Indo-American News April 2, 2021

Friday, April 2, 2021 | Vol. 40, No. 14

Indo American News

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April 2, 2021

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Published weekly from Houston, TX

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Special Reports Community Briefs Local Politics South Asians in the News

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Sonal Bhuchar School

Masala Holi in the Rain P 11

P4 ‘Saina’: Authentic

P8

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INDIA/COMMUNITY

April 2, 2021

PM Modi Flags Off ‘Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav’ as 75th I-Day Launch

Pune: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ to celebrate 75 years of India’s Independence.

PM Modi flagged off a 241-mile march from the famous Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad to Dandi in Gujarat’s Navsari district. Dandi March also known as Salt March or the Salt Satyagraha, was a nonviolent civil disobedience movement led by Mahatma Gandhi on 12th March 1930, against the salt monopoly of the British colonial rulers.

PM Modi took to Twitter and wrote: “12th March is a special day in India’s glorious history. On that day in 1930, the iconic Dandi March led by Mahatma Gandhi began...from Sabarmati Ashram we will commence Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav, to mark 75 years since Independence.” The Prime Minister has encouraged “people from all sections of society” to participate in the Padyatra today.

It is a 25-day march. The padayatra will cover 241 miles from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad to Dandi in Navsari The march will end on April 5 Eighty-one people will participate in the padayatra; several groups will join on the way to Dandi.

Modi said the 75th anniversary celebrations will continue till August 15, 2023.

After landing at Ahmedabad airport, Modi drove to Sabarmati Ashram, where he paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi. He also

visited Hriday Kunj, the house in the Ashram where Mahatma Gandhi stayed with his wife Kasturba from 1918 to 1930.

Modi wrote in the visitors’ book that the Mahotsav is a tribute to our freedom fighters and freedom struggle.

“By coming to the Sabarmati Ashram and with the inspiration of Bapu, my determination for nation building is strengthened,” the prime minister wrote.

“Mahatma Gandhi gave the message of atma-nirbharta (selfreliance) and atma-vishwas (selfconfidence) from here, Modi wrote.

“I am confident that with the blessings of Bapu, we Indians will follow our duties and achieve the goals set during this Amrut Mohatsave,” he added.

“Today’s #AmritMahotsav programme begins from Sabarmati Ashram, from where the Dandi March began. The March had a key role in furthering a spirit of pride and Aatmanirbharta among Indias

people. Going #VocalForLocal is a wonderful tribute to Bapu and our great freedom fighters,” Modi tweeted before the launch of the celebrations.

Buy any local product and post a picture on social media using #VocalForLocal. A Charkha will be installed near Magan Niwas at Sabarmati Ashram. It will rotate full circle with each Tweet related to Aatmanirbharta. This shall also become a catalyst for a peoples movement,” Modi tweeted before the Mahotsav launch.

The Central government has constituted a committee under Union Home Minister Amit Shah to chalk out policies and planning of various events to be undertaken as part of the celebrations.

Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat and Chief Minister Vijay Rupani were present at the launch of the celebrations.

Azadi Ka Amrut Mohatsav is a tribute by our people to our freedom fighters and freedom movement. During the celebrations the

country will not only remember all the important milestones, important times during the freedom movement but also gain new energy for development of our future, Modi wrote.

To ensure participation of citizens in Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav, a number of programs will be organized.

Political leaders and people from all sections of society have been paring tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and tweeting about his Salt Satyagraha, which was the turning point of India’s Independence movement.

Here in Houston, Consul General of India Aseem Mahajan held an online meeting on Monday, March 29 with community leaders throughout the state of Texas to discuss various ideas to celebrate the mahotsav. Most organizations seemed inclined to incorporate the Amrut Mahotsav theme in their regularly scheduled programs.

For example, in Telangana, the State government has decided to

celebrate the nationwide ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ to commemorate 75 years of Indian Independence in a befitting manner as per the schedule drawn by the Centre over 75 weeks from March 12 to August 15.

After attending a video conference addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who headed the national committee for the celebrations, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao announced allocation of Rs. 25 crore for the fete in the State at a meeting with senior officials.

