Category: Press releases

Atlanta Ga: Mrs. Sanam Azeem of Roswell, Ga, USA has been crowned the Mrs. Pakistan International 2013 in the pageant finals on 18th May 2013 at the Doubletree by Hilton hotel in Atlanta, USA in a well contested finale. Sanam is elated to be Pakistan’s ambassador and feels honored to represent Pakistan at the Mrs. International Pageant 2013. Mrs. Rukhsana Hussain of Buford, Ga, USA was declared the first runners up and Mrs. Basma Adeel of Atlanta, Ga, USA was declared the second runner up after two days of scoring rounds of Interview, Fitness Wear, Ethnic Wear and Evening Gown, judged by a competent panel of judges. The finals show was graced by Mr. Subash Razdan, winner of Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Award 2013 who was the Chief Guest. The show was also graced by celebrities Ms. Pooja Batra – Bollywood movie star and Ms. Reema Khan – Pakistani movie star. Mrs. Reema Khan, Mrs. Adrita Khanna, Director of the Mrs. Pakistan International 2013 Pageant and Mrs. India International 2008 & Mr. Mike Parsons ( Husband of Mrs. Sanam Azeem) crowned the new Mrs. Pakistan International 2013, Sanam Azeem after culmination of an entertaining evening where the top 4 finalists competed […]

Chicago IL: Padma Shri Shubha Mudgal delivered a well-attended Sunday afternoon concert on June 09 at the Reva and David Logan Center of the Arts, University of Chicago (UC), as part of the Eye on India Festival (EIF) 2013. Introduced by EIF President Anuradha Behari, the Hindustani classical vocalist was here to lend her voice to the cause of communal harmony. She was accompanied by Aneesh Pradhan on the tabla and Sudhir Nayak on the harmonium. Her concert officially marked the closing, at the UC Smart Museum of Art, of the exhibition on “The Sahmat Collective: Art and Activism in India since 1989,” which was inaugurated on Feb 13, 2013, likewise amidst Hindustani musical concerts and a SAHMAT discussion panel. Mudgal has been awarded the 1996 National Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film Music Direction for the movie Amrit Beej (“Seed of Immortality”), the 1998 Gold Plaque Award for Special Achievement in Music at the 34th Chicago International Film Festival for her music in the film Dance of the Wind (1997), and the Padma Shri in 2000. Hailing from an academic family—both her parents were professors of English literature at Allahabad University—Mudgal was a disciple of Pandit Ramashreya Jha and […]

Chicago IL: Father’s Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. Many countries celebrate it on the third Sunday of June, but it is also celebrated widely on other days. Father’s Day was created to complement Mother’s Day, a celebration that honors mothers and motherhood. Hari Om Mandir at 6N 020, Medinah Road, Medinah, IL 60157, celebrated in breathtaking manner a novel program, “ Father’s Day Family Fun Friday “ on Friday, 14th June, 2013 from 6-30 PM onwards. Seniors Group of the Temple planned this event. They worked tirelessly for days to organize this program. The participants had come prepared with their best item to regale everyone in the audience. The entire program was very well planned and it started with sumptuous dinner. The program was arranged in Lower Hall of the Temple. The highlight of the program was that it was planned and executed by a team of Seniors. It was truly a fun-filled evening. Lots of Music, Jokes and Entertainment brought enjoyment to everyone. Ayodhiaji Salwan, Chairman wished all the fathers a Happy Fathers Day. He then requested MC Vadheraji to take over the program. Vadheraji started […]

