Austin South Asian. May. 2016

Monthly Community Paper | www.austinsouthasian.com | 512-828-6709 | Vol. 9 No. 05

Non Profit Of The Month Sankara Eye Foundation The Citizen Foundation

By Sumaiya Malik Photo Credits: Nazm Photography The United Nations calls education

a basic human right. In Pakistan, there are 25 million children who are out of school.

(Continued On Page 04)

Restaurant Review: SAFFRON Page - 17

Shiksha BAPS Mandir

By Pranoti Kale

Many Indian states celebrated

their New Year in the month of April. April was a very “happening” month for Shiksha students, as well.

(Continued On Page 12)

Sankara Eye Foundation & Balaji Entertainment Present The Magnificent Trio Shankar-EhsaanLoy!Join Sankara Eye Foundation

(SEF) and Balaji Entertainment to spend an evening with the Magnificent Trio Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy, (Continued On Page 05)

Rythm And Taal............02 Malik’s Page....4,6,8,16,19 AMM Spring Bonanza....05 Hot New Technologies..07 Create A Cash Stash.....07 Vishal-Shekhar Concert.09 TxDOT.........................09 3 Ways Scents Can Impact Your Mood...........10

June 2016

Travel Agents SAAM Bollywood Meets Special

By Pooja Sethi, Esq.

By Harish Kotecha Hindu

In Austin

Charities

for

America

BAPS Mandir in Austin, TX Celebrates Swaminarayan Jayanti: Shanti Through Samjan

April 16th, 2016 - The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Austin, TX celebrated the 235th birth anniversary of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, a celebration referred to as (Continued On Page 12 )

inside May 2016

Austin, Texas- South Asian Austin Moms Nonprofit is proud to announce that it will be receiving a proclamation from Mayor Adler and the City of Austin on March 31, 2016 for its Holi for Kids event taking place on April 3, 2016 at the Asian American Resource Center.

(HC4A) and the Austin Jewish community are coming together for the 4rd year in succession for a multi-cultural evening filled with fun, food and entertainment – all for a noble cause.

(Continued On Page 18)

(Continued On Page 17)

512-828-6709

Shiksha.......................12 BAPS...........................12 Sisterhood Is Global.....14 Gani’s Page..................16 Holi For Kids................18 Saffron - A New Indo Nepalese Restaurant....17 Bollywood Meets Borscht Belt 2016.....................17 Predictions...................19 Tricks To Simplify..........20 Mother’s Day...............20 Community Calendar....21 Children’s Page........22,23 Keeping Baby Safe.......23 Entertainment.........25,26

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Austin South Asian | May 2016

Rhythm And Taal Perform For The BAPS Mandir In Austin, TX Celebrates First Time At The 2016 Zilkar Fest Swaminarayan Jayanti:Shanti Through Samjan

By Annapurni Thank you to the organizers of the Austin South Asian New Year Fest 2016.

It was a great festive atmosphere, with lot of energy and a very supporting audience, alongside amazing food, clothing and other vendor stalls.

(Continued From Page 01) Swaminarayan Jayanti by the devotees of BAPS. According to the Hindu calendar, this day also celebrates the birth of Bhagwan Shri Ram. This year’s celebration centered on the theme of “Shanti through Samjan,” imparting knowledge on how to attain elevated levels of peace through spiritual understanding.

The Swaminarayan Jayanti celebrations were organized by local youth volunteers with much zeal and devotion.

Our group, Rhythm and Taal, performed for the first time at the festival and had a wonderful experience.

The group would be happy to gettogether in the future for more dance performances.

amples of staunch devotees from Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s time through to modern day who never faltered from their spiritual path despite countless hardships in their lives.

Skits were performed reflecting on Bhagwan Shri Ram’s spiritual attainment, which allowed him to remain at peace even during his fourteen years of exile.

Citing examples of historical devotees, the program highlighted how a spiritual aspirant can thrive in his/her day to day life as well as spiritual journey.

derstanding): Atma vichar, Sarvoparipana vichar, Sarva karta-harta vichar, Prapti-mahima vichar, and Rajipa vichar.

These thoughts extol the idea of gaining true, spiritual understanding through realizing one’s self as the Atma, knowing the glory of attaining Parabrahma, the all-doer, and leading a life in accordance with Parabrahma’s wishes and commands.

These thoughts provide practical ways on thriving in one’s spiritual journey.

Children and youth dedicated weeks leading up to the celebrations to organize a heartfelt production.

The performances relayed that one’s spiritual journey can begin at any stage in one’s life and that age and gender are certainly no barriers in this path.

Swaminarayan Jayanti also carried a much greater significance in the lives of the devotees who had fasted for the whole day in honor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and Bhagwan Shri Ram.

With classical devotional songs and dance, they illustrated ex-

The theme also took the audience through five types of samjan (un-

(Continued On Page 12)

3

Austin South Asian | May 2016

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Austin South Asian | May 2016

The Citizens Foundation (TCF) USA – Austin Chapter

(Continued From Page 01)

Transparency of TCF USA:

Four million are born every year out of which 2 million are below poverty line and have never seen school. A bunch of them turn to beggary, drugs and often terrorism.

Charity Navigator rates TCF-USA 4 Stars for sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency.

When the government failed to handle this

This is the eighth time that TCF-USA has received the top rating. TCF-USA is a Gold Level participant in the Guidestar Exchange program to encourage nonprofit transparency.

Since its foundation in 2002 TCF-USA adopted the ‘Best Practices Guidelines’ set by the US Treasury Department for charities that send money to overseas causes.

problem, people decided to do something to make a difference.

So in 1994, The Citizens Foundation (TCF) a non-profit in the field of education was founded.

Mushtaq Chappra and his group of friends decided to provide quality education for free to those who could not afford it and set up a school.

The idea took off! Today, TCF is providing formal low cost education to 145,000 children enrolled in 1000 School Units spread over 100 locations across Pakistan.

It takes just $10 a month to provide a quality education to a child in a TCF school. 90.2% of every dollar donated to TCF goes directly to running the schools.

Background of TCF USA: TCF (Pakistan) is registered as a non-profit organization in Pakistan whereas TCF-USA is a US non-profit incorporated under Illinois law and recognized as a public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service code. TCF-USA has its own independent bylaws and Board of Directors. While most of the programs for education of Pakistani children through TCF in Pakistan, TCF-USA has the discretion to make grants to other educational charities as well.

Transparency is very important to us as well as to our donors, and we continue to abide by Treasury Department guidelines.

Our audited financials are also available on the website.

TCF has an open-door policy for school visits in Pakistan. US Ambassadors in Pakistan and other representatives from the US State Department have visited several schools.

Both TCF and TCF-USA have received letters of support from present and former legislators in Congress, lauding TCF efforts to help improve education in Pakistan.

Austin Chapter and how it works: The Austin Chapter is attached to TCF USA. The Austin Chapter of The Citizens Foundation (TCF) raises funds annually for education of under privileged children in Pakistan.

Active since 2011 in Austin, the Chapter has to date held five fundraisers and through them built two schools in the poorest parts of Karachi district in Pakistan and created an endowment fund for one school for life.

In 2011, a group of friends got together at Omer Dossani’s house to understand what TCF was doing to create literacy in Pakistan.

The problems were huge and numbers staggering.

The friends were so impressed that they collected Zakat money and sent it to TCF USA for use in setting up schools in Pakistan.

In 2012, things got a bit more organized when Farri Khan, who attended the first meeting at the Dossani’s decided to take a more active role. Famous narrator, Zia Mohiuddin, came from Pakistan to talk to the people.

So the first official fundraiser happened in August of 2012.

This time more people attended and a b o u t $50,000 in Zakat f u n d s was collected a n d cheques w e r e written to TCF USA. 2 0 1 3 saw an increase in Zakat money going to TCFUSA from Austin.

Talk began about building a school rather than just send money for the running cost.

And it took two years for enough funds to be collected for not one, but two schools.

It became official in 2014 and in 2015, an endowment was set up for one school and the school was named, Austin School of Knowledge (ASK).

It was dedicated to all the volunteers who came together to give back.

Educate-a-Child for 1 Year: $144 Educate-a-Child KG to Grade 10: $1,600 Stock a Library: $1,000 Support a Classroom for 1 Year: $3,500 Scholarship for Higher Education:$5,700 Support a TCF School for 1 Year:$21,000 Lifetime Support endowment for 1 school:$210,000 Build-a-School & Support for 3 years (2016-17 build cycle)

Next fundraiser is on September 24: The next fundraiser is on September 24, 2016. Farri Khan, the treasurer and board member has been with TCF right from 2011.

She mobilizes volunteers, organizes the group and each year the group puts together a dinner/banquet of two hundred twenty donors who come for the cause and stay till the end of the entertainment.

Groups like Fuzon, Raag of Ages, Munni Begum and Ali Pervaiz Mehdi have come and performed for live audiences.

Why donate to TCF – USA? The world has become global community.

The problems faced by one country spill over and affect others and no amount of military action is ever able to curb the problem.

In fact, everyone loses in war. A successful plan is to invest in education and community building and see long lasting results.

How to Donate: Please make a donation online at www.tcfusa.org You can also write a cheque to TCF-USA and mail them or hand it to one of the volunteers right before the fundraiser.

The team collects the cheques near the time of the fundraiser. All donations are tax deductible.

Please find information about the Austin Chapter on their facebook page (TCF Austin).

You can also contact Farri Khan at 512-6336403 or Imran Baqai at 512-577-4231.

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Austin South Asian | May 2016

Sankara Eye Foundation & Balaji Entertainment Present The Magnificent Trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy!

(Continued From Page 01) also featuring Siddharth Mahadevan Live.

Mark your calendars for this fabulous show on April 29th in San Jose CA, April 30th in Seattle WA, May 6th in Dallas TX, May 7th in Austin TX and May 14th in Newark NJ. Shankar Ehsaan Loy will give a heartfelt tribute to R.D Burman and S.D Burman.

This event will be extra special for those who cherish the music of yester years with a touch of fusion.

By the end of this evening, Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy will surely leave you singing to their tun es.

Shankar Mahadevan, born March 6, 1987 in Maharashtra, Bombay, is a famous singer and music composer.

He left us speechless with his first album called Breathless.

He has won the National award four times, three times for best Playback Singer and once for best Music Direction.

We can never forget his heart touching song “Meri Maa” from Taare Zameen Par for which he deservingly won an award for best playback singer.

Ehsaan Noorani born October 12, 1963 in Hydrabad, India is a famous music composer and guitarist.

He has lent his vocals to many Bollywood songs such as “Ek Junoon” from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and “Don The Theme” from Don. Loy Mendonsa played guitar and piano for A.R Rehman before he became a music composer.

Siddharth Mahadevan born April 16, 1993, is a playback singer and composer.

He is a promising new talent and the son of Shankar Mahadevan. Siddharth is well known for his debut song “Zinda” from the film Bhaag Mika Bhaag and his most recent hit song “Malang Malang” from Dhoom 3.

This incredible Trio has created magic together and won many national awards

for best Music Direction with such hits as Kaal Ho Na Ho, Dil Chahta Hai, Bunty aur Babli and Rock on.

They also won awards for Two States (Best Music) and Mission Kashmir (Best Background Music).

acteristic of SEF is that they provide free eye care for those unable to afford it, those members of the rural poor, and this accounts for 80 percent of the surgeries performed at their hospitals which is approximately 150,000 people per year.

Here is your chance to witness their live performance in your town.

The tireless efforts by the SEF team since inception, has enabled over 1.4 million eyes to receive the gift of vision, utterly free of cost.

Don’t miss this exclusive opportunity to watch Shankar Ehsaan Loy in concert brought to you by Sankara Eye Foundation.

Also, it has maintained the top rating from Charity Navigator for sound fiscal management.

Buy your tickets today at www.giftofvision. org.