He also constituted an organising committee headed by Advisor to government (Culture) K.V. Ramanachari which will include as members secretaries of General Administration Department, Finance, Cultural Affairs, Municipal Administration, Panchayatraj and Education, Director of Municipal Administration and Commissioner of Panchayatraj.

Mr. Rao issued directions to the officials on proceeding with the programme. It will start with inaugural programmes at Public Gardens in Hyderabad and Police Ground at Warangal on March 12. He will himself be the chief guest for the event in Hyderabad and Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan at Warangal. Hoisting of national flag, marchpast by police contingents and release of balloons in air will form part of cultural performances with a national fervor on the occasion.

Houston’s Eternal Gandhi Museum to Observe Salt Yatra Anniversary

It was March 12, 1930. Mahatma Gandhi began a 177 mile protest march from his Ashram in Ahmedabad to Dandi, a town on western coast of Bharat, India, to make his own salt without paying tax to the British rulers of India at that time. This was to protest the immoral law of British rulers to tax salt, consumed by even the poorest of the poor. Mahatma Gandhi was recognized as the Man of the Year by TIME magazine in 1930 for this historic event.

As Mahatma Gandhi has said “In a gentle way you can shake the world”. The British Empire, the greatest empire the world has ever known, together with other colonists were indeed shaken up by this simple act of Satyagraha, nonviolent conflict resolution.

-- transforming to a world of freedom from a world of colonists.

Join us in commemorating this historic event by supporting Eternal Gandhi Museum Houston to preserve and propagate the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi. To view the flyer of this historic event please visit the link: https://online.fliphtml5.com/baebv/aeim/#p=1 We look forward to your generous support in helping keep the Flame Alive of Nonviolent Conflict Resolution! For more information please see the advertisement on Page 12.

In commemoration of this historic event which has changed the destiny of mankind forever, we urge you to watch A Force More Powerful at the link, https://egmh.

Indo American News Founder: Dr. K.L. Sindwani Publisher: Jawahar Malhotra Editor: Pramod Kulkarni Correspondent: Sanchali Basu ®All rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be published without the written consent of the publisher. Deadline for advertising and articles is 4 pm on Monday of each week. Please include self-addressed, stamped envelope for return of all unsolicited material. Published at 2470 Dairy Ashford, Houston, Texas 77077.

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org/a-forcemore-powerful/.

The documentary illustrates the power of A Force More Powerful i.e - Nonviolent Conflict Resolution.

Not only did India attain freedom from British in 1947 without firing a single shot and without animosity, but its domino effect reverberated throughout the world in the decades to follow

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COMMUNITY

April 2, 2021

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India House Partners with City Council Member Pollard

By Burt Levine

Houston: Following the subfreezing storms that caused power blackouts, pipes busting damage to homes, water and food shortages impacting millions of Texans and most Houstonians, India House Houston and Houston City Council Member Edward Pollard met to distribute nearly 1,500 water bottles and PPE to families.

Council Member Pollard was reared in southwest Houston, literally down the street from India House, so he is no stranger to the dynamics and needs of the area.

“I knew there were many families in need of direct assistance and called Col. Vipin Kumar immediately to express a desire to partner with India House” said Edward Pollard who was sworn in last year to represent District J, which covers southwest Houston areas of Gulfton, Sharpstown, Braeburn, and Alief.

“India House, has a strong reputation of being a tremendous community partner and facilitating real credible initiatives to help families in time of need. It was critical to identify a place convenient and

without electricity as were most Houston families, and my parents’ home suffered damage to their pipes that kept them from having fresh water that we all know is one of the most basic needs there is,” he said.

Vipin Kumar, Executive Director of India House, said he commends Pollard for his problem-solving posture with this water distribution but also in food distribution, classes in language and citizenry and his office’s commitment to recognizing different cultures.

“I know those in Council Member Pollard’s Office. I directly communicate them and him to get access to the City for India House,” Kumar said.