Chicago IL: The Cultural committee of Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple in Aurora, IL, presented an enthralling two day dance festival “Nrithya Samarpanam – Indian Dance festival” on Saturday, June 8th and Sunday, June 9th 2013. Performances by Midwest dance schools and visiting troupes from across the country and India mesmerized the audience. The prestigious dance festival attracted more than 150 participants from across the country and India. Participating schools included: Students of Nrithyanjali School of Dance, Artistic Director, Sushmita Arunkumar Students of NrithyaSangeeth School of Dance, Artistic Director, Sowmya Kumaran Students of Utkala Centre for Odissi, Artistic Director, Ipsitha Satpathy Students of Kuchipudi Natya Vihar, Artistic Director, Sobha Tammana Students of Laasyam School of Dance, Artistic Director, Hema Yaddanapudi Students of Noopura Dance Academy, Artistic Director, Mahalakshmi Varadhan Students of Kalarpana School of Dance, Artistic Director, Radhika Raghuvir Students of NrithyaGeetanjali Dance Academy, Artistic Director, Anupama Rajesh Students of Bharatanjali School of Dance. Artistic Director, Sandhya Radhakrishnan Students of Asha Acharya Performing Arts, Artistic Director, Asha Acharya Adiga Students of SriRanga School of Dance, Artistic Director, Srivani Vokkarane Students of Devaki Janakiraman and Students of NatyaBala Kuchipudi Dance Academy, Artistic Director, LavanyaLatha Jonnalagadda The vibrant performances by all these participants […]

Chicago IL: Eye on India Festival (EIF) 2013 kicked off on Friday, June 7 with a warm reception from the Desi community for actress Shabana Azmi and her husband-partner, scriptwriter, lyricist, and poet Javed Akhtar at the Primitive Gallery in downtown Chicago. EIF President Anuradha Behari announced the lineup of events scheduled over the next five weeks and encouraged everyone to attend, promote, and support the festival. Introducing the artiste-couple, Teamworks Productions President Sanjoy Roy underlined the importance of appreciating the tolerant side of Islam, which is otherwise receiving so much bad press in this deteriorating global climate. Azmi performs in film, television, and theatre. An alumna of Film and Television Institute of India (Pune), she made her film debut in 1974 and soon became a leading actress of the Indian New Wave movement known for its serious content and neo-realism. Versatile Azmi has earned her a record of five wins of the National Film Award for Best Actress, four Filmfare Awards, and international honors. She has appeared in over 120 Hindi films, in both mainstream and independent cinema, and since 1988 she has acted in several foreign projects. Azmi is a social and women’s rights activist, Goodwill Ambassador of […]

Chicago IL: Internationally recognized humanitarian Her Holiness Amma Sri Karunamayi, was honored by both Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon at their downtown offices in the James R. Thompson Center, this Wednesday evening, June 5th 2013. Upon arrival, former Deputy Treasurer of Illinois, Mr. Raja Krishnamoorthi, and renowned pulmonologist Dr. Krishna Sunkara from Chicago, greeted Amma and her party, including Her Holiness’s personal assistants Ms. Vijaya Sindhuri Pulipati and Mr. Michael Stasko. Amma and the Lieutenant Governor shared heartfelt exchanges in a loving first meeting sealed with an embrace from Amma. Lt. Gov. Simon was joined by her husband, Mr. Perry Knop, and Chief of Staff, Ms. Kati Phillips. Her Holiness spoke on the importance of charity in our world and shared some of the details surrounding her many humanitarian projects, which include free housing programs, free schools, a 100-bed free hospital, water treatment projects, disaster relief programs, free food and clothing distributions, leprosy care, remote medical care, women’s welfare programs and numerous peace initiatives. Lt. Gov. Simon then honored Amma by presenting Her Holiness with the “Woman of the Year 2013” Award, in recognition of her selfless service to humanity and her inspirational life dedicated to […]