This year, SEF will focus its fundraising activities for two new projects, Focus Hyderabad and Focus Indore.

Established in the Bay Area, SEF is a nonprofit organization that has been working for the past fifteen years to eradicate curable blindness in India.

Driven by the truly inspirational vision of “Vision 20/20 by the year 2020”, SEF has currently has eight community eye hospitals, as well as four city hospitals and soon embarking on two new hospital projects.

By far the most unique and remarkable char-

Become a Founding Donor and leave a legacy by getting your name on the Wall of Founders. Join our cause, volunteer and share in the joy of bringing light to someone’s eyes. Please visit our website at www. giftofvision.org for more details.

CONTACT: Brajesh Upadhyay brajeshu@gmail.com 408-837-2725

AMM’s Spring Bonanza!

By Bhushan Naniwadekar The blossoming of the beautiful wildflowers not only marks the arrival of the Spring season in Austin area, it also does signal the ar-

rival of an action packed entertainment season for the Austin Desi community.

Indian classical music concerts, film festivals, new years fests have packed our local community calendar for the next few months.

Austin Marathi Mandal (AMM) has added two internationally acclaimed professional programs to this calendar. First up will be what promises to be the mother of all the musical concerts ever hosted by AMM in their 26 years of journey. The light music concert - Maitra Jeevanche (Friendship of the hearts) brings none other than the legendary music composer and singer Padma Shree Pt. Hridaynath Mangeshkar to Austin for the first time ever.

Joining him, for the first time in Austin as well, is another popular composer and singer of today’s generation - Dr. Salil Kulkarni.

This will be the first of the two grand concerts in town on May 7th.

They will be accompanied by well known artists from India. On June 5th, as part of AMM’s annual signature entertainment event - Avishkar-2016, we have an opportunity to enjoy a highly acclaimed Marathi

professional play from India - Selfie. This award winning play is making waves in Maharashtra and abroad as we write this.

An all female on-stage team brings a story of five friends - the five protagonists in this crisply written drama about their complicated lives, and how they get finely interwoven during a forced, circumstantial stay at the waiting room at a railway station.

This leads to an amazing journey of self realization of a new self in them. It features well known names from Marathi drama and television like Sukanya Kulkarni Mone and Rujuta Deshmukh. Please take advantage of the special pricing for combo tickets for these two - not to be missed - events this spring.

Tickets and more details at - www.austinmarathimandal.org

6

Austin South Asian | May 2016

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Planning For Mother’s Day On May 8 Trace at the W is $50 per head and the figures remain in this range even if the food is average.

I would have thought the prices are all the same everywhere, but Clay Pit pleasantly surprised me!

The restaurant has a $15 lunch/brunch buffet on Mothers Day. The restaurant did request us to arrive

By Sumaiya Malik If you ask a South Asian mom, how will she celebrate Mother’s Day, her reply will usually start with, “Maa kay pairon talay Jannat hay.”

For those who do not understand Urdu or Hindi, the closest translation is that the key to heaven in your afterlife is under your mom’s feet.

With that hint from faith, the South Asian tradition of giving high importance to moms every day, makes every day technically Mothers Day. After this introduction, the moms will go on to discuss brunch menus at fancy restaurants.

Already restaurants are getting booked up.

The South Asian Austin called at least five places in Austin and already bookings are hard to find.

Prices of set menus are exorbitant with Hotel Granduca charging $75 per head.

fifteen minutes before our reservation, as they will Chances are mom will be so delighted not wait for us if we are late. with the treat, she will ‘do sifarish’ to ‘higher authorities’ for your blessings This is a great steal and especially the thought of (read between the lines and smile). grilled puri/halwa on a Sunday is always more ap- Thank you! pealing to a South Asian palate.

FREE CLASSIFIED Austin South Asian

info@Austin SouthAsian.com

Editor: Bala Kumar Marketing:

Jayachitra Vijay -512-828-6709 info@austinsouthasian.com Production: Jyothi Mariswaran Admin: Sharada Dayanidhi Publisher: Vidya Kumar Circulation: Vasooda Kumar ©All rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof be published without the wirtten consent of the publisher.

The deadline for advertisement and article is 20th of every month.

512-828-6709 info@austinsouthasian.com ww.austinsouthasian.com

7

Austin South Asian | May 2016

Hot New Technologies That Can Streamline And Improve Your Life

New technologies can transform ordinary objects and experiences into extraordinary ones.

ded with electronics and connectivity, is going to revolutionize our lives as it grows.

From everyday household objects to musical instruments to entertainment systems, there are many hot new technologies that are making daily items easier or better to use, and ultimately improving the lives of consumers.

New applications of this concept include IoT-connected locks, which can turn your smartphone into a portable key to your home, allowing users to create and delete keys as needed.

Here are three examples of new innovations and trends to consider incorporating into your life: Internet of Things The Internet of Things (IoT), a network of physical objects embed-

Upgraded refrigerators that connect to the Internet to play music, and display digital messages, recipes and shopping lists.

When shopping for just about anything, consider whether there’s an IoT alternative and how it could help you.

Hybrid Pianos Designed to combine the advantages of digital technology with the traditional sound and feel of acoustic pianos, new hybrid options, such as Casio`s new CELVIANO Grand Hybrid pianos are providing the experience of a grand piano, including the tones, keys and comfort, without the bulk.

and complex sound field generated by an acoustic grand.

ers, thanks to the efforts of dozens of industry leaders.

With advanced analysis and signal processing, the pianos also recreate the acoustic characteristics of world-renowned concert halls, opera houses, cathedrals, and other venues like Berlin, Hamburg and Vienna for an immersive performance.

From first person gaming to film creation and viewing to sport spectating, immersive entertainment systems are quickly becoming an affordable reality for more people.

Made with full-length wooden concert grand piano keys, they have the same essential weighting and pivotal points as their traditional counterparts.

To learn more about how these feats are accomplished, visit CasioMusicGear.com.

Its amplification system also reproduces the three-dimensional rich

The nascent virtual reality market (VR) is finally reaching consum-

Virtual Reality

Newly announced gear will even make it possible for consumers to capture their own 360-degree 3-D VR content.

New technologies can enrich your life, streamlining the way you run your household.

(Statepoint)

How To Create A Cash Stash For Unexpected Expenses April is Financial Literacy Month,

pected expenses is well before they

Regardless of your financial circumstances, a rainy day fund offers peace of mind and, if you plan well, it won’t derail your other long-term savings goals.

cover most emergencies with a little extra to spare.

To get one started, consider the following tips from Ally Financial Inc., which offers personal finance tips, tools and education through its Wallet Wise financial literacy program:

Determine how much you would realistically need if an emergency were to arise.

• Create an account specifically for emergencies:

If money is tight, decide where you’ll cut corners to make your plan work.

Many make the mistake of assuming that a standard savings account can also serve as a rainy day fund.

a time dedicated to teaching Americans how to establish and maintain good financial habits.

The month provides a good opportunity to assess whether you have a solid plan in place to support your financial goals -- and that means planning for emergency expenses, too.

The best time to plan for unex-

happen.

One strategy to consider is to open an emergency savings account where you can stash cash specifically for unexpected expenses or short-term savings goals.

That way, you can avoid having to pay for these expenses with a credit card and incur interest.

However, dipping into savings when your roof leaks, may not be the best solution.

Start an account that’s only purpose is for emergencies. Some banks, such as Ally Bank, will allow you to create “nicknames” for the accounts to reinforce their purpose.

• Specify amount to be allocated: Set a goal for your fund that could

(Some plumbing repairs can easily run close to $1,000.)

Set up a recurring transfer or direct deposit to automate savings.

For example, directing $30 a paycheck to a rainy day fund in lieu of going out for dinner one night will help plan for the future.

• Fee free is the way to be: Maximize your savings potential by finding a bank that won’t charge you a monthly maintenance fee, or penalize you for dipping into your emergency fund.

Better yet, an account that earns a competitive interest rate or one that is compounded daily will allow your emergency fund to grow

faster on its own.

• Ensure you can access funds: Many Money Market Accounts come with checks or a debit card to ensure quick access to funds, because emergencies usually don’t happen at convenient times.

The benefits of such accounts allow you to pay a locksmith, plumber or roofer directly without needing to run to the bank.

Why add an additional step to a stressful situation?

For additional tips on what you need to know to be smart with your money, visit allywalletwise.com.

Everyone is going to face a situation where an emergency strains their budget.

You don’t leave home in the rain without an umbrella, so don’t take on life without the same safety net.

A rainy day fund is a smart way to guard against financial stress.

(Statepoint)

8

Austin South Asian | May 2016

South Asian Community Going Together For Concerts!

By Sumaiya Malik

will not come to Austin. We saw that twice this month.

Picture credits: Sabiha Rehman

At least 20 South Asian friends went together to San Antonio to see Kaifi aur Main, a stage play starring Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar based on the works of Kaifi Azmi and his wife Shaukat.

Austin has become the haven of good music, movies, and stage plays of South Asian origin.

Austinites like to enjoy all of them.

They are even keen on going out of town to see plays that

A group of thirty Pakistani and Indian Austinite friends went together to listen to Vishaal Shekhar Live at the Bass Concert Hall.

They danced to the beat of the music and did not sit for a bit.

Sabiha Rehman took the step of reaching out to friends to make the group plan.

She energized the community and eventually such a large group got together for the plan.

The community plans to do just the same in Shankar Ehsaan Loy’s Concert at the Riverbend Center on

Saturday, May 7.

Whether its Ghazal or Rock, Bollywood or Pakistani film, independent or mainstream, Austinites are a good sport about making room for all events.

To Advertise In ASA 512-828-6709

Pakistani Students Association At UT Celebrates Basant

By Sumaiya Malik Picture credits: Saad Maqsood On the evening of April 6, the Pakistani Students Association at UT celebrated the annual festival of Basant at the Hogg Auditorium.

Performing in front of a sizable audience, the students brought out dances and songs acts and entertained everyone there.

Texas Nach Baliye inaugurated the show with their festive clothing and catchy dance steps.

Nach Baliye is a nationally competing and ranking premier bollywood fusion dance team at the University of Texas at Austin. That

dance team took the floor and what followed was pure fun.

The audience tapped their feet to the energy of Jazba. ‘What Jazba (spirit)!’ said someone putting a pun on the word.

sions of the dance.

The choreographers of Basant, Nadia Husain and Taimor did a good job in synchronizing the dance steps.

Nadia managed a large group of

from 1950s to 2016 and showed the transition of music from then to now.

The Austin South Asian asked Faiz Baqai, a junior at UT who attended Basant, what he thought of the performances.

Faiz replied, ‘This year there was a concrete theme and the jokes actually made me laugh.

UT Students and the Austin community attended the event and saw performances of Pakistani and Indian groups.

I really enjoyed myself seeing my pals up on the stage enjoying themselves. “Basant has become a favorite of the Texas PSA.

For the first time the festival was free and open to the public. Tempura Restaurant had set up a food stall outside the auditorium.

While this tradition is followed every year, this year was the first to have so many dances from both Indian and Pakistani origin.

The students had advertised extensively on campus, and on social media. They had promos posted on their facebook page and successfully go the word out.

The PSA also passed out free Tshirts to their members with the Basant logo on it.

The comperes were two PSA members in colorful attire, who informed the audience of the acts that would follow.

was followed by a singing act by Saad Maqsood, a sophomore at UT. Adiba Oiyshi also sang melodiously and entertained the crowd.

Jazba, a co-ed Bollywood fusion

Texas Bhangra (TXB), a popular co-ed bhangra team also performed. They combined different styles of music into their performances to show various dimen-

students and worked with them for over a month to perfect the dance steps.

Nadia said that they chose songs

Basant is actually a kite festival celebrated in Pakistan when everyone wears yellow. At UT, it has become more of a festival of celebration.

