedication of each of the BAPS Charities volunteers can be seen from all of the services performed throughout the day.
If all of us had a maintenance light indicator for our health then the BAPS Charities annual health fair would come very close to it. This health fair offers variety of tests and screenings that the entire community can benefit from through education for healthier living and early detection. The health fair also brings access to those who may otherwise go without it. After a walk through the BAPS Charities health fair, the Texas Medical Association president, Dr. Michael Speer commented, “This health fair is amazing. You have got more volunteers, more physicians, and more people in one spot that I have ever seen in this city.” Dr. Speer added, “This organization (BAPS Charities) is very well crafted, everyone has their place, everyone has their position, everyone has something to do that moves the patient flow so they can get the most medical benefit. It is a fantastic opportunity.”
In 2012, BAPS Charities organized 38 such events throughout North America. In total, 1,720 health care professionals from local communities treated nearly 11,393 participants across the nation. Throughout the year, BAPS Charities hosts medical fairs, walkathons, education and career development seminars, disaster relief operations, blood drives and much more. BAPS Charities sincerely serves the community, by improving the quality of life of individuals and families.
For additional information on BAPS Charities and its international and local philanthropic activities, please visit : www.bapscharities.org
Arzan Gonda (center first row) with her Rhythm India dance troupe after their performance at the Toyota Center last Friday, April 12. John Donovan with the Toyota Center is on the upper left. Photo: Navin Mediwala.
HOUSTON: It didn’t seem like a year had slipped by since the last time Arzan Gonda and her troupe were on the waxed, shiny, yellow floor of the Toyota Center, but here they were again making the whole arena pulsate with Bollywood music and a happy, energetic dance number, hallmarks of Rhythm India’s brand of performance.
They started off like a poised drill team, hands at their sides, arms straight down and waited for the music. When it came on, it was like a dynamo had been let loose and a torrent of feet ran across the floor, arms teasing the air and bodies swaying in rhythm with the pounding beat, excited eyes and smiling faces with delighted expressions connecting with the seated spectators.
In the stands were many South Asians who had come to see the ball game between the Houston Rockets and the Memphis Grizzlies (Houston lost by four points!) and some of them, like Bikram Singh and his wife Kanchan, waved to the dancers they knew. Other Houstonians sat there, amused at the performance, but totally engrossed in it.
This was the fourth time in as many years at the Rockets game for Arzan and her Rhythm India group and they already knew the drill even before they got to the floor. They had done a final rehearsal earlier on the first floor, letting out huge screams to let off energy and get the adrenaline going and then they were led down by John Donovan, with the Toyota Center, to the tunnel that opens to the floor and waited in excitement for the game to come to half-time.
The dancing was spellbinding, all ten minutes on that arena floor and the whole show was televised and also projected on the huge, new overhanging monitors. Some of the dancers had done this before in previous years; for others it was their first time in front of 18,000 spectators. All in all, it never ceased to be a rush and the crazy Bollywood music just heightened the experience.
Last year, the bhangra groups intervened with the dhols; this year it was just the fun of dancing in abandonment for four minutes that was a pleasure to watch, though it seemed longer … and then it was over just as fast.
And when it was over, the dancers let out whoops of excitement and rushed off down the tunnel to their rehearsal area, delighted that they had a chance to show their moves and add to the fabric of the city for all Houstonians to watch.
Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst with members of the Board of the IAPAC at the meeting held last Saturday, April 13 at Madras Pavilion in Sugar Land. Photos: Jawahar Malhotra
By Jawahar Malhotra
SUGAR LAND: It was mid February when 13 members of the Indo-American Political Action Committee made a road trip to the State Legislature in Austin to make a case for recognizing the presence of the large number of Indian Americans in Texas (see IAN, Feb. 22, 2013). It was the first such effort by the IAPAC and they promised to host the Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst at a meeting with the community in the Houston area.
IAPAC delivered on the meeting this past Saturday, April 13 at the Madras Pavilion where about 40 people sat in front of a podium to hear Dewhurst speak about the state of affairs in Texas. He was preceded by Indian Consul General P. Harish who was, as always, eloquent and brief in his welcoming remarks expressing pride for the contributions of the Indo-American community in the US, before leaving for another event.
