Category: Personal Flyer

JAINA Convention 2025  A Radiant Odyssey of Jain Dharma Illuminates Chicago  Article Author: Hemant Shah, Chicago Chair, Public Relations and Press-Media Committee Contributing Editors: Dhiren Solanki, Jignesh Jain, Vipul Shah, Suresh Bodiwala (Asian Media) Public Relations and Press-Media Committee JAINA Convention 2025 pr@jaina.org / 847-977-5462 Unity in Diversity Soars: JAINA Convention 2025 Lights Up the Windy City Chicago, IL: July 3-6, 2025 – The 23rd Biennial JAINA Convention, held at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center and Hyatt Regency in Schaumburg, Illinois, unfolded as a magnificent tapestry of spiritual awakening, cultural splendor, and communal unity, drawing over 5,000 delegates from 72 Jain Centers across the United States and Canada, and attendees from 10 other countries including India, UK, Germany, Oman, Dubai, and Kenya. This was presumably the largest gathering of Jains outside India in recent history. This was also the first time that a North American city had the distinction of holding the JAINA Convention for the fourth time. From July 3 to July 6, 2025, this transformative four-day celebration, hosted by the Federation of Jain Associations in North America (JAINA) in collaboration with the Jain Society of Metropolitan Chicago (JSMC), radiated the timeless principles of Ahimsa (non-violence), Anekantvad (multiple viewpoints), […]

Asian Media USA © Chicago, IL: This past Saturday, March 23, 2025, Chicago celebrated Holi. the Indian festival of color, showcasing the beginning of spring, a positive environment of inclusivity, and the power of communities working together. This event demonstrated that Chicago, the great city visited by America’s first guru, Swami Vivekananda, who came in 1893 to speak of the Universal Unity of Religion, still remembers his key message: Unity. The event was organized by Navy Pier Global Connections, in partnership with ComEd, the Pratima and Niranjan Shah Foundation, Sue Ling Jin Foundation, and the Delhi Committee of Chicago Sister Cities. “This memorable celebration represents the Power of Partnerships. It honors the diverse international communities that make up Chicago, celebrates the best of their culture, and supports the desire for others to experience the American Dream, all of which makes our city stronger,” commented Smita N. Shah, Board Member of Navy Pier and ComEd, and Chairman of the Delhi Committee of Chicago Sister Cities. While the Holi event is one of the two most significant celebrations in the Indian community, Holi in Chicago has become very popular. Over 10,000 people of different races, cultures, and religions and come. “It is fitting that only in […]

Asian Media USA © Chicago IL: On Sunday June 12th, the most popular Bollywood dance school in the entire Chicagoland area, S R Dance Academy, held their Summer Recital at the distinguished Mall of India. Rita and Anshika Singh launched the academy at the start of the pandemic as a way for both kids and adults to get active while needing to stay indoors. Rita Singh is an incredibly creative entrepreneur, investor, and community leader based in Chicago. Her brand, S R, houses a variety of her own companies that fall under the domains of IT staffing, real estate, and entertainment. Her daughter, Anshika Singh is a technology consultant at a Fortune 500 company. She is also a Purdue graduate, former Femina Miss India finalist, and talented dancer. All their classes were initially taught virtually over Zoom for the first 12 months to ensure the safety of all students. As quarantine was lifted throughout 2021, the students slowly moved to dancing in studios, while taking the safety precautions of social distancing and wearing masks. Now, S R Dance Academy has 5 studio locations all over the Chicagoland area. Students are taught dance classes in Naperville, Bartlett, Schaumburg, Riverwoods, and Libertyville […]

Asian Media USA © Chicago IL: Mandala South Asian Performing Arts Lanches New Headquarters at National India Hub on Thursday – May 19 2022 at 2642 W. Devon Avenue, Chicago IL. Devon. Devon Avenue has long been a site for cultural exchange and South Asian diasporic community. Since those like Jagdish Khatwani opened the first South Asian business on Devon, India Sari Palace, in 1972, and the Patel Brothers opening their trademark grocery store in 1974, this region has become a home for the largest community of South Asian residents in Chicago, Illinois and the broader Midwest. With the waves of the South Asian diaspora also came the businesses, cuisines, and arts of ancestral traditions. But, as many of us have learned, particularly with the trials of the pandemic, making space for tradition has become challenging. Mandala Arts has moved its headquarters where we believe South Asian arts are already deeply rooted; the arts need and deserve an advocate, supporter, and leader. With current and future artistic partnerships and collaborations, Mandala believes that Devon can grow and thrive. Invited guests Alderwoman Debra Silverstein, Alderman Andre Vasquez Jr of Chicago’s 40th ward, Mr. Ranjit Singh Consul Chicago, Mandala Board President Dr. Umang Patel and Paragi Patel, Pranita […]

REZSZOW, Poland — As a devastating humanitarian crisis unfolds in Ukraine, hundreds of thousands are fleeing the warzone seeking refuge in neighboring countries. This has included thousands of Indian nationals, mainly students, who have been left stranded amid the conflict.  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally called BAPS to assist the government’s efforts for the safe passage of Indian nationals from Ukraine. Pujya Brahmaviharidas Swami reassured the Prime Minister: “We have also been instructed by His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj to mobilise BAPS volunteers.” Volunteers from the USA, UK, Ireland, France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Austria and Poland swiftly sprang into action to support the emergency relief efforts on the ground. This has included setting up a mobile field kitchen in the south-eastern Polish city of Rzeszów, which has begun feeding around 1,000 hot vegetarian meals daily to refugees of all faiths and nationalities. BAPS is also arranging accommodation facilities and coordinating medical assistance and is working closely with the Indian government and local partners. Volunteers travelled from Robbinsville, NJ to Rezszow, Poland and to Budomierz, Poland, on the Ukrainian border to help distribute humanitarian supplies to and facilitate the transport of international students and others fleeing Ukraine. Darshan Patel, an attorney […]