9

Austin South Asian | May 2016

Vishal-Shekhar Live In Concert US Tour 2016

By Seema Govil Vishal-Shekhar Live In Concert US Tour 2016 Kicks Off from Austin, Texas Music Director Duo with Neeti Mohan, Mesmerize Audiences at the Bass Concert Hall

the ABCA of Austin were the local producers making possible the best Bollywood concert the city has yet witnessed.

The show was a culmination of ex-

Agni Dance Co. performed and engaged the crowd with a beautiful pre-show performance.

The crowd was up on their heels from the very beginning, from 15

The Vishal-Shekhar Live In Concert US Tour, with Neeti Mohan, kicked off from Austin, Texas on March 25th, 2016.

The concert tour is brought together by national promoters Pria Haider Productions of New York while

Austin is a market hungry for art, culture and Bollywood.

In the busy lives of work and kids, the concert was an unusual break of three hours of creative and heart throbbing music and dancing.

Esteemed musician Oliver Rajamani and Austin’s melodious singer Nagawalli were also present in the audience.

Bass Concert Hall with app 2300 audience saw house-full seating tiers and an audience enthralled and involved with the extremely energetic performance.

Neeti Mohan of ‘Jiya Re’ and ‘Ishq Wala Love’ fame accompanied the duo, mesmerizing audiences with her gorgeous attire and looks, and even more with the creatively curated ‘Austin Thumakda’ performance setting the tone for the night.

other Bollywood hits resounded in the auditorium.

Songs like Gulabo, Balam Pichkari. Selfie Le Le Re, Desi Girl, made the public stand up and singalong. ceptional singing, dancing, energy, grace by the performers, an enthusiastically responsive audience, and perfect administration by the ABCA team.

The presenting sponsors Dhoom Decorations and NYC Life, ardent supporters of the South Asian community, also contributed to this unforgettable night.

to 70-year olds dancing with abandon and being swept away in the rollicking music.

Shekhar gave microphones to several people and called a few to give him company on the stage.

There was no holding back for the dynamic and zestful duo Vishal & Shekhar.

In the middle of singing and dancing to nonstop exuberant songs, he also offered a tribute to beautiful melodies of yesteryears.

From being spellbound to frantically doing Bhangra and all kinds of dance moves, as one after the

Every new song seemed to enhance the connect with the audience, making the evening unforgettable.

About the Concert Tour: Vishal & Shekhar Live in Concert USA Tour 2016 is performing in more than ten cities across North America, including a first ever onwater performance in the islands of St. Marteen.

To check out the tour program and for buying tickets, follow Pria Haider Productions, a New Yorkbased events management company bringing the best of Bollywood - celebs, music, and comedy to North America.

About ABCA: Austin Bollywood Cultural Association was founded

by Jignesh Patel, with a vision to entertain Austin with Bollywoodrelated events.

In 2014, they hosted their first show and since then have brought to Austin many memorable concerts, including the Salim-Sulaiman concert in Sep. 2015.

The Vishal-Shekhar concert in Austin was a result of their hard work, diligence, and smooth operations.

Talk. Text. Crash - Distracted Driving Awareness Drive

By Texas Department Of Transportation (TxDOT) Press Conference and Interactive Educational Exhibit for the Awareness Drive at UT Austin Written by Prachi Khaneja | April 4, 2016

As a giant car-sized smart phone, that appeared to have been smashed in a car crash, caught the eyes of students passing by the University

Tower/ West Mall at the UT Austin campus, TxDOT implored youngsters towards a conscious awareness of Distracted Driving and its high price to pay.

Distracted Driving is any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving, especially texting and cell phone use behind the wheel. Including, but not limited to, eating, grooming, using phones and reading, 1000s of Texans are losing

their lives to ‘hands on the wheel, but a mind that wanders’!

Students, faculty and staff strolling through the UT Austin campus on Wednesday, 30th March, witnessed an interactive, educational exhibit including images and stories of Texans who have been killed or injured in distracted driving crashes, and a distracted driving simulator that allowed participants to sit behind the wheel and experience firsthand how receiving a phone call, answering a text or sending an email can impair their driving.

“Selfies, eating, reading, holding your phone up for the navigation, and no call or text is worth dying for or hurting anyone else for!” said Caroline Starling, University of Texas Student Government

Campus Safety Director.

As father of Elana Myers, an 18 year old who lost her life in a Distracted Driving incident addressed listeners, many in the crowd broke down to the realization of broken dreams. Families of victims shared their stories and the harsh reality of how a “Hello” can end lives, sometimes for no fault of your own but another person’s distracted driving too.

Police and Emergency Management Officials shared more than statistics - experiences from numerous ambulance ride-alongs, and how minor distractions we think we have control over, end up as pleadings of “suddenly, out of nowhere...”, for the lucky few who do escape near-death.

Carol Rawson, Traffic Operations Division Director, TxDOT, offered valuable suggestions on how to encourage the awareness and habit of avoiding distractions.

She proposed keeping phones out of reach, or shutting them up in dashboards, as well as the use of apps that can monitor and restrict phone usage while driving.

In Texas, more than 1000 deaths happened due to road accidents in 2015, and one of every 5 was a result of distracted driving. The Texas Department of Transportation has begun this engaging drive across college campuses throughout the state, observing April as Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Talk. Text. Crash is the slogan this April.

10

Are You Applying Your Sunscreen Properly?

Protecting skin from the sun is one of the most important things you can do for your health.

given product is right for you, and consider these quick tips for maximum skin protection:

you need to keep hands greasefree, use an alcohol-based gel that dries quickly.

Unfortunately, many people fail to take sufficient measures year-

• Broad-spectrum sunscreens contain both UVA and UVB protec-

For example, BullFrog Land Sport Quik Gel is water- and sweat-resistant and allows for clear application and quick dry-down so you can get back to the action fast.

If you sweat a lot while working out or simply going about your day, avoid sunscreen running into your eyes with a solid stick formula.

• In the woods? Pack lightly by beating burn and bite with a sunscreen that’s also an insect repellent.

For example, BullFrog’s Mosquito Coast has a DEET-free formula so you don’t have to wash off when returning from outdoors.

round, but especially in summer when skin exposure tends to be at its peak.

Men can be particularly neglectful.

Indeed, fewer than 15 percent of men use sunscreen regularly when outside for more than an hour, according to the Center for Disease Control.

“This summer, make sun care a habit,” urges Dr. Richard C. Kirkpatrick of the Brevard Skin and Cancer Center.

“By finding a sunscreen you like that suits your activities, you’ll be more apt to apply it often.”

Kirkpatrick notes that with so many choices, finding sunscreen that works best for your lifestyle and properly applying it can be confusing.

Luckily, some brands are helping simplify selection. For example, BullFrog now segments sunscreens according to the activity and environment in which they will be used.

Read labels for application instructions and to determine whether a

tion.

Select one with an SPF of at least 30 and apply evenly 15 to 30 minutes before going outdoors. One ounce is the right quantity to cover the whole body.

Don’t forget ears, back of neck, hands, tops of feet and top of the head, if exposed.

Reapply every two hours and after swimming, sweating and towel drying.

• Going swimming? Use sunscreen engineered for water resistance.

The hydrophobic polymers contained in BullFrog Water Sport make it a good option for intense water sports.

Or toss some Ocean Potion into your beach bag -- the brand’s new H20 Sport SPF 50 spray has an oil-free, instant dry formula and is PABA- and paraben-free.

Whatever sunscreen you opt for, don’t forget to reapply after exiting the water.

• If you’re playing a sport where

• Don’t let cost prevent you from taking care of yourself and your family’s skin.

Affordable sunscreens are available. For instance, NO-AD, the first mass brand sunscreen to be parabenfree, retinyl palmitate-free and PABA-free, has a lower cost per ounce than national brands and also carries formulas specific for babies and oil-free options for the face.

“Whether you’re a long distance runner or a beach bum, sun protection should be part of your routine,” says Kirkpatrick. (Statepoint)

Austin South Asian | May 2016

3 Ways Scents Can Impact Your Mood Have your spirits ever cheered suddenly when you entered a room?

Have you ever been whisked away to a different time and place after breathing in a familiar fragrance?

The way you feel is affected by more than what meets the eye.

When it comes to your mood, scent can be a very powerful force. Here are three ways scents and feelings are intertwined: 1. Scent and Memory Scent and memory are deeply connected. A bottle of coconut sunscreen can bring back memories of days at the beach. Fresh baked cookies can be a reminder of home.

It’s unsurprising that a scent reminiscent of childhood is the easiest to name.

2. Scent and the Seasons Along with the sights and sounds of each season are signature aromas -- from flowers and fresh rain in spring to gingerbread and pine in winter. Many people use scented home décor touches, such as candles, to draw on the qualities

of each season and welcome it into their homes. For example, the six new spring fragrances from Yankee Candle embrace the season’s signature aromas, such as the crisp scent of a new blossom or cotton drying in the sunlight. Evocative of the greenest time of year, scents like Flowers in the Sun, Line Dried Cotton and April Showers can rejuvenate the home. More information can be found at www.YankeeCandle.com.

3. Scent and Well-Being Stress is not just bad for your mood; it can be harmful for your health. But scent can be used to reduce stress, along with anxiety and pain. A practice called aromatherapy is used everywhere, from hospitals to homes, and has been shown to have positive effects on wellness. Take these steps to fill your life with the aromas that best evoke the season, make you feel healthy and inspire happy memories. (Statepoint)

11

Austin South Asian | May 2016

12

Austin South Asian | May 2016

Shiksha: A Look Back At An Exciting April (Continued From Page 01) Shiksha is the Hindu Arts & Cultural School, held at Radha Madhav Dham every Sunday morning

school for my own children, I realized that there isn’t a Hindu school in Austin.

It is a dream come true to have a

tions of ways to help improve the quality of life for Austin’s Indian community, while integrating the community with the other Asian and non-Asian residents of the city.

April 9th saw Shiksha students and parent volunteers cleaning up the area surrounding Radha Madhav Dham’s Kalindi River, as a part of the “Keep Austin Clean” drive.

This reflects how Shiksha and RMD have been giving back to the local community.

Kalindi River was recently adopted for the “Keep Austin Clean” drive, an effort led by Roy Coon, Shiksha’s music teacher, with assistance from yoga teacher, Mamta Ganesan.

between 9:30 am – 12:30 pm.

The month kicked off with a very adrenaline-filled Sports Day, which was held on April 3rd at 2pm.

Ryan Hecker, one of the Shiksha parents, took the lead in organizing this event, which was enjoyed by parents and students alike.

The students were divided up into three teams: Team Krishna, Team Radha and Team Peacock; and various relay races were conducted.

These included sack race, threelegged race, and lemon/spoon, lemon/egg races.

There was also a dodgeball competition for parents and students.

The event concluded with a water balloon fight, which brought a welcome relief from the sun.

All students received a gift certificate for participation, as well as a small prize.

“The calmness, the serenity of this place is just the right environment to imbibe children with Hindu culture and values,” said Shiksha principle, Hema Raja, when asked why she chose RMD as the place to conduct Shiksha School.

“After searching for a good private

school like Shiksha, which would attract all children, regardless of what Indian state their parents came from.

We want people from all over India and other nationalities to bring their children here and feel that they are a part of a community that nurtures their (Hindu) religion and culture.

Shiksha is the result of this dream and it would not have been possible without the help and support of Radha Madhav Dham.”

In keeping with this all-embracing attitude, Shiksha also hosted a meeting with the Asian American Quality of Life Council (AAQL) on April 2nd.

Earlier that day, while the students were attending classes, the parents had an opportunity to meet with some representatives of the AAQL. This council was created by the City of Austin, and it aims to improve the quality of life of Asian Americans living in Austin.

Shiksha’s exciting month of April continued with the celebration of Earth Day on April 17th.

This event was open to non-Shiksha students and families, as well.