Chicago IL: Actress Shabana Azmi and her husband, scriptwriter, lyricist, and poet Javed Akhtar, both of whom need little introduction to Hindi film fans, responded freely to a wide range of questions at the Drury Lane Theater at Oak Brook Terrace, Ill., on Saturday, June 08. This was the first public event of the Eye on India Festival (EIF) 2013. They were introduced and interviewed by EIF host Sanjoy Roy, Director of Teamwork Productions. Questions, also from the floor, revolved around Hindi cinema, its social role and alleged degeneration, Muslim identity and the place of Urdu, and their experience as nominated members of the Rajya Sabha. What do 100 years of Indian cinema represent for you? Javed: With all its variety, technical sophistication, “Indian cinema has never been so young.” However, the depth of the 50s and 60s is somewhat missing and real social issues are being avoided. The emergence of multiplexes makes it possible to make big budget movies. The middle class has become insular and inward looking. The average protagonist used to be from the working class. The hero of the new make-believe world is a rich man living in a palatial mansion and steps outside onto a […]

Chicago IL: On June 8th, 2013, MAFS celebrated Asian Heritage Month by organizing a grand fundraiser event at their Naperville office located at 1032 E. Ogden Avenue, Naperville, IL- 60532. Elected officials, community members, agency staff and seniors participated in this colorful event and showed their support for MAFS. The program began with the welcome address delivered by Mr. Naren Patel, CEO of Medstar Lab Inc. and current MAFS Board member. He extended his warm welcome to all the dignitaries and the audience present. Next, lamp lighting was performed by State Rep. Darlene Senger and the invocation prayer was recited by Ketan Maharaj of Jalaram Mandir. A devotion Bhajan was performed by special guest singer, Ms. Shaila Khedkar. Shree Gurusamy and Neelam Desai served as MC’s for the program and they invited each dignitary to speak on this joyous occasion. State Senator Tom Cullerton, State Rep Michelle Mussman, Mayor of Naperville, George Pradel, and Commissioner of Chicago Water Reclamation, Mr. Frank Avila addressed the gathering and offered their deep appreciation for MAFS and the community service it has been providing to the Asian community. Next, the Executive Director of MAFS, Mrs. Santosh Kumar spoke about the hardship faced by social […]

The Grayslake temple Sunday school concluded yet another successful school year on June 2nd under the leadership of Professor Sanjay Mehrotra. The highly qualified and committed volunteer teachers of this school were honored by Secretary Theresa Mah Illinois Sate Honorable Governor Pat Quinn for their dedication and selfless effort in transferring Indian culture and human values to our children. State of Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford gave the Community and Educational Impact award to this highly structured and one of a kind Sunday school in the greater Chicago area. The Sunday School has now graduated more than 300 children to the next level of Dharma and Hindi education. The school education places major emphasis on a non-denominational open learning environment, where children laugh and giggle while they absorb the Hindu culture and heritage. With more than 40 volunteers and teachers the Sunday school is a unique experiment where Hindu Dharma is taught based on human values, and Hindi is taught while promoting the Indian culture. During the annual function the four to 15 years old children sang and gave stage performances. They were lead by: Manisha Patel, Rishika Mana: Mantras and Hum honge kamyaab Ruchika Sharma, Thilaka Suresh: Humko man ki […]

Chicago IL: Smt. Jayasudha a reigning south-Indian movie actress and a prominent A.P. state legislator [MLA] captivated the Chicago audience with her profoundly soul-stirring testimony of her personal faith at packed pews of the Grace Lutheran Church in Westchester, Illinois on May 22, 2013. This community event of significance hosted under the aegis of United Telugu Christians of Chicago [UTCC] drew a great host of fans, guests, lay leaders and pastors to hear her awe-inspiring story that changed her life. “I want to be like Mother Teresa and I want to serve the Lord” solemnly declared Smt. Jayasudha in her testimony narrative amidst resonating applause and pledged that she would like to embark on a journey of altruism to help the poor and the neediest with her Shine Development Trust charitable organization (India). Articulating her personal story of faith, identity and spiritual triumph, Smt. Jayasudha gave an overview and described how her life slowly evolved into a new-found Christian faith that stirred the depths of her mind and spirit. Recalling the frightful incident of March 1985 that changed her life forever, Jayasudha narrated that while she was honeymooning in Thailand she and her newly married husband went on a water […]