Indian Consul General P. Harish and Lt. Gov. Dewhurst addressed the attendees.
IAPAC President Sujeeth Draksharam emceed the 2-hour event and Sugar Land Councilman Himesh Gandhi introduced Dewhurst with a short biographical background. The proceedings were wrapped up by Karan Sreerama, who spoke of his admiration of the work Dewhurst has done, followed by a presentation of a glass-etched plaque to him.
“I work for you. I serve you.” opened up Dewhurst, “And I’m very proud of the Indian population here. I’m also very aware that, in this country, we’re all from someplace else.” He then listed the reasons why Texas was rated the number 1 or 2 state in the Union to live and do business in.
“Texas has 8 per cent of the US population but has created more jobs than the rest of the US. This is because we are a “can do” state,” emphasized Dewhurst, as he went on to enumerate other supporting statistics.
Dewhurst maintained that Texas would slip from its lofty ranks if it didn’t work hard to “protect our freedoms, tighten our spending, make the state irresistible to come to and create jobs and get government out of your way.”
The tall, handsome and poised Dewhurst is not a native Houstonian, but lives here with his wife and daughter and has a business on the northside. “Most of my life till I was 50 years old, I was sitting where you are,” he said about his career in politics. “That’s why I am always thinking what would you need.” Dewhurst has been the Lt. Governor since 2003 and as President of the Senate has the power to decide which bills come up for discussion and vote.
Dewhurst fielded some questions about the State’s lack of funding the 503 projects that have been identified for ensuring adequate water for its growing population, school testing, inadequate Medicaid reimbursements to physicians, repealing the Franchise Tax and the project funding process of the Texas Dept. of Transportation. While he acknowledged the State’s lack of dealing with the drought conditions, he contended that $2 to $3 billion could be available for funding water projects in this legislative cycle.
HOUSTON: If there was a Telugu concert you wanted to attend, then Radio Hungama Super Singers Musical Nite was the one. The singers enthralled audience with their performances. The songs ranged back from the 60’s movies to the latest hits such as Mirchi, Nayak and Cameraman Gangatho Rambabu.
Sridhar Dadi and Radio Hungama in association with North American Telugu Society (NATS) presented Telugu community with a memorable evening. As expected, Houston’s Telugu community was very receptive to the idea of MAA TV, Super Singers fame singers performing live and entertaining them on different tunes.
The crowd started pouring in as early as an hour and half before the scheduled start. Prudential Insurance entertained kids with Balloon twisting and Metlife with Henna tattoo for ladies. The pleasing aspect of the show was people of all age group enjoyed the show and everyone socialized and lined up for the Remit2india raffle (a Wii game console and a Digital Camera). Mayuri Indian Restaurant had a stall for the ones who wanted a quick snack.
The show started with Sridhar Dadi introducing Super Singers, Usha Munukutla, popularly known as Usha, Bhargavi Pillai, and Dinker Kaluvala, known as Dinker. Usha is a well known singer in the Telugu Movie industry with various hit numbers from movies such as Indra, Santosham, Varhsam, Jayam and many more. Bhargavi Pillai is famous for the hindi song Pappu Can’t Dance and Dinker, the super singers star is quickly establishing himself in the industry.
As with all typical Indian events, the show started with pooja and diya (lamp lighting), which was done by the Emcee Sridhar Dadi, co-host Raaga and NATS members, Venkat Kolli, Vijay Velamuri, Rajesh Chilukuri and Chalasani Mallikarjuna Rao. Vijay Velamuri and Rajesh Chilukuri of NATS came all the way from Dallas to exclusively attend the event.
The evening kicked off with Usha singing a devotional/semi classical song. And from there, it was pure entertainment for the audience. Speaking to one of the attendees, Bhupendra Bhupathi said “Ambiance, the sound system, LED lights, intelligent lights, backdrop all added to the event and were appropriate to the high energy event.” He also said he was glad that he got the tickets well in advance and was happy that he got all his money worth. Remit2India also offered free tickets to 5 lucky prize couples through an online contest at www.remit2india.com/hungama.