Marianne (Akhila) Gamble, the award-winning Science teacher at Shiksha, led the Green Team that organized this Earth Day event.

The program’s featured attractions included a petting zoo, bee exhibit and a tree planting by the Marathi class.

Other events that kept the students entertained included exhibits of lady bugs, snakes and miniature horses.

In fact, there was an unexpected

birth of a foal, which was named “Shiksha” in honor of the school!

The rainy weather did not dampen the enthusiasm of the organizers or the attendees, and the event was a complete success!

Shiksha now looks forward to the “Student Performance Day” May 22nd, which will mark the culmination of this year’s Spring semester.

Shiksha staff and team invite everyone to attend this event to applaud the hard work of the students.

For details and information about the school, please go to www.shikshausa.org

BAPS Mandir In Austin, TX Celebrates Swaminarayan Jayanti:Shanti Through Samjan (Continued From Page 01) Many had chanted dhun for hours at length to offer their devotion and engage their senses in Parabrahma.

Youth activity co-coordinator, Mehul Patel said: “It was exciting to see how the examples relayed from centuries ago still apply to us in this day and age, in striving to attain peace and spiritual understanding.

It is truly astonishing to see how much we can learn from them even today.”

The Swaminarayan Jayanti program connected with the members of the audience to bring them together to commemorate the birth and legacy of Bhagwan Swaminarayan.

The meeting was brought about by Pramod Patil, one of the teachers at Shiksha, who is also a commissioner of the council.

Today, the continuation of this journey is seen through His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, who tirelessly inspires his devotees to lead a life infused with spirituality and greater purpose.

Parents offered input and sugges-

About BAPS

The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a worldwide socio-spiritual organization is dedicated to community service, peace and harmony.

Motivated by Hindu principles, BAPS strives to care for the world by caring for societies, families and individuals.

Through social and spiritual activities, BAPS endeavors to produce better citizens of tomorrow who have a high esteem for their roots.

Its 3,300 international centers support these character-building activities.

Under the guidance and leadership of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, BAPS aspires to build a community that is morally, ethically and spiritually pure, and free of addictions.

About Pramukh Swami Maharaj His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the fifth spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, has inspired millions of people across the world to lead a God-centered,

morally pure life.

As the present leader of BAPS, Pramukh Swami Maharaj has traveled extensively, emphasizing the importance of family harmony, community service and spiritual progress.

He embodies the essence of Hindu life.

His compassion for humanity, universal wisdom and striking simplicity has touched many world religious and national leaders.

For more details, please visit www. baps.org CONTACT: BAPS North American Headquarters Phone: 732-777-1414 Email: media@na.baps.org SOURCE: BAPS

13

Austin South Asian | May 2016

Demand For Afterschool Programs Is High In US Rural Communities

As many families in rural communities struggle for economic security, experts say that the afterschool programs that keep students safe and inspire them to learn are in short supply.

A recently released report, “The Growing Importance of Afterschool in Rural Communities,” finds that just 13 percent of rural students in the U.S. participate in an afterschool program. While this number is up from 2009, it’s still considerably below the 18 percent nationwide rate.

According to America After 3PM, a household survey commissioned by the Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization, for every rural child in an afterschool program, the parents of three more say their child would be enrolled if a program were available.

That amounts to 3.1 million children. Unmet demand is especially high among Hispanic, AfricanAmerican and low-income rural families.

“Many rural communities nation-

ecutive director of the Afterschool Alliance.

“But poverty, food insecurity and low education levels persist in rural communities. Indeed, in 2014, one in four rural children was liv-

to a successful future, and it should be a high priority for leaders to meet the need in rural America.”

The new report, underwritten by John Deere, finds that: • One in five rural students is unsupervised after school.

• More than four in five rural parents support public funding for afterschool programs.

• Rural enrollment in summer learning programs is on the rise, yet there’s significant unmet demand.

wide are characterized by strong social ties,” says Jodi Grant, ex-

ing in poverty. Quality afterschool programs are a valuable gateway

• Both participation and unmet demand in afterschool programs are lower among children in white and higher-income rural families than African-American and Hispanic families.

4 Tips To Maximize Your Credit Card Rewards

Using a credit card responsibly on a regular basis can earn you rewards that can be redeemed for merchandise, gift cards or cash back. In fact, according to a 2015 study by Wells Fargo, more than half of Americans charge everything they buy, in order to earn more rewards like airline miles, cash back or points.

ing or travel spending, while others offer discounts on travel booked through their online portal.

understand the benefits available to you and opt for a program that fits your goals and your lifestyle.

Certain programs, such as one from Wells Fargo, even have such

2. Know your card’s bonus opportunities: Some cards offer bo-

1. Pick the card that’s right for you: Love to travel? Is checking out the restaurant scene your thing? Before you sign up for a card, think about the types of rewards that would be most valuable to you. Some cards offer double rewards on gas, din-

Additionally, if you’re in the market for a new card, sign up for one that has a sign-on bonus to rack up big rewards in a short timeframe.

3. Maximize your rewards: Your card program will offer many ways to use your rewards. Be sure to look into how you can best maximize rewards. For example, 50,000 points might buy you a new iPad, but it could also get you a free flight that might cost you $1,000 if paying cash. Do your research to find your best options.

Be sure to read your rewards program terms and conditions as well as your credit card agreement.

These two documents will help you understand how you can earn and redeem rewards, and will let you know if your points have any expiration dates.

To help you get the most from your rewards program, consider the following tips:

your program so you can fully leverage those benefits.

special features as pooling rewards with other rewards customers, or redeeming rewards toward the principal balance of a qualifying Wells Fargo line or loan. More information about their benefits can be found at gofarrewards.wf.com.

No matter what card you choose,

nus categories, or special seasons when rewards points are doubled or tripled, while others offer deals on travel or dining experiences.

Some programs offer special shopping sites that give cardholders extra rewards when shopping with certain merchants. Take time to understand what’s available through

4. Don’t let rewards expire: Be sure you know your program’s terms, and whether your rewards have an expiration date. Use rewards before they expire!

From gas, to groceries to paying bills, it’s easy to earn rewards.

Knowing the ins-and-outs of your program can help you best turn your ordinary spending into tangible rewards.(Statepoint)

• An overwhelming majority of rural parents report they are satisfied with their child’s afterschool program overall.

• An appreciably higher percentage of urban parents report their child’s afterschool program offers STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) learning opportunities than rural parents.

• Nearly three in four rural parents agree that afterschool programs should provide nutritious foods and 61 percent say they do so; 73 percent of rural parents agree that afterschool programs keep kids physically active. In an accompanying online survey, rural afterschool program providers reported that the top challenge they face is raising funds to sustain their afterschool programs. “The Growing Importance of Afterschool in Rural Communities” report offers these recommendations for increasing access in rural communities: • Make information about programs more readily available to parents.

• Increase national attention to the essential role afterschool programs play.

• Provide rural communities opportunities to share promising practices and resources through conferences and an online hub.

• Increase STEM programming.

• Increase investment.

“As we identify ways to address the challenge of feeding the world now and in the future, it’s clear we’ll need to utilize all our human resources, including future leaders growing up in America’s rural communities,” says Mara Sovey Downing, John Deere’s director of global brand management and citizenship.

“It’s time to strengthen the afterschool and summer learning opportunities parents value and children need.” (statepoint)

14

Austin South Asian | May 2016

Sisterhood Is Global

By: Sugandha Jain On March 5th , all roads in the Northwest part of Austin lead to only one place-Brushy Creek

Community Center, to celebrate International Women’s festival.

From the impressive turnout, there is no doubt that every event organized by the wining trio- Rasna, Kalyani and Bhavani (Memories and Events) is fast evolving as a

thread that sews hearts in the Indian community together.

There’s nothing quite like riding back to our nostalgic memories of silk kurtis, dangling earrings and embroidered tops.

This event was one of the adventuresome element of honoring our shared sisterhood in a foreign land.

Some exciting journeys at this event included mother-daughter dances as remixed by DJ Nish.

who helped make this event a resounding success.

There was a colorful potpourri of cultural events, like only a country as diverse as India could offer, each one distinct and adding to the expression of the colorful bouquet that is India.

The bond of friendship was an essential feature running through the highlights of the day.

Most dances had participation from diverse communities, which truly represents the spirit of multicultural Austin. That is what building bonds of friendship is all about.

Rasna Kukreja, one of the organizers, welcomed the gathered guests and expressed her happiness in uniting the Indian community on this occasion.

The exhibition stalls held their own with interesting displays of jewelry, baked goods, handicrafts, ethnic Indian garments for the visitors.

She offered her sincere thanks to the local women entrepreneurs including Indy Vogue, Nistarika collection, Neha Beauty , Stella and Dot, Glitter Garnet, Sweetzions, Devi’s collection Shop Jaipore,

Women flocked to these stalls to buy Punjabi suits, breezy skirts, tops and colorful saris. The diverse guests and booth vendors were a reminder that US and India have more in common than we realize.

Tips For Keeping Animals Out of Your Trash Many homeowners have experienced the hassle of finding trashcans turned over and garbage scattered everywhere.

This common occurrence is not only a headache; it poses significant risks to humans and animals alike. With increased deforestation and land development, the problem is growing.

According to the Humane Society, several hundred thousand animals are injured or killed annually nationwide as a result of getting into trash cans -- from ingesting foreign materials, to injuries to noses or paws on sharp objects.

For humans, the potential danger is also real. (Continued On Page 24)

We can achieve more by building on these ties and working together in a shrinking world.

The aroma wafting from the food stalls offered stiff competition to the cultural offerings on stage, enticing the crowds.

As the sun began to set on the beautiful community center, the excitement was palpable in the air as the crowds eagerly settled to dance and relish the veritable smörgåsbord of culinary delights. The completeness of an Indian meal was added by garam chai.

Everyone who attended left with the feeling of having been treated as a beloved guest.

This warm memory of an evening well-spent will take us through the coming months of spring until we meet again for another event led by Rasna and her team.

15

Austin South Asian | May 2016

3 Ways Scents Can Impact Your Mood Have your spirits ever cheered suddenly 2. Scent and the Seasons when you entered a room?

Along with the sights and sounds of each seaHave you ever been whisked away to a dif- son are signature aromas -- from flowers and ferent time and place after breathing in a fresh rain in spring to gingerbread and pine in winter. familiar fragrance?

Are you looking for an INDIAN Church ?

Come and worship with us!

The way you feel is affected by more than Many people use scented home décor touches, such as candles, to draw on the qualities of each season and welcome it into their homes.

For example, the six new spring fragrances from Yankee Candle embrace the season’s signature aromas, such as the crisp scent of a new blossom or cotton drying in the sunlight.

We have services in English,Malayalam and Hindi on Sunday evenings

Evocative of the greenest time of year, scents like Flowers in the Sun, Line Dried Cotton and April Showers can rejuvenate the home.

More information can be found at www.YankeeCandle.com.

3. Scent and Well-Being Stress is not just bad for your mood; it can be what meets the eye. When it comes to your harmful for your health. mood, scent can be a very powerful force.

But scent can be used to reduce stress, along Here are three ways scents and feelings are with anxiety and pain. intertwined: A practice called aromatherapy is used everywhere, from hospitals to homes, and has been 1. Scent and Memory shown to have positive effects on wellness.

Scent and memory are deeply connected. A bottle of coconut sunscreen can bring back While one should seek out an expert aromatherapist for certain treatments, anyone expememories of days at the beach. riencing tension can relax by filling his or her Fresh baked cookies can be a reminder of home with beloved fragrances from candles or incense. home.

It’s unsurprising that a scent reminiscent of Take these steps to fill your life with the aromas that best evoke the season, make you feel childhood is the easiest to name. healthy and inspire happy memories. (StateFound in classrooms, backpacks, pen- point) cil cases, cubbies and desks everywhere, Crayola crayons were listed among the top 20 most frequently identified smells in a study conducted by Professor William Cain at Yale University.