Kumar, a retired India Army Col who came to Houston with his family many years ago said he fell in love with a “spirit of friendliness fostered among different folks here.” Pollard said he Houston City Councilman Edward Pollard at India House, helping praises India House as a “true gem in the city.” He looks forward to distribute bottled water to victims of the recent deep freeze. continued cooperation with India where families of every back- India House had leadership and ground feel comfortable coming. logistical skills to make it a win,” We coordinated a distribution Pollard said. with short notice and knew the “My own family’s home was

Indo-American News • Friday, APRIL 2, 2021 • www.indoamerican-news.com

House.

“Although its foundation is based on the efforts and leadership of the local Indian community, 90 percent of the Houstonians who the India House serves are not Indian.

The India House understands that our diversity is our strength and does an outstanding job of engaging all people no matter who they are. Our office prides ourselves on being servants for all communities,” Pollard said.

“We have done numerous initiatives, programs, and efforts with the Indian community and look forward to doing more in the future,” he continued Pollard pronounced, “As an elected local public official, I am the employee, people are my employers. I want each community to be engaged with my office to bring forth their vision for a better community for us all. I’ll continue to work alongside them to make it happen.”

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April 2, 2021

FBISD Names Elementary School for Sonal Bhuchar

Sugar Land: The Fort Bend ISD board of trustees unanimously approved naming two upcoming district schools after leaders in local education during its March 29 meeting.

Elementary School No. 53 will be named for Sonal S. Bhuchar, a former FBISD trustee and longtime associate of the Fort Bend Education Foundation.

The Indo-American commuity in the greater Houston area mounted a successful nomination campaign on behalf of Sonal Bhuchar, spearheaded by Shefali Jhaveri.

A district biography of Bhuchar describes her as a trailblazer in Fort Bend County. Bhuchar—a physical therapist—served on the board of many nonprofit and local organizations, including Child Advocates of Fort Bend, the Literacy Council of Fort Bend, AccessHealth, Sugar Land Cultural Arts Foundation and the Texas Medical Association Alliance, among others.

While on the board, Bhuchar led several district initiatives, including

the Student Leadership Program, the Legislative Advocacy Program, the Fort Bend Education Foundation’s Annual International Festival, WATCH—a lifestyle education program—and scholarship opportunities. Bhuchar died of cancer complications at the age of 58 on April 20, 2019.

Several current board members spoke about how Bhuchar encouraged them to serve the community.

Trustee Jim Rice sat on the school board alongside Bhuchar for two years.

“The first year she was my mentor, and I came to know her very well,” Rice said. “She was a lady who worked very hard in our community to help build bridges of understanding between our very diverse community.”

Trustee Grayle James ran for the Bhuchar’s school board seat when she decided to not seek re-election in 2012.

“While I did not sit on the school board with Sonal, I did try to sit in the seat and fill the shoes that she

left here,” James said. “She supported me as I learned my role on the school board. I’m so grateful and proud that we’ll be able to name an elementary school for her.”

Furthermore, Almeta Crawford will be the namesake of the district’s 12th high school.

Crawford was an educator of 49 years—30 of which she taught at Dulles High School, where she was honored as Teacher of the Year prior to her retirement, according to a district biography of Crawford.

More than 300 names were recommended for both schools and a naming committee met this past week to review each nomination, said trustee Dave Rosenthal, who served as the board representative on the committee.

Almeta Crawford High School will open in the fall of 2022 in the Hightower and Ridge Point area.

Sonal S. Bhuchar Elementary School will open the next year in January 2023 in the Riverstone community. -- Claire Shoop, Community Impact Newspaper

COMMUNITY

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COMMUNITY

April 2, 2021

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Mahashivaratri at Chinmaya Prabha Spreads Blessings in Houston

By Rajesh Thatte Houston: At Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya in Chinmaya Prabha, Houston, the Sivaratri celebration is an annual tradition cherished by devotees across the greater Houston area. After a difficult 2020 with the ongoing COVID pandemic and a devastating winter storm in February 2021, the Sivaratri festivities at Saumyakasi Sivalaya provided much needed solace to the community. To pay homage to God Siva for wellbeing of entire society, Chinmaya Mission Houston (CMH) planned the event for March 11 and March 13. On the auspicious morning of March 11th, the main prayers started with the

Mahanyasa Purvaka Rudrabhiseka.