Vijay Velamuri and Rajesh Chilukuri spoke during the break about their upcoming 3rd Annual NATS convention in Dallas at the Irving Convention Center in July 2013. Tina Bose and Kiron Kumar of Infused performing arts infused further energy in the atmosphere by their impressive dance performance to a Telugu Medley. The dance moves were quite superb and left the audience in awe.
Songs from movies such as Simha, Santosham, Nayak, Cameraman Gangatho Rambabu, Dookudu, Businessman and many more chart busters entertained the audience. Audience was captivated by the singing from the artists. Energy that Bhargavi Pillai brought to show was contagious, children and adults stood up and danced to her songs and some joined her on stage and danced. If Bhargavi Pillai was contagious then Usha was melodious. The audience was surprised by the other talent of Usha, mimicry. Imitation of other singers and performers brought laughter to audience and one of the host quipped Usha to start her own standup comedy act. The crowd was also receptive to Hindi songs and Usha obliged to their requests and did sing some beautiful Hindi and Telugu songs. Dinker also pitched in with his euphonious voice. Sirivuri, one of the attendees said “Dinker reminds me a little bit of both S.P and Sonu Nigam”
The packed auditorium enjoyed every bit of the evening and reluctantly left at 11:15 PM. Vijay Velamuri, Rajesh Chilukuri, and Asha Dadi presented mementos to Super singers Usha, Bhargavi Pillai and Dinker.
Sridhar Dadi took the opportunity to thank each and every one who made the show a success. He thanked all sponsors, volunteers, Radio Hungama team, Infused Performing arts and last but not the least everyone associated with Houston Durgabari Society for their great support. He also said he is very sentimental about the place and is very grateful for their resources. He also thanked Photographers Abhinav Sagar and Jayanth Rahul, DJ Darshak Takkar for a superb sound system and the special lights that captivated the audience. Sridhar also thanked University of Houston students Anusha, Jayanth and Rakshith for all their help.
With many positive comments from the audience such as “A+ for arrangements by Rajasekhar Yellamanchili”, “One of the best shows in the recent times…. very well organized” and “want a second show with the artists”, we can certainly expect something similar soon from Sridhar Dadi.
Talking to Sridhar Dadi about the success of the event he said, “There was a lot of planning that went into it. With support of our sponsors NATS, Remit2india, Prudential Insurance, Sulekha.com, Vonage, Vishala Grocery Store and Restaurant, Mayuri Indian Restaurant, Metlife Insurance and Radio Hungama team we were able to bring such good artists to perform live in Houston. We started planning/research about the type of songs that people of Houston enjoy very early. We expected a very good turnout but a sold out event, days before the show, was something that was not anticipated. A lot of folks were keen to attend the show, but we had to regretfully say no to them. The VIP tickets were sold out many weeks in advance. If the community continues to support such events we will be more than glad to bring it to them. I take this opportunity to thank Radio Hungama team of Sasi Lingineni, Hema Nalini, Sanket Kulkarni, Amitha Kulkarni, Nandu Boddeda, Anu Dadi, Raaga Vahini, Srinivas Gummadi, Ravi Kasani, Ranga Tirumalasetty, Srinivas Badam, Jayanthi Badam and Narayana Swamy”. He also added that he was grateful to the Houston Telugu Community for appreciating the effort and attending the show.
Radio Hungama airs every Sunday from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM on KCHN AM 1050. You can also listen to their shows on internet at www.Radiohungama.net. For any further information you can contact Sridhar Dadi directly at 281-217-9736. You can listen to their 24 hour Telugu radio channel on Radio Hungama website.
Some of the Daya board members, advisory board members and staff gathered for a group photo prior to the start of the Spring Gala at Crystal ballroom of Rice Hotel
By Pramod Kulkarni
HOUSTON: Daya Houston has always had a serious purpose—helping South Asian families in crisis, particularly victims of domestic abuse. For its Spring fundraiser, the 17-year-old organization added music, beat and dance under the theme “Feel the beat … feel the need.”
The gala was held Sunday, April 14 evening at the recently renovated Crystal ballroom of the Rice Hotel in downtown Houston. The event raised $112,000 to support Daya’s numerous services to help victims of abuse and increase awareness in South Asian communities through seminars and public events.
