Elected and appointed Indian-American officials, as well as allies from Congress and throughout the country mingled with business leaders, think tank analysts and distinguished community members at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 19 at the first Indiaspora Inaugural Ball. “This is a culmination of the journey of the Indian-Americans,” said Indiaspora founder M.R. Rangaswami.
– LEMONT, Ill. The Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago and the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh of Aurora, Ill, held simultaneous events celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand, considered the pioneer of Hindu spirituality in North America. The Hindu Temple held a two-day East-West Yoga Conference “Remembering Swami Vivekananda” Jan.
Fashion designers of South Asian origin were well represented at the Golden Globes and parties surrounding the Jan. 13 awards show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Actress Freida Pinto says growing up in Mumbai she feared the threat of being raped. Speaking to CNN’s Erin Brunett, Pinto talked about reading news reports on rape incidents, but did not recollect reading about any follow up on them and confessed of always being in fear. “This might just happen to me,” Frieda said on The Outlook, which aired Jan. 14. In another incident, eerily similar to the Dec.
Former video jockey Sophiya Haque died in a London hospital Jan. 16 after having been diagnosed with cancer two weeks earlier. She was 41. Haque, who shot to fame in the 90s as a VJ on MTV India, moved to Mumbai in 1997, when she began appearing in Bollywood films. Haque acted in films like “The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey,” “Pehli Nazar Ka Pehla Pyaar: Love at First Sight” and “Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors.
A Queens, N.Y. woman accused of pushing an Indian man to his death in front of a subway train because she believed he was Muslim has been found fit to stand trial.
– MEDINAH, Ill. The Lohri harvest festival was celebrated Jan. 13 at the Hari Om Mandir here. Despite the chilly night and icy roads, the temple was filled with devotees. There was continuous singing of Lohri songs in Punjabi with funny interpolations to greet and mock various dignitaries present.