For Ksirabhiseka this year, the temple volunteers team created a replica of the Amarnath Jyotirlingam in the beautiful open courtyard of the Sivalaya. Many devotees, particularly families with young children, look forward to Ksirabhiseka as it provides the opportunity for young children to engage in the Hindu tradition of offering milk to Sivalingam. Along with that interactive experience, the evening was filled with Laghunyasa purvaka Ekadasa Rudrabhiseka and concluded with serene midnight meditation. For those who wanted to perform the Rudrabhiseka, CMH had organized guided seva in Smriti Hall at four convenient times. Devotees were

provided all materials needed to perform the Rudrabhiseka along with a crystal Sivalingam which each family would take home after the seva. Mild temperatures and calm winds made the weather favorable for many to visit the temple in the evening hours.

On Saturday, March 13, CMH performed Maha Mrtyunjaya Homa for the spiritual and physical wellbeing of all. Maha Mrtyunjaya Homa involves offering oblation to the God Mrtyunjaya with the chanting of Maha Mrtyunjaya mantra. This was followed by aarti and darshan.

The holy, blissful atmosphere created by masterful chanting of hymns by chief priest Shree

Ganesh Sathyanarayana during all these prayers was a memorable experience. For those who could not visit the temple in person, all Sivaratri festivities on both days were streamed live on Chinmaya Mission Houston YouTube.

This year, CMH went an extra mile in organizing the event following all CDC guidelines and social distancing measures to ensure the safety of devotees. For this, CMH required pre-registration at the CMH website for visiting the Sivalaya or for attending any sevas such as Rudrabhiseka Seva. Devotees could pick available time slots and visit the temple with the confirmation. There was no sitting allowed in temple. Devotees were

requested not to bring any offering; instead, CMH encouraged the community to support the temple.

“All devotees followed instructions and the entire process went smooth,” said Srinivas Kethireddipalli, the event coordinator at CMH. When asked if there was a situation where anyone was turned away, Srinivas mentioned that there was no need for that as they were able to accommodate devotees within available time slots, since everyone followed safety norms to pray and get the blessings of Lord Siva on that sacred weekend. For further information, contact Jay Deshmukh at (832)541-0059 or call Bharati Sutaria - 281-933-0233.

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BOOK REVIEW

April 2, 2021

If You Like Travel, You’ll Love Dan Mayur’s book: ‘Global Nomad’

By Pramod Kulkarni

Frances McDermond’s recent movie Nomadland has tagged nomads as lonely, itinerant Amazon workers, who are RV-bound and wander across America’s small towns. Prior to this aspersion, the word ‘nomad’ had a romantic connotation. This is how Houstonbased author Dan Mayur refers to the title of his latest book, “Global Nomad: Travels and Travails”.

In his Amazon author blurb, Dan identifies himself as “Indian by birth, American by education, and global nomad by choice.”

I’ve known Dan for about 30 years. Dan is an engineer, financial planner, and a freelance writer. He is a graduate of IIT Bombay and has a PhD in chemical engineering from Rice University in Houston.

He has had a distinguished career in industry and has worked for Shell Oil and Bechtel Corporation in senior management capacities in various parts of the world.

Global Nomad is Mayur’s third published book. His first book, Mumbai to Stockholm via New York explores comparative lifestyles, opportunities and challenges in each of these diverse locales based on his extended stays in each of these places.

Dan’s second book is autobiographical, Four Ls: A Memoir. He describes his family’s historical journey from Gujarat to Maha-

rashtra and his own journey from rural India to his ascent into corporate leadership in America. In search of real happiness beyond a high-paying corporate job, the book describes how Dan took an early retirement to pursue his interests in travel, reading, writing, and charity. He proposes that laughing, learning, and loving (Four Ls) are necessary and sufficient for happy living.

Adapted from his frequent Facebook posts, Global Nomad is part travelogue, part historical and geographical trivia knowledge, and part commentary on the lifestyle of people in diverse locations, diverse cultural patterns, and lessons that Indians can partake to help make their motherland more prosperous and more efficient.