16

Austin South Asian | May 2016

Radio Talk Show “Gardening For HealtH”

By Venkappa & Ratna Gani We were requested by TCMGA ( Travis County Master Gardeners Association) to talk “ Gardening for Health” on April 12, 2016 at KAZI 88.7 FM prior to 10th annual EAGF (

East Austin Garden Fair) on April 16, 2016 @ 9:00-2:00 pm at Parque Zaragoza Recreation Center 2608 Gonzales St, Austin TX 78702.

Herman Gentry and Duncan Deborah from KAZI FM visited our suburban backyard Garden in Austin prior to the Talk Show. They were pleased to see the garden with lots of trees with flowers and fruits and 30 feet olive tree with plenty of white flowers. They told us to get ready for the show.

We provided set of topics to be discussed during the show related to EAGF and Gardening for Health. We arrived at KAZI 88.7 building early morning for the show schedule for 8:00 AM on Tuesday. Started with brief introduction of Venkappa & Ratna Gani Who are Life members of TCMGA after serving 15 years of volunteering in Austin area.

Explained how EAGF, started 10 years ago which is a free annual community outreach event designed to engage the whole family in learning about horticulture in fun, festive, and relaxed setting with an emphasis on creative low-cost “do-it-yourself” solutions, interactive learning, managing limited resources and making positive health choices.

The master gardeners provide diverse variety of horticulture topics at the fair. We have been participating in the fair from its incept presenting growing vegetables, herbs and fruit trees including citrus in the backyard garden.

We had conducted special project on growing citrus plants in central Texas by selecting Texas star red grapefruit, Kumquat, Satsuma orange, Mye lemon, and Tangerine.

This project has demonstrated that one can grow selected types of citrus except extreme cold weather may affect the growth but they will come back.

Announced the Long-standing community partners and new participants for this year. WE (Venkappa and Ratna) had “HOME FRUIT PRODUCTION” booth

Comment from fair attendee:

The act of gardening is very beneficial to health. First of all you are outdoors in fresh air.

Digging with shovel or fork gives you similar benefit as stair climbing, because you step up on the shovel press hard with your foot rock back and forth then step down.Rocking back and forth also helps with balance.Raking and hoeing are also moderate intensity workouts.

When you garden not only you are exercising you are also enjoying the beauty of nature.

Who would not feel joyful in a garden? The joy of getting rewarded when you harvest the fruits and vegetables is wonderful,besides you improve your finger dexterity picking those beans or peppers. You cant get any fresher vegetable than the ones from your own backyard. Cool color flowers may calm you down while warm colors may make you sing and dance ! So why not grow some beautiful flowers?

Learning to DO-IT-YOURSELF gardening should start with small area 4X4 ft raised bed made with wood frame or leftover bricks & stone. Fill with garden soil with compost. It is square foot gardening with few plants easy to take care. Feeding with compost and watering.

Harvest and enjoy the fruits of labour to build confidence.

“Heard you on KAZI. It was great information that was given. I was very interested in the fruit tree information. I came to the gardening festival especially to see them” Thanks Tonya Many visitors expressed similar feeling and enjoyed the show. This year attendance was increased through Radio Talk show prior to The Fair. People are becoming health conscious and looking for home grown organic fresh fruits and vegetables. at the fair. Shown in pictures.

Special this year contained display of branches of most of home grown fruit tree branches with flowers and young fruits as well as mature colorful fruits.

Display contained Apple, Peach, Persimmon, Pear, Jujube, Pomegranate, Olive, Pineapple guava, Loquat, and citrus like Meyer lemon, Texas star grapefruit, Satsuma Orange, Kumquat, Tangerine.

Fruit trees are perennial, needs care at the beginning for 2-3 years. Once they are established and adapted to local environment they will do well with pruning, watering with nutrients as needed. Hope you will plant a fruit tree on Earth day celebration this week.

Please visit our web site www.ganigarden. com Happy Gardening Venkappa & Ratna Gani

First Indie Meme Film Festival Brings Discussion To The Austin Community

Now organic gardening is prefered choice as By Sumaiya Malik all the chemical fertilizers and pesticides have Picture credits: Nikki Cambell ruined the soil and water systems. Use compost made out of organic materials for plant nutrients and avoid using chemical pesticides.

Use of rainwater is preferred. Due to short rainfall and drought water is becoming scarce.

First thing I had to learn was RWS (Rain Water Harvesting) even before starting my backyard gardening.

With fellow master gardeners I proposed and built RWS for city of Austin at Zilker Botanical Garden Center to educate the public.

Rainwater collecting has become necessary as clean water is getting scarce. Plants thrive well by rain water. The rain collection demo was scheduled at EAGF. Talked about various hands on activities for kids with fun. Announced free plants and bucket give away at the fair. New this year at EAGF -free soil screening for food gardeners (for metals, pH, and nutrients) offered through Austin Resource Recovery. Bring 2-cup soil sample in a quart size zip lock bag.

Display of some live trees in container and handouts with list of fruit trees recommended for central Texas region. People who visited had “wow” moment after seeing the display.

From April 14 through 16, Indie Meme, a platform for meaningful independent cinema, hosted their first ever film festival at the Marchesa Hall in Austin.

Reaching out to all South Asian communities and beyond, the film festival brought seven movies with different perspectives.

Each movie was followed by a conversation with the audience. Filmmakers or actors were in attendance and available for attendance. The movies were spaced with mixers and panel discussions, which brought conversation to the table.

Three days of thoughtprovoking cinema!

Ideas flowed and perspectives were shared.

While Lyari Notes, an Indo-Pakistan production showed the ability of music to improve lives, (Continued On Page 21)

17

Austin South Asian | May 2016

SAFFRON: A NEW INDO-NEPALESE RESTAURANT SPICES UP NORTHWEST AUSTIN

By Vijay Ganju

Even though it is located in the same spot as the old Indian Palace, it is a completely different restaurant, both in ambiance and menu.

The team also includes Neil Kalloo, the manager, who has an af-

like the Nargeshi Malai Kofta and the Baigan Bharta, and some of the

The shrimp cumin and the saffron scallops were a couple of my favorites, both bringing out the taste of the seafood with the subtle spicing and accompanying sauces.

The muted agate green walls and the minimalist décor provide an open, airy, casual feel.

On a recent Saturday evening, there was a buzz and bustle at Saffron, a relatively new restaurant on Far West Boulevard in Northwest Austin.

The restaurant was completely full with an ecle ctic crowd. It was clear that many were not just curious first-timers but were familiar with the menu and had been there several times.

(Recommendation: If you plan to go on a weekend night, make a reservation!)

And the menu has a range of Indian and Nepalese vegetarian and nonvegetarian dishes, some familiar North Indian standards (chicken tikka,saag paneer, lamb vindaloo), others with more of a Nepalese or fusion twist.

Saffron is the brainchild of the two Nepalese owners, Phiniso Tashi and Rajesh Ghimire, who both have experience in the restaurant business in New York and California.

The restaurant has three chefs: a Nepali chef, an Indian chef and a tandoori chef (but too many cooks here don’t seem to spoil the broth but have produced a menu with exceptional synergy).

The restaurant does not serve beef or pork.

A couple of dishes not usually found on the menus of Indian restaurants were the Saffron Goat Curry (apparently one of the more popular dishes) and the Salgam Gosht which is goat cooked with turnips that have been roasted in the tandoor (an interesting variation of the Kashmiri Salgam Salan).

fable, welcoming presence.

As Tashi noted, “The Nepalese dishes and spicing – which is more delicate and toned down than the “hot chilly” spicing of some Indian recipes – are Saffron’s distinctive specialty.

Also, our emphasis is more on quality than quantity.” On the menu, the Nepali dishes include chicken and vegetable momos, the lamb sekuwa (lamb grilled Nepalistyle), chow meins (chicken, vegetarian, shrimp) and chilly chicken.

For the vegetarian, there are dishes

more unusual appetizers are the Gobi Manchurian (which has quite a kick!), the Bombay Brussels, and a Nepalese portabella mushroom preparation.

From the tandoor, there is the Amritsari Seekhs (a paneer-pineapplebroccoli-red pepper combination).

For the non-vegetarian, there is a veritable paradise of choices: several chicken, lamb, goat and seafood dishes (a shrimp curry, a piripiri pan-seared fish), and a range of appetizers that includes a shrimp cumin, saffron scallops and lambstuffed jalapenos.

Both delicious and “must-tries”!

Besides the usual tandoori chicken, there was a tandoori salmon, and lamb chops and shrimp that had been cooked in the tandoor.

Saffron also has an extensive lunch buffet that has chicken, lamb/goat, seafood and a variety of vegetarian dishes.

Saffron is not only a welcome addition spicing up the neighborhood, but also enriches the regional diversity of South Asian restaurants cropping up all across Austin.

Saffron is located at 3616 Far West Blvd., Austin, 78731. Phone: 512241-1732

Bollywood Meets Borscht Belt 2016!

(Continued From Page 01)

Thank you for your participation

over the past three years – homeless children in our area benefited from your gift of school supplies to start the school year.

This year, we have a local magician, Cody Fisher, who has entertained in 20 countries accompanied

by Bollywood dance and Mexican and Jewish folk dances.

Complementing the evening will be a wide array of Indian vegetarian culinary delights and Jewish desserts that will enlighten your taste buds.

We are fortunate to have chai from The Steeping Room!

marketing, Website presence and Face Book marketing),

The net proceeds from the event will fund school supplies for homeless children in Austin, Manor and Del Vale schools for the 4th year!

$500 for reserved table for 10 – invite your friends, family, colleagues, customers! (Includes above marketing, if preferred).

Tickets are nominally priced: Kids 6-12 yr. $10 and Adult $30 that includes dinner sponsored by local Indian restaurant.

Sponsorships are available:

The event will be on Sunday June 5th from 4pm to 7:30pm at the Dell Jewish Community Hall - 7300 Hart Lane, Austin 78731

$200 (includes 2 reserved tickets, name in program listing, email

For more information, visit www. hc4a.org, or email at Info@hc4a. org or call 512.994.4638.

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Austin South Asian | May 2016

South Asian Austin Mom’s “Holi For Kids!” Festival

By Ami Gandhi The morning of Sunday, April 3rd broke bright and blue, a perfect backdrop for the rainbow of swirling colors that permeated the air

at the Asian American Resource Center where the nonprofit South Asian Austin Moms (SAAM) held its second annual Holi For Kids! festival.

Thanks to Austin Yard Cards, a large and colorful sign pointed the way, and from 11 am to 3 pm the lovely AARC grounds were brought to vibrant life with laughing and dancing families gleefully throwing colored powder, learning to boogie Bollywood-style, and enjoying lively and elegant dance performances.

Holi is a popular holiday and there were many festivals in the Austin area, each having its own unique appeal, but SAAM’s Holi For Kids! is the only one that caters its festival primarily to children of all ages.

The main focus is to create a safe and comfortable environment for kids, and a worry-free one for their parents, while engaging them and educating them in the cultural aspects of Holi and South Asian life.

SAAM provided only organic and nontoxic colored powder (courtesy of Vishal and Poonam Mahajan) at

the event and did not allow outside color to be brought in.

Additionally, there were no pichkaris or any other water play at the festival.

SAAM wanted to assure that everyone had a blast smearing and throwing color but that the majority of it could be wiped off before everyone climbed back into their cars to return home.

The entertainment that ran throughout the festival was also geared towards kids.

SAAM Executive Board member Ms. Parul Mehta taught a dynamic Bollywood dance workshop for kids, and truly I can’t remember the last time I saw a sight as adorable as the large crowd of kids chucking their chins and wiggling their hips in true Bollywood-style!