Advisory Board Member Indrani Goradia, RYT, served as emcee for the event. As she welcomed the more gala participants, Goradia explained how Daya staff members and volunteers are fielding more than 5,000 calls for and have helped more than 300 victims through services extending from counseling to legal assistance and stays in transitional housing.
After a two-year pilot program, the Board made the decision in 2009 to buy a four-bedroom house to be used as Daya’s transitional home and embarked on a capital campaign to pay off the mortgage and own the home. Daya was able to successfully complete the capital campaign and take ownership of the house in 2012. Named Harmony House, the residence has helped several women and their children break the cycle of abuse
The entertainment highlight of the evening were interactive dance sessions in salsa, country line dancing and Bollywood.
Under the chair of Vatsala Bhaskaran MD and Sheela Rao, the novel fundraiser included 20-minute interactive dance sessions by Salsa Grande with Michael O. Whitmire, Two-Step Houston with Vickie Dunn, and Bollywood dancing with Mahesh Mahbubani of Naach Houston. DJ Yogi-G provided the music and the spectacular pink and purple lighting around the room. A large number of attendees joined the instructors on the dance floor to either hone their skills in the three styles of dancing or learn the steps for the very first time.
Dinner for the gala included an Italian dinner catered by the Rice Hotel and exotic deserts by Rice Hotel’s Sambucca Grill, London Sizzler and India Mart. An interesting feature to raise funds was a variation of the silent auction, where the guest were able to donate direct services to clients in the transitional home and, as thanks, received donated gift certificates and jewelry with proceeds going to Daya.
The dance finale was a flash mob dance to the music of Disco Deewane, choreographed by Kavita Rao. Kavita also conducted a dance workshop to raise funds for Daya. Ruchi Sharma donated photography services throught out the event.
The evening concluded with board member Vatsala Bhaskaran providing the vote of thanks. Daya’s Gala underwriters were Indrani and Hemant Goradia and an anonymous donor, who gave $5,000 each. Donors, who provided $2,500 each included Anju and Ajay Shah, Anuradha & Mani Subramanian, Lakshmy & PG Parameswaran, Padmini & Ranga Nathan, Prabha & Shesh Bala, Shazma & Arshad Matin, Sheela & Ashok Rao, and Vatsala & Vish Bhaskaran.
For more information on Daya, visit www.dayahouston.org.
How Daya Helps Families in Crisis
Daya’s staff and volunteers provide confidential, culture-sensitive services to women and children in crisis situations such as domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse.
Help Line: (713) 981-7645. A crisis counselor is available to answer your call, Monday-Friday, 9 AM-5 PM. A voicemail system is available after hours and on weekends.
What clients say about Daya: Client H wrote: “When I first came to Daya, I was so weak … I had lost all my confidence. The transitional home gave me peace and harmony. Now I am finally free.”
Client V wrote: “Thank you so much … the more I talk to you (the more) I feel I am getting a lot more clarity on what to do and think too.”
Client J wrote: The day I spoke to Daya’s counselors, I felt for the first time that I was not alone. Thanks for Daya, I have finally won the right to lead a normal life.”
Daya 2012 Seminar: Daya,held its 15th annual seminar on Saturday, September 15th at the Hilton Southwest in Houston. Titled “Don’t Cry Foul, Learn to Dodge Life’s Curve Balls: A seminar to help men and women play fair in the face of anger,” the seminar featured Newton Hightower, Founder and Director of the Center for Anger Resolution, and Dr. Anjali Pinjala, Senior Director of Psychotherapy at Legacy Community Health Services. Panelists included Dr. Ravi Mani, an internist, who discussed the connection between emotional stress and physical symptoms, Lakshmy Parameswaran, a co-founder of Daya, and Shaun Igo, a personal trainer from 24-Hour Fitness, Rice Village who demonstrated physical exercises to vent anger.
The 170 participants ranged from licensed therapists to members of the greater Houston community.
Daya’s staff members are Vyoma Majmudar Banker, LMSW; Nusrat Ameen, PhD; and Abhilasha Vineet.
After doing some Badtameezi on dance floor, its time to get wet with “Balam Pichkari” in voice of prolific singers Vishal Dadlani, Shalmali Kholgade from upcoming hindi movie Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani directed by Ayan Mukerji.