The book is divided into five parts: Incredible India, Australia and Southeast Asia, Two Cradles of Civilization (Egypt, Greece), Land of Revolutions (Russia) and Land of the Future (South America). Obviously, the book doesn’t cover 70 countries that Dan has lived in or visited and others he is yet to visit. So I feel

one or more such books will come from Dan. They would be most welcome as the Global Nomad has been my daily companion for morning tea and biscuits (it is an Indian tradition that other global citizens may not be aware). Now that I’ve finished the book, I feel its absence every morning.

Each chapter begins with a pithy quote. For example, in his preface, Dan quotes, Ibn Batutta: “Traveling -- it leaves you speechless and then turns you into a storyteller.” It is certainly true in Dan’s case.

Dan lists India’s positives -- economic prosperity and more well-fed people on the streets, but he does comment on his pet peeves: how people are “always in a hurry, pushing, shoving and stepping into the slightest openings they see or create in front of you.”

Even in the countries I’ve visited and experienced, there is a lot to learn from Dan’s book.

For example, in Mumbai, I did not know there was a flower market in Matunga run by migrants from South India and how the Greek town of Santorini derives from its name from its patron saint, St. Irene.

Dan’s book has inspired me to seek the earliest opportunity to visit Russia. Unlike most travelers to the now nominally Communist country, Dan portrays the people as reserved, but friendly once you get to know them. Dan also pays

Indo-American News • Friday, APRIL 2, 2021 • www.indoamerican-news.com

a tribute to the Russian people for their survival instincts in recovering from the many tragedies, most recent being the occupation by Nazi Germany. He also comments positively on the country’s efforts to preserve their Tsarist heritage of magnificent palaces, gardens, fine arts and performing arts.

Dan’s descriptions of Chile’s fjords and picturesque towns in South America’s southernmost tip are also inviting.

Now that we seem to be nearing herd immunity as more and more people are getting vaccinated, Dan’s Global Nomad should be essential reading if you plan on visiting any of these countries when post-Covid travel resumes.

My one quibble with Dan’s book is that the gallery of photos consists of small B&W photos. Now that we’re in the world of online publishing, I feel it is now possible to include large color photos and videos. It will also be possible to make the publication dynamic, i.e., rather than frozen in time, the content can be updated on a regular basis. Of course, these options might be an author’s nightmare as a book will be never finished!

There is certain satisfaction in putting a book to bed, which may not be possible anymore!

Global Nomad and Dan’s other books are published by Xlibris and available on Amazon in hardback, paperback and Kindle versions.

April 2, 2021

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ENTERTAINMENT

April 2, 2021

‘Saina’: Parineeti Chopra Serves, Drops and Smashes as Badminton Champ

By Shubhra Gupta

Cast: Parineeti Chopra, Manav Kaul, Meghna Malik, Eshan Naqvi, Rohan Apte, Subrajyoti Virat, Ankur Vikal, Sharrman Dey, Sameer Bassi Director: Amol Gupte Rating: 3 stars First things first: Parineeti Chopra nails the body language of a top flight badminton player in ‘Saina’, Amol Gupte’s admiring biopic.

Through her attacking, elegant game, Saina Nehwal put Indian women shuttlers on the global map in a fiercely competitive sport, and she remains the first and only female player to have won so many championships. As Parineeti serves, drops and smashes, the action on court is wholly believable, and helps us get past the wobbly bits of the movie.

One of the double-edged advantages of making a biopic on a sportsperson who is still playing the game, is that everything is documented. Accuracy will be lauded; things which appear fudged will be found out. Why, for example, does Pullela Gopichand, Nehwal’s coach, here played by Manav Kaul, not given his real name? Why is he called, instead, Rajan? Why is her rival in the crucial 2015 tournament in Lucknow, which anointed her World No 1, not called Carolina Marin? These are puzzling, and don’t fit in a film that otherwise appears scrupulously based on research.