The kids loved Ms. Mehta’s workshop so much that they called her back for an encore, and this time the adults showed their moves too!

There were also vocal and dance performances by adults and children of all ages.

When the gleeful Holi players needed to replenish themselves they had delicious choices from local vendors such as Swad, Kebabacue, and Bayleaf.

Unsurprisingly the Kona Ice truck enjoyed a long line throughout the event.

SAAM also gave away scrumptious cupcakes on a donation basis to benefit Dell Children’s Medical Center; in fact, proceeds from the entire event went to Dell Children’s.

SAAM president Pooja Sethi purchased over one thousand dollars of gifts from the Dell Children’s wish list and on Thursday, April 14th several SAAM board members presented the gifts to the Dell Children’s staff.

When Pooja Sethi, started South Asian Austin Moms two years ago, her main priorities were engaging and educating South Asian kids about their culture, exposing the larger Austin community to South Asian cultures, and giving back to her community.

As a result, proceeds from all SAAM events are donated to chari-

table organizations, often local.

Various local vendors were stationed around the Holi field, and some, like Abrakadoodle and Mad Science, offered educational and craft activities for children.

Sankara Eye Foundation offered karaoke for those who wanted to not only dance but also sing like a Bollywood star.

All in all, the wealth of entertainment and activities, as well as the contagious exuberance of the Holi players, made for a successful and enormously fun event!

This year’s Holi For Kids! festival boasted twice as many participants as last year and SAAM is going to work tirelessly to make next year’s festival even bigger and better!

SAAM is particularly thankful to the following event sponsors for their support to Holi For Kids!:

Divya Bharal of Suram Fashions; Dhoom Decorations; The Law Offices of Pooja Sethi, PLLC; Memories and Events; Pankaj and Parul

Mehta; Pearl Paul, realtor; and Rasna Kukreja, realtor.

Keep checking our Facebook page and web site (Southasianaustinmoms.com) for news about our Diwali children’s event in October.

South Asian Austin Moms

(Continued From Page 01)

Holi is a colorful and happy Hindu holiday celebrated primarily in India on the last full moon of the lunar month of Phalguna at the end of the winter season. It falls in either late February or early March.

It is also known as the Festival of Colors.

The South Asian Austin Moms Holi event is different than other Holi events in town, because we use organic colors to safeguard our kids’ health; we consider and respect all children’s needs as Holi can be an very overwhelming festival to some kids; and as we do with every event, we donate a portion of our proceeds to a charity, more specifically Dell Children’s Medical Center.

South Asian Austin Moms Nonprofit is a Texas registered nonprofit run by ten South Asian moms from very diverse backgrounds.

Our mission is twofold: (1) to create unique and safe events teaching the next generation of Austin children about the South Asian culture and; (2) to give the majority of our proceeds from each event to benefit kids all over the world from South Asia all the way back to locally in Austin.

In the past, we have given to organizations such as the Miracle Foundation benefiting foster children in India, a vandalized daycare

center in South Austin, and to flood victims in Chennai.

In addition to running our own events, South Asian Austin Moms supports other Asian organizations in town such as Matwaala, the South Asian Poetry Festival in Austin.

We partnered with the Asian American Resource Center at the Spring Holidays Fair to teach the public about South Asian Culture and we joined other organizations to commemorate India’s Independence Day on the Capitol steps.

For more information on South Asian Austin Moms, you can find us at www.southasianaustinmoms. com or email us at saaustinmoms@ gmail.com.

CHILDREN ARTICLES

info@austinsouthasian.com

19

Austin South Asian | May 2016

May - 2016 Predictions

ARIES (March 21 to April 20): Efforts made in first half of May will get results in second half.

You will be able to make tons of money if you play your cards right. Combination of Sun, Mars and Jupiter after 15th could take you to a totally different level in life, nothing less than some kind of jackpot. You will buy some valuable gifts for family members this month.

TAURUS (April 21 to May 20): You have to be extremely careful what you do in first half of May. Do not gamble too much and avoid stretching your limits or may have to face consequences in second half of May. Do not let success in first half pollute your mind with ego.

You will have several chances of making quick money and meet important people by 15th.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20): There will be lots of good activities in life in first half of May. You will benefit from people in power and a very influential person will enter your life. Bachelors may break up with an old relationship and start

looking for another. You really don’t need to look far as that thing already exists in your very close circle.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22): Planets just keep getting better for you every day this month.

Don’t hesitate to take any chance and enforce your plans vigorously.

You will have many chances to make extra and quick bucks this month. Mind will stay cheerful and you may take a short vacation with family to a real nice place. Keep an eye for the big check in mail.

LEO (July 23 to August 22): Changes you had been waiting for in career will take place towards the end but you will get the sign and signal in first half of May. Only the the threat of legal action will make other party come to your terms. Some of you will be excited and getting ready to move to another location. This is the right time to buy another business.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22): Things may be slow in first two weeks but expect major developments and

improvements after May 15th. You may benefit from distant lands or people living overseas in second half. Do not ignore the health issue that keeps popping up every year around this time. You may need to tell other family members to stop wasting money in strong words.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22): Planets are in right order to make things happen. All you need to do is put your foot down and others will quickly give up and agree to your terms. Money wise you will continue to do better.

A property deal may get you the extra money. You may discard few ungrateful friends from your mailing list. Drive within speed limits.

SCORPIO November

(October 23 to 22): Planets keep gathering strength to bring major improvement in career especially after may 15th.

Efforts made in first couple of weeks will bring desired results, just have faith in your self. Money wise progress will be slow but steady. You may also give final shape to a family vacation. You will also recover from minor illness quickly.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 to December 22): Do not delay anything and take prompt actions if you want results as planets can slow down things after may 15th.

Opportunity you receive in early part will be good and prove lucky in long terms. You may need to deal with some health issues in second half but nothing serious. You will pay a visit to a close relative with family.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19): Planets keep getting better every day in May. You have the Midas touch, so don’t waste your time. A child will need extra attention in second half of May and may need some extra care and rest. Boss will discuss an important project and start gathering the right team. You may call a trusted person to seek guidance.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18): Some courageous actions will quickly take you closer to your goals. Clearance will give you free hand, more choices and open new avenues of income. You may also dispose

off some money making stocks in first half and buy them back in second half of May. A close relative will come to invite you to a big celebration taking place next month.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20): First couple of weeks will be expensive and may cause serious concerns but second half will bring you back on the track. Do not panic and sell stocks in first half as the same stocks will appreciate after May 15th. Do not hesitate to make your move when planets become favorable in second half. major hurdles out of your way on May 20th.Parashar

parashar@parashar.com www.parashar.com 510-886-4370

Childlife Foundation Fundraiser At Maggiano’s A Success

By Sumaiya Malik

cost.

Two established families of Austin, the Dossanis and the Maniyas got together to organize and host the annual fundraiser for the Childlife Foundation that builds hospital wings in under funded government hospitals of Pakistan and runs them at subsidized

Hosted on March 25 at the Maggiano’s, an Italian Restaurant at the Domain, the fundraiser stayed to the point and talked about hard facts. Farah and Sameer Kamal and Atif Saeed and Fozia Malik

took an active part in organization.

Dr. Zarmeena Vendal will be a part of the advisory committee going forward.

A slide show and presentation by Dr. Ahson Rabbani of Childlife continued to hold the interest of the Austinites while they enjoyed the stylish ambiance of the banquet hall with impeccable service. Dr. Rabbani emphasized the need for annual donations to keep the hospitals running and talked about how

expensive medicines are. Without any distraction and sticking to a schedule, the fundraiser was finished before the Maghrib Prayer.

The group raised 80K, a substantial amount, but remained 12K below their target. Cheques were made to I Care and send to 6500 Hillside Terrace drive, Austin, TX 78749.

Many folks who could not attend but have expressed interest in donation can mail in their donations.

20

Austin South Asian | May 2016

How To Make Mother ’s Day More Meaningful This Year Gifts and flowers are a nice way to show mom you care on Mother’s Day. But this year, consider adding deeper meaning to the holiday (which falls on May 8) with these ideas:

You could forego a tangible gift altogether and instead make a donation in your Mom’s name to charity.

according to UNICEF, many of whom lack basics like food, water, education and medical care.

The international charity is currently raising funds to pay the annual salaries and room and board of housemothers working in orphanages in India.

Volunteer Together After breakfast in bed is wrapped up, spend the day working side-byside with your mom on a local volunteer project.

Each housemother acts as a mom to 20 orphaned children in her care, creating a nurturing environment where they can thrive.

Whether you take advantage of the spring weather and participate in a park clean-up, or you serve lunch at a local soup kitchen, you and your mom will enjoy quality time together, while also feeling good about helping the community.

Gifts that Give Back

who don’t have one,” says Caroline Boudreaux, founder of The Miracle Foundation, a non-profit that improves the way orphanages are run, funded and managed.

Here’s one worthy cause: There are 153 million orphans worldwide,

“In honor of Mother’s Day, consider paying tribute to your mother by helping provide a mom to those

To honor your own mother or another special woman in your life, consider visiting miraclefoundation.org/mothers to learn more about the campaign and to make a tax-deductible donation.

Use Your Talent

Do you sing? Are you a writer or artist? Give your mother a unique creation.

From water-colored paintings to a novella starring Mom as the heroine, you can make Mother’s Day extra special by gifting something homemade and one-of-a-kind.

If your talents don’t lie in the creative realm, a note to your mom expressing love and appreciation for all that she’s done for you is a great stand-in for a store-bought card.

Whatever you decide to do for Mom this Mother’s Day, consider celebrating a little differently.

While Mom should still take center stage, you can add a lot more meaning to the holiday by thinking outside the box. (Statepoint)

Tricks To Simplify Outdoor Entertaining Some of summer’s favorite moments happen right in your backyard: the sounds of children running around, the smells of fresh-cut grass and newly planted flowers, and the gathering of family and friends.

inside if a summer rain hits.

table or a rustic bar cart.

Rather than keeping an outdoor cooler sitting in the corner, consider making a DIY picnic table with cooler storage or building a wooden crate for your existing cooler.

Keep Guests Full and Happy Create a simple and refreshing summer appetizer and drink menu to keep guests content. When

Here are a few simple tricks to make your next soiree the best one yet: Build Atmosphere

By preparing for guests ahead of time, you’ll be relaxed and ready to entertain if a neighbor comes knocking on your door to chat.

Easily whip up a batch of smoothies for unexpected visitors. To make a cucumber melon smoothie, blend chunks of cucumber, grapes, cantaloupe and honeydew for a delicious summer treat for both kids and adults.

Keep a decorative, weatherproof crate or wooden bin with a secure lid on the edge of your deck. That way, kids can keep all of their toys in one place and clean them up quickly when guests arrive. You can even use multiple crates and have them handy for extra bench seating.

For kids’ summer sleepovers, try an easy no-nut butter recipe – perfect for dipping apples and carrots and refueling after an intense backyard game of flag football. Simply blend sunflower, flaxseed and sesame seeds, and you won’t need to worry about any gluten or nut allergies.

Your patio and backyard are an extension of your home, so don’t limit your creativity to indoors. Avoid harsh overhead lighting and create an inviting summer atmosphere by stringing paper lanterns or lightbulbs across your deck or around the railings.

While you want outdoor furniture to be stylish, you also want to make sure it provides comfort.

Many outdoor furniture cushions are made from rough material, so consider bringing indoor cushions outside. You can always take them

The sleek silhouette, touch-screen panel and low-profile container makes large batches quickly and clean-up easy.

Create space and balance by utilizing the corners of your deck, as well, with an accent plant, side

you’re ready to get started on your menu, a high-performance blender, such as the Vitamix 780, is a musthave kitchen appliance.

For the perfect happy hour, incorporate refreshing pineapple into your menu and treat your guests to a summer combination of piña coladas and fruity avocado salsa.