Chicago IL: Chicago celebrated its 14th Annual Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month (AAHM) on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 with an awards ceremony and token cultural program at noon at Richard J. Daley Center downtown. The reception was hosted jointly by Dorothy Brown, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County (CCCC), and the 14-year old Asian American Employees Social Club (AAESC). After Beena Patel, Asian Committee Chair and Associate Clerk of First Municipal Bureau, had welcomed the guests, Portia Young sang the national anthem. MC Susanna Song from CBS-2 Chicago introduced the Circuit Court led by Brown. The latter individually thanked all the AAESC members and event sponsors, especially awards sponsor Naren Patel and his sons Neil and Raj Patel. She recognized by name foreign diplomatic personnel, media representatives, community leaders present, and her own support staff. She recounted how AAHM was instituted on Oct. 23, 1992 to celebrate contributions of Asian-Pacific communities. Her office participates in Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese programs, and the Indian and Pakistani Independence Day ceremonies. MC Song introduced each of the eight awardees: Muhammad Aslam, Suresh Bodiwala, Lynne Kawamoto, Santosh Kumar, Jin Lee, Hetal Patel, Estefan G. Roy, and Rishikant Singh. The owner of Serena Restaurant on […]

Chicago IL: Chicago Indian Icon (CII) has emerged a landmark platform for the Chicago’s youth to come up, perform, compete, and shine. It is a Karaoke Competition for Bollywood songs. Launched by the Chicago-based company Indian Event Management Inc. (IEM), the CII held its first of the three auditions at the prestigious Ashyana Banquets in Downers Grove on May 19th 2013. Participants aged 7 to 71 regaled the jam-packed audience all through the 8-hour long organized audition with their no-knot performances. Young Sutikshna Veeravalli attracted repeated standing ovations not only from the audience, but also from the judges. Equally favorites were 7-year old Senria Nath from Wisconsin and Abhijeet Joshi. An overwhelming response was witnessed with singers registering non-stop, online as well as in-person at the front-desk. Participants competed in Solo, Duet or Group Song categories. The audition was being streamed live as hundreds queued up to participate in the audition. More than 2000 people watched CII-2013 1st Audition live over internet, which was way above expectation. Brij Sharma, the president of The Indian Event Management introduced a four member executive committee, the founders – Sharan Walia as the director of management and Planning, Pratibha Jairath as the Vice President, […]

Chicago IL: Padmabhushan KJ Yesudas was here again at the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago (HTGC) on June 1, 2013, after exactly a year, to deliver a riveting three-hour Carnatic vocal concert that energized an audience of about 650 connoisseurs (rasika). He was accompanied by Jayashankar Balan on the violin, TS Nandakumar mridangam and Santosh Chandru ghatam. The evening, which stretched on due to insistent audience requests, left a delightfully indelible impression in the minds of critics, connoisseurs, and ordinary listeners alike. After Vedic chants by HTGC temple priests Krishnaraj Bhat and Venkateshan Kurukkal, followed by Temple Board President Tilak Marwaha’s welcome address, the proceedings were well-handled by Fine Arts Committee Chair Usha Pariti and her team. The concert was conducted under the auspices of HTGC and Geetha Krishnan in honor of her mother Kalyani Krishnan. After the deep customary “Om” chant, Yesudas sang the set composition (varnam) “Vanajaakshi” in ragam Kalyani. After a brisk yet lilting purely melodic exploration (alapanam) of ragam Hamsadhwani that effortlessly traversed all three octaves, he sang Muthuswami Dikishitar’s all-time favorite Vatapi Ganapathim. Yesudas fans are sure to own his Vatapi Ganapathim album that unfailingly transports the listener to a different world. This evening was […]