A significant portion of the be-

ginning is devoted to Saina as a little girl, being drummed into shape by her mother Usha Rani (Meghna Malik, fierce, feisty and believable), herself a badminton player. Buttered aloo parathas and two litres of milk are stuffed daily into the little girl (Naisha Kaur Bhatoye; very good) who proves she has both talent and speed, and the will to win. It is Rajan who gets her onto a champion’s heavyon-protein, light-on-carbs diet, and teaches her to use her mind as well as her limbs.

A true badminton player is like a ballet dancer, and the best players in the world combine both grace and strength. That transition is one of the most engaging parts of the film, and Kaul does a great job of showing his mentee the way: he focuses only on focus, he says in

a speech bordering on the pedantic; anything else, there’s the door.

Kaul looks the part, but is never shown on court. Why? Not seeing a player of Gopichand’s calibre in action, even if he is named Rajan, is a major miss.

In real-life, there was a much-

storied break between Gopichand and Saina, which saw her move from Hyderabad to Bangalore, into the hands of another coach (Ankur Vakil, sprightly in a small part). In the movie, we are told that it was because she was getting distracted by a string of lucrative

‘Pigglait’: Should a Widow Grieve?

Sandhya’s (Sanya Malhotra) husband of five months, Astik Giri, is dead and while the whole family is inconsolable, the young widow is glued to her social media accounts, and is craving soda and chips. No tears, no grief…

This Netflix film is a satire on the conventional ways of dealing with grief, how a woman should ‘behave’ on her partner’s funeral and wake and why a she needs to be

told – at every step of the way – how to lead her own life. Tsk! This social drama also sniggers at the broken ties and loveless relationships we latch on to and maintain, because – of course – ‘log kya kahenge?’ It is refreshing to see Sanya Malhotra take the centre stage with this one and while she renders an impactful performance as the non-conformist kooky, it is but riddled with flaws. -- Netflix

endorsements. We also see her getting ‘distracted’ by the sweet attention fellow fine player Parupalli Kashyap (Eshan Naqvi) pays her. What little we see of the relationship is shaped by the fact that they play well together, sharing the court and the couch in a workman like manner. A little more between the two, or even the other two players Rohan (Rohan Apte) and Damodar (Sharman Dey), the group which grows into adulthood and constant friendship after spending years in rigorous training, would have given us a more rounded film.

But for all these little problems, including an initial clunky line about being a patriotic ‘Bharat ki beti’, a post-interval bit which threatens to sag, one ‘inspiring’ song, too much swelling background music (how else is a Bollywood movie to create drama?) as well as a little too much rah rah surrounding the subject (the time when the targets of Bollywood biopics can be shown warts and all is still a long way off), ‘Saina’ manages to be a proper sports movie, committed to the stretches which show the unstinting, relentless working up of blood, sweat and tears that go into the making of a winner, and the sacrifices those winners have to make to stay on top. And once she settles into it, leaving aside the very occasional mannerism, Parineeti gives us a good, solid Saina: when she raises her racket after a hard-fought win, you cheer.-- Indian Express

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April 2, 2021

After giving an insight into the ‘arranged marriage’ set up with Indian Matchmaking, Netflix is all set to celebrate the big fat Indian wedding with The Big Day. The series will take a deep dive into the multibillion-dollar wedding industry, and gives the audience a chance to be a part of the most unique and lavish modern weddings.

The trailer of the first season of The Big Day was released on Monday.

The video is nothing short of a live Pinterest board on dream weddings for millennials. From lavish settings, designer clothes to some exciting themes, the series showcases it all. The show will also have couples talk about crafting their happily ever after.

The makers have chosen six different stories, and each of these couples do not believe in toeing the line. From planning a truly sustainable wedding, which is the need of the hour, to a bride that does not believe in following traditions blindly, the stories would definitely touch a chord.

Celebrity makeup artist Daniel Baeur, who got married to partner Tyrone Braganza in 2019, also features in this special wedding series.

Produced by Conde Nast India, The Big Day will have couples navigating their way through an eye-opening list of shenanigans and soul-stirring moments that go into creating spectacular Indian weddings. There would also be a dash of family drama, unique personal struggles, triumphs and much more.

The Big Day will start streaming on Netflix from February 14.