Prep, Don’t Stress

Create a grocery list so you’re not overwhelmed in the store. Dividing your list by appetizers, main courses and desserts will help you navigate.

Make fresh produce last longer by storing it in the fridge rather than a fruit bowl, or by creating ready-touse plastic bags of frozen fruits for your smoothies.

So, call up your family and friends and let the summer fun begin!

(Statepoint)

21

Austin South Asian | May 2016

May 2016 Community Calendar We have compiled this event listing based on the information available on the web site (where ever possible) of the community/organization as of third Friday. Please check with the organizers to confirm its accuracy. We request all South Asian organizations to email us (info@austinsouthasian.com) their community calendar on or before 20th of every month, for the events happening next month. We will carry listing of all South Asian non-profit organizations in Austin. If the Name, Contact info is not correct or has changed email us (info@ austinsouthasian.com) the changes you want to see. E&OE.

SCHEDULE: May 01, Sunday, 4:00 PM, Annual Free Samuhika Satyanayarayana Pooja.Free Event - Donations Welcome May 02, Monday, 01:00 PM - 02:30 PM, GAACC Southeast Asia and TransPacific Partnership Briefing. FREE event, but please register online.

Ballroom, Conference Room, AARC Collaboration.

May 04, Wednesday, 07:00 PM, Pradosham - Sri Viswanatha Abhishekam.

Sata Namavalih and Totakastakam.

Sivanadalahari,Saundaryalahari, Sri Kanaka Dhara Stotram, Bhaja Govindam,and Sri Daksisamurti Stotram. This will be followed by sodasopacara Puja with Sri Sankara Astottara Sata Namavalih and Totakastakam.

May 11 and 25, Wednesday, 06:30 PM - 07:30 PM, Austin Project Management Toastmasters.Please RSVP to vpm@ apmtoastmasters.org. FREE. Community Room 1, AARC. May 11, Wednesday, 06:30 PM,

May 07, Saturday, 01:00 PM - 05:00 PM, CSA Austin Business Conference.

AARC Ballroom.

Sri Ramanuja Jayanthi. Chanting of Saranagati gadyam. Chanting of slokas in praise of SrI Ramanujar.

This will be followed by a small puja, ashtottaram, naivedyam & saatrumurai.

May 07, Saturday, American Botanical Council - 11th Annual HerbDay is at 6200 Manor Rd. For more information, contact Candice Jensen at 512-926-4900 or visit http://herbalgram.org/

May 12, Thursday, 06:00 PM -08:30 PM, Dialogue Institute Annual Dialogue and Friendship Dinner. Tickets, $100 available online. AARC Ballroom.

May 08, Sunday, 09:30 AM, Akshay Trithia. Devotees can bring new jewelry to be blessed by Maha Lakshmi Devi.

May 14, Saturday, 11:00 AM - 03:00 PM, CelebrASIA Austin - FREE admission; food, beverages and merchandise available for purchase. AARC Ballroom, Great Lawn, Foyer, Library/Computer Lab, Community Rooms, AARC Conference Room.

May 10, Tuesday, 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM, Asia Business Summit: Opportunities in Muslim Economies. Free event, but must RSVP online.

AARC,Ballroom.

May 10, Tuesday, 06:30 PM, Sri Sankara Jayanthi. Chanting from a selection of Sri Sankara’s devotional works such as, Sri Ganesa Pancaratna Stotram, Sivanadalahari,Saundaryalahari, Sri Kanaka Dhara Stotram, Bhaja Govindam,and Sri Daksinamurti Stotram.

This will be followed by sodasopacara Puja with Sri Sankara Ashottara

May 15, Sunday, 09:30 PM, Sri Vasavi Jayanthi. Vasavi Matha Abhishekam (Moola Murthy) Devotees perform to Utsava Murthy.

May 18, Wednesday, 07:00 PM, Pradosham.

May 19, Thursday, 06:30 PM, Sri Nrisimha Jayanthi.

May 20, Friday, 06:30 PM,

Pournami Samuhika Satyanarayana Pooja.

Lord Subrahmanya - Skanda Sashti Kavacham.

May 21, Saturday, 11:00 AM - 02:00 PM, AFSSA 1,000 Cranes Origami Festival. Donations accepted for the Thousand Cranes of Peace art installation, in support of Asian Family Support Services of Austin.

FREE. AARC Ballroom.

May 24, Tuesday, 06:30 PM, Sankatahara Chathurdhi.

May 21, Saturday, 05:00 PM, Sri Navavarana Pooja.

May 21, Saturday, 05:00 PM, Vaikasi Visakham / Sri Subrahmanya Jayanthi.Abhishekam to

May 25, Wednesday, 06:00 PM - 08:00 PM, NAAO Board Meeting - Monthly meeting of the Network of Asian American Organizations. FREE. AARC Community Room 8.

May 27, Friday, 09:30 AM, Sravana Nakshathram - Sri Venkateswara Abhishekam.

May 31, Tuesday, 06:30 PM, Sri Hanuman Jayanthi. Abhishekam, Hanuman Chalisa, Archana, Pathra (Beetle Leaves) Pooja / Vada.

ONGOING: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 9:30 to 11:30am | RICE: Senior Tea & Coffee. FREE. AARC Community Room 8 Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 12 to 1pm | RICE: Senior Lunch Social. FREE. AARC Community Room 8 Thursday, May 5 and 19, 10:30am to 12pm | RICE: Senior Tai Chi with Vince Cobalis. FREE. AARC Ballroom.

First Indie Meme Film Festival Brings Discussion To The Austin Community

(Continued From Page 16) Goonga Pehalwaan touched upon the hard work a deaf wrestler puts in his training and the lack of recognition he gets because of his disability. Films like Utopia were for mature audiences and Dhanak , about the love between a young sister and her blind brother, was an all out family entertainer. Alka Bhanot and Tripti Bhatnagar, partners at Indie Meme and their team of dedicated volunteers worked for months to put together this festival.

Full of energy and enthusiasm, Alka raved about the whole process and thanked the sponsors, which made the festival possible. KLRU and Daman were the big presenters of the festival. The Austin South Asian interviewed the people in the audience about each movie. Below are their responses: Lyari Notes: Maheen Zia and Mehreen Chandi Menacherry, the directors of the film, said that the movie showed real Pakistan, a side overlooked in the media because of the instability in the country. When asked if they had consciously decided to make an across the political boundary co-production, Maheen Zia said that, their aim was problem solving. The Threshold: Director,

Pushan Kripalani, was so convincing in the dialog between a divorcing couple that almost every adult in the audience was touched by what was said. Maya Sharma, who was visibly moved and thought she found her own voice echo through parts of the movie. Truth Teller: Rasika Mathrur, who grew up in Houston, is the Truth Teller. She talked about the mental pain she went through in her career as an actor/comedian and how the truth telling in her therapy sessions inspired her to be a part of the Truth Teller. “There is going to be steps that you take that are of no value now but these are the steps that make you reach the higher goal”, she said earnestly.

Interesting to note is that Taniya Romero, the director of the film is heading to Cannes for another project. She came across Rasika by chance at UT when she and Seema Govil of Cosmo City Media went to her performance at UT. Rasika was like a breath of fresh air telling the truth and only the truth to the audience, something so rare in the put on world of cinema.

Dhanak: The ever-lovable Dhanak, by director Kukunoor had been

on Indie Meme’s radar ever since Kukunoor came to Austin with his film, Laxm,i a year ago. Tripti Bhatnagar said that Dhanak was a much sought after film to get, but they got it for Austin and are happy to present it. River of Fables – Kothanodi: Bhaskar Hazarika, the director of the film said, “festival like Indie Meme are life blood for the film makers because this is where we first screen our films for the public… reactions like these spill over to people who are unable to attend.” Not only is Indie Meme a platform for movies, it is also a constructive way to volunteer if you are passionate about independent cinema. Ram Das, who has been a part of the Indie Meme team for a year said that he joined because of his interest in cinema, and likes the group. The conversation is interesting he has enjoyed the associations. We asked Alka Bhanot, the founder of Indie Meme if she would do this festival again.

She replied with thought and enthusiasm. She said that the turnout was fabulous, and she would, “absolutely do this again!” She hoped that with sponsors backing them up, a film festival in the future was possible.

22

Austin South Asian | May 2016

THEME: CHILDREN’S STORIES ACROSS 1. Model material 6. Kind of story 9. Ginger-flavored cookie 13. *Severus Snape, ____ provocateur 14. Romanian money 15. Upholstery choice 16. Give sheep a haircut 17. Bruin legend Bobby ___ 18. Unlawful firing 19. *11-year-old spy 21. *Velveteen creature 23. Common inquiries 24. *Master gave it to Harry Potter’s Dobby 25. Home of “Today” show 28. One of deadly sins 30. Dogma 34. Spanish earthen pot 36. Prayer leader in a mosque 38. Jet setter’s ride 40. “____, Born is the King of Israel!”

41. *Rabbit’s first name 43. Talk like a drunk 44. Inundated 46. “The Way We ____” 47. Exhibiting good health 48. Holy water holder 50. TV classic “____ Make a Deal” 52. Jordan Spieth’s helper 53. Roentgen’s machine 55. Gear tooth 57. *Green ____ of Avonlea 60. *Norton Juster’s “The ____ Tollbooth” 64. Shrewdness 65. Tint 67. “Door,” à Paris 68. Orderly arrangement 69. Young newt 70. Gives off 71. Word on a door 72. Numbers, abbr.

73. Audition tapes

DOWN 1. Loud get-together 2. Turkish honorific 3. Suggestive look 4. Eat when very hungry 5. Relating to a heart chamber 6. Vegas bandit 7. Over, in poems 8. Donkey in Latin America 9. Acid gritty-textured fruit 10. Not final 11. Sir Mix-____-____ 12. *Charlie Brown’s friend, Pig____ 15. Cursor-moving button 20. Provide with gear 22. Part of a play 24. Formal and imposing 25. *This Strega was a ____ 26. What chinook does 27. Sole traction aid 29. Old World duck 31. *Ogden ____ of “The Tale of Custard the Dragon” fame 32. Audience’s approval 33. Car rack manufacturer 35. “The Sun ____ Rises” 37. Bébé’s mother 39. *Shel Silverstein’s generous plant 42. Throw up 45. “Brave New World” author 49. “Before” prefix 51. Like lathered hands 54. Anemic-looking 56. *Earthman in “The Chronicles of Narnia” 57. Buddhist teacher 58. What snob puts on 59. Ho-hum 60. *Winn-Dixie and Ribsy, e.g.

61. Barbershop request 62. *Anne Frank’s father 63. ____ hall 64. Between generations 66. Flying saucer acronym

SUDOKU

Sudoku

Please email your sudoku answers to info@austinsouthasian.com.

Name and photo of the inviduvidual with first correct answer will be published in June 2016 issue.

To Advertise In ASA Call 512-828-6709

23

Austin South Asian | May 2016

Tips On Keeping Your Baby Safe In The Sun

Sun safety is important for people of all ages, but it’s even more critical to protect babies’ skin, which is far more sensitive than that of older children and adults.

“Prioritize a healthy and safe summer sun care routine for babies,”

This summer and beyond, consider the following baby sun care tips.

Limit sun time for babies over six months of age, too.

Avoid the Sun

Remember, the hours between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. are when ultraviolet rays are most intense.

The FDA recommends not using any sunscreen products on infants under six months of age, so keep

Baby Sunscreen For babies six months or older, use sunscreen liberally.

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or more.

Reapply as necessary after spending time in water, and every two hours.

encourages Dr. Richard C. Kirkpatrick of the Brevard Skin and Cancer Center.

“Burns are painful and dangerous, but they are also preventable.”

newborns out of the sun as much as possible.

Umbrellas, hats, wraparound sunglasses and protective clothing can help you avoid sun exposure.