Chicago IL: Thursday, May 23, Indian doctors from all over the country converged on downtown Chicago’s Sheraton Hotel & Towers for the 31st annual convention of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), arguably the largest diaspora organization in the world. The first four days of the gala that continued into Monday, May 27 celebrated the leadership and displayed the achievements of outgoing AAPI President Narendra Kumar, culminating on Sunday night in handing over of the gavel and torch to young Jayesh Shah. Mornings were filled with well-attended continuous medical education (CME) while evening banquets provided relaxation with varied entertainment. The lunches and dinners took on the air of mini-summits, for the panels featured distinguished politicians and executives representing Indo-US convergence. Senator (D) Dick Durbin, American Medical Association (AMA) President Jeremy Lazarus MD, and GM’s VP for Corporate Diversity Eric Peterson spoke at Friday lunch, while Senator (D) Harry Reid, Rep. (D) Tulsi Gabbard, and Foundation for the Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) VP Jack Boulet spoke the next day. Saturday dinner banquet featured Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao and Rep. (R) Peter Roskam; Sunday’s dinner was graced with speeches by Illinois Governor (D) Patrick Quinn, […]

Chicago IL: The Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago and Utkalaa Dance Academy jointly presented Orissa Dance Academy’s “Gatha Odissi – a journey from the temple to the stage” featuring brilliant performances by artists from the state of Orissa on Saturday, May 18 at the Sama Rathi Auditorium of the temple. A capacity filled crowd of more than 300 people enjoyed watching the vibrant dances, specially designed lighting effects and the audio with melodic songs. The evening began with a prayer by priest Murali Kidambi and was followed by Usha Pariti, the Fine Arts chair and the temple’s vice president Mr. Bhima Reddy, who both welcomed the audiences to the evening’s program. Later, Madhavi Adivi and Ipsita Mahapatra introduced all the artists to the audience. It was Ipsita Mahapatra of Utkalaa Dance Academy, Chicago who was instrumental in bringing this amazing program to the temple. The ballet program started with Kanch Pallavi, a dance composition by Aruna Mohanty, that depicted the chariot festival of Lord Jagannath (Rath Yathtra) in the traditional Odissi style. Aruna Mohanty explained that most of the traditions in Odisha (Orissa) are connected with the temple and the Lord Jagannath and that the basic dances that were offered […]

Chicago IL: Delegates representing the National Indian American Public Policy Institute (NIAPPI) joined the DuPage County chapter of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly (RNHA) in hosting a reception for Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Monday, May 13, 2013, at Oak Brook Marriott Hotel. The Senator briefly addressed the group of about 50 and thanked the roomful of Indian and Hispanic Republicans, led by Illinois RNHA Chairman Steve Orlando and Dupage County RNHA Chairwoman, Evelyn Pacino Sanguinetti, for being so involved before taking time to meet and pose for photos. Present at the reception were State Senators Kirk Dillard and Bill Brady. Cruz then delivered the keynote address at the DuPage Lincoln Day Dinner, sponsored by the DuPage County Republican Central Committee where over 600 Republicans were assembled. Shalabh (Shalli) Kumar, who led the NIAPPI delegation, also addressed the assembly and sought to underline the unique Indian American demographics and the growing importance of their vote. Presenting himself under the banner of Ronal Reagan as Chairman of Indian Americans for Freedom, Kumar emphasized his organization’s commitment to individual liberty, self-reliance, fiscal discipline, free enterprise, and strong national defense. He insisted on a strategy to convert the one million Indian American voters […]

Naperville, IL: Bollywood Rhythms celebrated their 5th Annual Recital with students and their families, friends and prominent leaders of our community on Sunday, May 12, 2013 at Metea High School. Students of Bollywood Rhythms, ranging in ages from 3 to 50 yrs, adorned in colorful costumes, dazzled the audience of about 400 – 500 art lovers of Naperville area. It was 3.5 hours of pure entertainment that consisted of Bollywood/ Folk as well as Semi Classical dances which were presented by close to 200 students. The theme of this year’s show was ” An Evening in Bollywood”, Bollywood Rhythms very creatively narrated simple stories through their dance routines . Our show was dedicated to all the mothers and the evening could not have been any better than watching their kids entertain them on that special day.The event marked the sheer celebration of Indian heritage, culture, dance and music. The students, the Artistic Director, Bhagya Nagesh, and all those who were involved in the presentation of the show deserve esteem. Bollywood Rhythms students dressed in colorful costumes and gorgeous make up presented a beautiful medley of about 22 dances. The program opened with “ Ganesh Vandana” and soon picked up the […]