Sushain Cherivirala, 15, of Sugar Land, Texas, a student at Dulles High School and a winner of IBM’s Master the Mainframe competition takes a tour at IBM’s facility in the Town of Poughkeepsie. Karl Rabe/Poughkeepsie Journal
POUGHKEEPSIE (Poughkeepsie Journal): A new generation of tech students is learning how to use a computer that has been a key part of IBM Corp.’s business since long before they were born.
Five of those students visited Poughkeepsie — a prize they won in IBM’s Master the Mainframe contest.
The local plant is still making mainframe computers, 20 years after some industry analysts were tooting, “The mainframe is dead.” Next year, the venerable platform observes its 50th anniversary.
What about the people? Anybody left who knows how to run the mainframe? Program it? Put an expanding variety of new applications on it?
Not to worry. Young people are being introduced to that as the older generation ages into retirement. The mainframe contest is part of IBM’s Academic Initiative. No experience is needed, just an aptitude.
Miles Nosler of Texas State University in San Marcos, who took first place in the contest, said, “I kind of knew what a mainframe was” but, undaunted, jumped in anyway. He described three levels of challenge in the self-guided test that asks the students to solve computer problems using a mainframe.
“It’s up to you to kind of solve it the best way,” he said.
For IBM, this is not about games.
“This is really about building skills for IBM customers,” said Michael Todd, an IBMer who has run the contest for all of its eight years. The idea is to keep the pipeline of tech talent filled so that the big companies, agencies and universities that buy these “enterprise class” computers can hire help who know what to do with them.
It’s not games for the students, either, as they consider careers. All the winners are thinking of working in information technology.
The top three winners were Nosler; Benjamin Paul, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute, Ind., second place; and Sushain Cherivirala, Dulles High School, Sugar Land, Texas, third place.
Cherivirala is a sophomore.
“Ever since fifth grade, I’ve been interested in computers,” he said. He tried the contest last year but didn’t do too well.
So this year he tried again.
Most entrants got word of the contest through their teachers.
“I heard about it in high school,” Paul said.
The contest has grown steadily, Todd said. This year, more than 4,600 students from North America participated and 13,813 globally, from 33 countries.
Argentina was one.
Nahuel Tori of the University of Buenos Aires won a trip to Poughkeepsie. He’s already done work on a mainframe and said, “In Argentina, it is more common to start working while you are still in school.”
“In Spain, we have a very similar situation,” said Pedro Adan, from Madrid.
There are jobs taking care of mainframes and putting them to work.
Actually, the range of work that the big systems do is expanding, adding cloud computing service, “big data” and analytics projects and social business. They’re also in the background for the rising use of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
Mainframes are known as “enterprise” systems, meaning they are most commonly used in large businesses, agencies and universities.
IBM says 96 of the top 100 banks globally use System z.
IBM traces the birth of the line back 49 years and through numerous evolutions and names. That development continues today, with Poughkeepsie being a central point for the work.
Mainframes are thus a large part of the Dutchess County economy, with most of the roughly 8,000 IBMers locally connected to them in some way. The microchips in them come from IBM’s East Fishkill plant.
Mainframes also are manufactured in Singapore.
IBM maintains a jobs board called Systemzjobs.com.
It links clients and students to show job opportunities. So far, 4,300 students have registered, and it regularly posts more than 1,000 mainframe-related jobs, IBM said.
The students got a detailed tour of Poughkeepsie’s manufacturing floors, talks from IBM specialists, including Distinguished Engineer Charles Webb and a tour of IBM’s Green Data Center.
The last is a project in which IBM took a small data center in Building 710 on the north end of the campus and rebuilt it to save energy and develop concepts it could then sell to clients.
Christy Schroeder, an IBM specialist who briefs clients who visit the center, conducted the tour. She said they needed to add capacity but were running out of power and heat loads were exceeding specifications.
“We decreased our power consumption by 50 percent and doubled our capacity … without adding additional cooling,” she said.
Some of the big boxes are now water-cooled, a recent revival of an old IBM technology made necessary again because the chips inside are more powerful and run hotter.
The mainframe is still evolving. It will still need people to run them.