Because babies’ skin is so sensitive, many pediatricians will recommend seeking out sun care products specifically designed with babies’ needs in mind.

To ensure that the product is safe and effective, look for The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation.

Two great sunscreen options that

have earned the Seal are the new NO-AD Baby Sun Care Lotion SPF5 and No-AD Baby Sun Care Stick SPF50.

Both are paraben-free, retinyl palmitate-free, fragrance-free, oil and dye-free, hypoallergenic and are enriched with cocoa seed butter and vitamins.

Organic beeswax allows the stick to apply super smoothly unlike other baby sunscreen sticks that drag on delicate skin.

These water-resistant products are available at a lower cost per ounce than national brands.

More information can be found at www.no-ad.com.

“Don’t wait until you get to the beach or the park to put on sun protection.

Apply sunscreen to babies 15 to 30 minutes before you leave home so they won’t be left unprotected while adults are busy setting up,” says Dr. Kirkpatrick.

“A sunscreen stick is less likely to get into baby’s eyes.”

He also warns not to apply sunscreen on eyelids -- shield baby’s eyes with a broad-brimmed hat.

Make it Routine UV rays can do damage even in cloudy weather. So don’t become complacent when it seems like the sun is hiding.

Take the same precautions every day -- even in cool weather. Keep sunscreen on hand for regular application and remember to pay attention to your baby’s skin. Burns can happen quickly.

Remember to consult your pediatrician about your baby’s sun care routine.

The summer can be a particularly challenging time of year to protect a baby’s skin, but establishing good habits now can help set your baby up for a lifetime of healthy skin. (statepoint)

May 2016 Sudoku Answer Correct Answer: Mr. Yudhveer Bagga

Ms. Ketika Tyagi

24

Tips For Keeping Animals Out of Your Trash

(Continued From Page 14) Small, territorial animals like opossums and raccoons actively seeking food and looking to build nests can result in attacks and property damage. The risk is most acute in areas with bear populations.

“Damage caused to and by animals getting into trash is a real and rapidly growing problem,” says Jeniffer Coates, product manager for Toter, the leading manufacturer of rollout waste and recycling cans, carts and containers for the municipal and waste hauler markets.

“We get more questions on how to keep animals out of the trash than on any other topic.”

The experts at Toter stress that the most effective prevention strategy is choosing the right trash bin and storing it properly.

They are offering helpful tips to help you keep your lawn clean, while protecting your property, family and the environment:

• Many carts and cans claim to be animal-proof. Be sure to choose one rated by an outside group, such as Living with Wildlife, which performs exhaustive product testing to determine what’s strong enough to withstand repeated clawing, toppling and chewing.

Before making a purchase, check with your city or waste hauler for any size or weight restrictions -- the name of the waste hauler is usually stamped on the can provided to you for pickup. Also, pay attention to material and durability.

Cans with airtight seals are especially helpful, as are cart liners or deodorizers to minimize odors.

• Keep cans securely latched and lids closed at all times.

Carts and cans should have heavyduty latches or airtight seals that can be weighed down to ensure stability.

• Test positioning of cans and carts to ensure they’re secured and not easily toppled.

Animals are tough on carts, but waste haulers can be even tougher.

Placing cans or carts up against your house or in a confined space helps reduce leverage that can work in favor of determined animals.

• Rinse food containers before disposing. Rinse trash cans regularly.

Green Cards Sent To Wrong Places: Washington Post The Washington Post recently reported that since U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services installed its Electronic Immigration System in 2012, the number of cards going to the wrong places has only increased.

A new report from the office of

Even when green-card holders requested a change of address, employees could not update the system.

“Further,” the report continued, “the system did not always accurately display address information, often eliminating or cutting off

Cans with bungee cords placed over the top and through the handles are particularly effective for dealing with smaller animals.

While lighter materials offer portability, they can more easily be chewed through.

A well-made bin built for hauling can last 10 to 15 years under normal use and will likely come with a warranty.

Austin South Asian | May 2016

For more information on choosing the right can or cart for your needs, visit Toter.com.

By following simple waste management tips, you can avoid personal hassles while being an environmental hero, the ultimate win-win.

(Statepoint)

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John Roth, the inspector general in the Department of Homeland Security, which includes CIS, says officials acknowledge there is “no accurate means of identifying the exact number of potentially hundreds of cards sent to incorrect addresses for cases processed in ELIS.” The report says the cards were sent erroneously “due to a system limitation” that prevented humans from changing the addresses.

critical elements such as apartment numbers.”

The report said CIS officials told investigators the “only option for addressing the problem of incorrect addresses was to manually send out notices with instructions on how to mail the cards back.”

(IndiaWest)

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Tamannah To Reprise Role In Karan Johar’s Hindi Remake Of ‘Oopiri’?

MUMBAI — Is Tamannah Bhatia going to work in Karan Johar’s next? The chances are high, as Johar has brought the remake rights of her last blockbuster, “Oopiri” in Telugu.

The actress has already been

French film “The Intouchables,” which is about the warm camaraderie that develops between a wheelchair-bound billionaire and his male nurse of sorts.

Austin South Asian | May 2016

A Film On Dr. BR Ambedkar’s Wife Ramabai

A film on Dr. BR Ambedkar’s wife

titled Ramabai.

composed by K Kalyan.

“We have shot the film in Dharwad and Karwar, where Ambedkar spent some time,” the producer has told to a leading daily, adding that it was Ramabai’s bravery and will power that inspired him and his team to make a movie based on her life.

Incidentally, this is the second time that Johar has bought the rights of a

It is because of Siddaram Karnik’s close resemblance to Ambedkar, the team went ahead and roped him in.

Ramabai has hit the screens all over Karnataka.

Directed by M Ranganath and produced by Y Srinivas, the film is signed for Rohit Shetty’s next opposite Ranveer Singh and Prabhu Deva’s next opposite Sonu Sood, and there is a good chance that, apart from the sequel to her 2015 all-time hit “Bahubali - The Beginning,” she will also star in the Karan Johar film.

“Oopiri” itself is a remake of the

movie starring Tamannah. Earlier his Dharma Production was one of the crucial supporters of “Bahubali - The Beginning” as well.

Reportedly, Johar was highly impressed by Tamannah’s performance in “Oopiri,” and we see no reason why she should not reprise the role in the Hindi version too.

Actress Yajna Shetty has played the role of Ramabai while Siddaram Karnik plays Ambedkar in the movie, which has cinematography

by Gurudutt Musuri and music

Also, it is said that a play called ‘Ramabai’ is quite famous in North Karnataka and that the play is organized by none other than Siddaram Karnik.

“We asked Karnik to essay the role of Ambedkar in ‘Ramabai’, specifically because of that,” Srinivas has said.

Vijay’s ‘Theri’ Joins The 100 Crore Club In Record Speed We have been reporting the box office records created by Ilayathalapathy Vijay starrer ‘Theri’ in various

Now we bring a historic record created by ‘Theri’. Trade sources confirm that the film has joined the

is more than a reliable proof.

quarters of the world.

prestigious 100 Crore club within its first six days.

a Vijay film but even for a Tamil film. Hardly any film has touched the 100 crore mark within this short period. It took 14 days for Vijay’s earlier blockbuster ‘Kaththi’ to collect 100 crores worldwide.

This is a new record not only for

Abhinay Vaddi Turns Baddie For Chennai 28 Sequel Abhinay Vaddi, grandson of legendary actors Gemini Ganesan and Savithri, made an impressive debut in Tamil cinema by playing the Mathematics genius Srinivasa Ramanujan in a biopic by the same name. The youngster will now play an important role in director Venkat Prabhu’s Chennai 28 sequel.

The actor also confirmed that his character will have grey shades. Based on gully cricket and friendship, the 2007 released Chennai 28 was one of the biggest hits of that year.Meanwhile, Abhinay is looking forward to the release of Aar K’s Michaelagiya Naan, in which he stars opposite Vasundhara Kashyap.

Yesterday we had reported that the Atlee directed family entertainer has grossed around Rs.47 crores in Tamil Nadu alone in its first week.

The film is also making phenomenal waves in the box offices of the overseas locations such as Malaysia, USA, UK and Australia.

This means the overall collections made by the film across the world has crossed Rs.100 crores in just six days.

Actor Vijay’s verified Twitter account has tweeted a poster claiming that ‘Theri’ has collected Rs.100 crores in six days and that

With this Atlee joins the elite 100 crore club and he is the youngest to join this proud and precious league of directors that includes big names like Shankar and A.R.Murugadoss

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Austin South Asian | May 2016

Director Advises Superstar To Manoj Bajpayee To Be Honoured With Dadasaheb Phalke Award Follow Rajini And Not Kamal

The King of controversies Ram Gopal Varma a few weeks back stirred a hornets nest by raving that Tollywood Superstar Pawan Kalyan is ten times better than Chiranjeevi and 5 times that of India’s

like the one he has done in the just released ‘Fan’. RGV supports his theory by giving the example that Kamal Haasan who was once bigger than Rajinikanth lost his place to him by trying his hand at differ-

It’s a BIG day today for actor Manoj Bajpayee, firstly he turns 47 today ‘Happy Birthday’ to you sir

and next is that he will be honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke award in the Best Actor category (Critics’ choice) for his performance in Hansal M e h t a ’s b i o p i c drama, ‘Aligarh’.

WOW!!!!!

What perfect news to start you day with.

In the m o v i e ‘Aligarh’, M a n o j essayed

biggest Superstar Rajinikanth.

RGV is at it again and this time he has warned Shah Rukh Khan that he is in danger of losing his Superstardom to Salman Khan if he continues to do experimental roles

ent roles like Chappani, Appu and others while Rajini remained himself in his films and attracted fans.

Well looks like RGV is in for more flak as fans of the Ulaganayagan are not going to take this lightly.

Censor board today (April 25) and the Censor Rating for the film is expected to arrive within this eve-

That muhurat for which the Megastar’s legions of fans have been waiting for is coming, finally.

The film will be formally launched on April 29 at 1:30 p.m.

This VV Vinayak film, reportedly titled as Katthilantodu, is an official remake of AR Murugadoss’

Reliable sources close to the unit reveal that the film will be viewed by the officials belonging to the

ning.

Suriya has a huge fan base among family crowd and most of his films have acquired clean U certificates.

‘24’ given its big budget is expect-

the puja ceremony on the 29th.

So far, the one technician’s name that has been finalized is that of the music director: Devi Sri Prasad.

ed to follow the trend.

‘24’ stars Suriya in triple roles in-

Kaththi (Tamil). directed by Vikram Kumar and produced by Suriya under his 2D Entertainments banner.

On career front, Manoj will soon be seen as a traffic constable in ‘Traffic Signal’, which is a remake of a Malayalam movie by the same name. The movie also features actor Jimmy Sheirgill, Sachin Khedekar, Prosenjit Chatterjee in the lead. Manoj has earlier won national awards for his performance in movies like ‘Satya’ and ‘Pinjar’.

Chiru’s 150th Film’s Muhurat Is Out

A Crucial Day For Suriya’s ‘24’

Actor Suriya’s mega budget sci-fi flick ‘24’ is all set to hit the screens on May 6, 2016. The film has been

the role of late Marathi professor Ramchandra Siras that got him many rave reviews. At a recent interview, Manoj opened up saying that he has dedicated the award to Siras and his struggles in society. He also thanked ace director Hansal Mehta, co-actor Raj Kummar Rao along with the team and critics for the award.

cluding a negative character. Samantha and Nithya Menen have played the female leads.

Prouced by Ram Charan, its shoot might begin only in June.

Isaipuyal A.R.Rahman has rendered teh musical score.

A detailed announcement of the cast and crew details, not to forget the release date, is expected during

With both Balayya’s 100th film and Chiru’s 150th being made simultaneously, we are in for a big clash of the titans.

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Austin South Asian | May 2016

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Austin South Asian | May 2016