Chicago IL: Padmashree Sudha Ragunathan thrilled both connoisseurs of Carnatic music and those keen on experimental fusion by leading an ensemble that took liberties with traditional compositions. Singing at the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago (HTGC) in Lemont, Ill., on Sunday, May 5, 2013, Ragunathan was accompanied by Amit Heri (lead guitar), B. Raghavendra Rao (violin), Tiruvarur Vaidyanathan (mridangam), Guruprasad (ghatam), Arun Kumar (drums), and Keith Peters. Heri, who holds a scholarship from Berklee College of Music in Boston, has performed in many international festivals, including WOMAD, London, Montreux, and Berlin Jazz Festivals, Rome World Music Festival, and World Social Forum. Having received Carnatic percussion training under S. V. Giridhar, Kumar advanced under Anoor Ananthakrishna Sharma, and now learns jazz drumming under Ranjit Barot. Guruprasad studied from an early age with ghatam maestro T.H. Vikku Vinayakram, then with V. Suresh from whom he learned Kodhandarama Iyer’s fingering technique, and finally under Madurai T. Srinivasan. Chennai-based Keith Peters continues to work as A.R. Rahman’s ever-dependable bass guitarist, arguably the best in India. Initiated into music at age five by his father, Rao is disciple of violin maestro T.N. Krishnan. Vaidyanathan, who hails from a family of percussionists, runs an ensemble band […]

Chicago IL: Co-hosted by Saahil Exclusive, L.A. Tan “Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Live in Concert” is a collective effort of Bhavesh Patel, Babubhai Patel, Mayur and Nick Patel. The legendary singer Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan rocked Sears Center Arena, 5333 Prairie Stone Pkwy, Hoffman Estates, IL on 8:30 PM, Friday, May 17, 2013 with yet another unforgettable concert. Chicago saw one of the finest concerts of all times. Khan mesmerizes the enthusiastic crowd of more than 5000 listeners for about 4 hours. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan sang hits from various Bollywood films which rocked the crowd. He was received by the audience with standing ovation and sang hits from various Bollywood films which rocked the crowd and kept the audience spellbound. This was undoubtedly one of the finest performances by Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan of ALL time; and why not? Since this was his 50th Concert Celebration Night. Khan Sahab made it very clear in the beginning of the concert, as soon as he arrived on stage, that tonight it’s not just going to be a concert; it will be a celebration and he wanted all his fans and every member in the audience to be part of […]

Chicago: About 300 Indians from 20 cities in the US gathered today in Chicago for a day long convention organized by US supporters of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Members of the Aam Aadmi Party national executive Arvind Kejriwal, Yogendra Yadav and Kumar Vishwas, who is also a noted poet, were the keynote speakers. The morning began with a vigorous speech by Dr Kumar Vishwas, who combined poetry and prose with good effect to enthrall the audience. His verses emphasized the need for otherwise indifferent but educated citizens and well-wishers of India to contribute to democracy through political participation. He also used the occasion to recite his latest couplet titled “Tiranga” that he has coined reflecting on the current political situation in India. Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP’s national convener addressed the gathering live from the AAP Headquarters in Ghaziabad, near Delhi. He spoke about AAP’s role in India’s growth and the role that NRIs can play in furthering this cause. Arvind remains optimistic about India’s future and believes that the AAP could be the catalyst that can bring change in the country by redefining the rules of politics. He further stressed on the importance of decentralization in governance which would […]