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April 2, 2021

Indo-American News • Friday, APRIL 2, 2021 • www.indoamerican-news.com

SUDOKU/RECREATION SUDOKU/COMMUNITY Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

April 2, 2021

11

Neptune Imports Rocks Thousands of Holi Revelers at Color-exploding Grand Opening

Send us the correct answer before April 7, 2021. Email us at indoamericannews@yahoo.com and send us your solved Sudoku for your name to be published.

Solution Next Week

Neptune Imports partners Jimmy Jasani and Samir Bhimani flank Fort Bend County Judge KP George and Masala Radio’s Sunil T.

Last Week’s Solution

Last Week’s Winners Sanchali Basu

“How did you arrange such perfectly light drizzle just during this Holi event?” asked one Holi reveler as he poured an entire packet of colored powder on an unsuspecting young lady. Neptune Imports celebrated their Grand Opening with a color explosion in a Holi-Themed Parking Lot Party orchestrated by Masala Radio 98.7 FM. Colored pennants flapped incessantly above Holi Revelers of all ages, many of whom had come to a live event for the first time in a year! Looking like walking rainbows, most danced non-stop for three hours to Bollywood hit after hit by DJ Nish, while some ate non-stop with complimentary mouthwatering Pani Puris, hot Chai and Samosas by Chai Khanna, Deep Mango Juice and Britannia Cookies. Kabir & Bunty of Chai Khanna, a new Irani Café style hotspot near Hillcroft and Harwin, was so happy with the turnout, after running out of samosas twice and running back for more, he fed the last remaining revelers cool chutney sandwiches as well in the Holi spirit of giving. The manager of Chai Khana, a Bollywood celebrity Sanjay Kapoor lookalike was at the event serving hot chai with his big Bollywood smile. Janvi Desai said “It was so good to see all the team of Masala Radio 98.7 at this event and put a face to the voice. They create so much excitement in Houston… I love it” Sonu of Neptune Imports got on the Indian scooter and said “Im seeing this Bajaj Rickshaw and scooter for the first time since I left India. These vintage Indian autos brings back so many fond memories” And then he went for a spin around the parking lot with a huge smile on his face. The new Indoor Cricket Ground of Houston gave away Free Cricket Play vouchers to everyone at the event. The new Mirchi Lounge on Hillcroft gave

away Free Seesha coupons to celebrate the event. With so much excitement and giveaways, everyone was in mood to celebrate Holi and dance.

Neptune Imports generously gave away over 500 family sized hand sanitizers, water bottles, and over 100 goodie bags of their finest products, caps and T-shirts, to those guests who cued up before the 12 noon Grand Opening. Some lucky guests won a variety of electronics, including the grand raffle of a 55” TV! Discount Power was the Gold Sponsor of the event.

They supported the community event by giving away hundreds of masks and color packets in vivid shades of Fire Dragon Red, Blood Orange, Sunny Yellow, Rani Pink, Teal Green, Peacock Blue and Raspberry Purple. The crowd was way more than expected and we completely ran out of color in the first hour. Malik Jamal of Discount Power arraigned for 500 more packets within minutes and the colors were flying in air again.

It started to rain at 1pm and everyone went crazy in the rain. Big smiles, color, rain, & music… it really felt like a Bollywood movie scene.

US Representative Troy Nehls – originally slated to officiate the Ribbon Cutting, was called away at the last minute to handle a Texas Border issue, and instead sent his Field Representative Bangar Reddy to deliver a message of unity. Fort Bend County Judge K.P. George also graced the occasion, thanking the revelers for still wearing masks. Ashish Agarwal, running for FBISD Trustee position #2, made a very nice speech about the significance of superior education in our schools. Following the officials was a dramatic performance by Belly Dancer

Indo-American News • Friday, APRIL 2, 2021 • www.indoamerican-news.com

Mariam in a envious red choli, followed by the amazing dancers from Dhadak Dance School and US DG Rockstars. Sherry Ramji, sister of Arshad Ramji said “I never miss Holi, its one of my favorite festivals” Neptune Imports partners Jimmy Jasani and Samir Bhimani wanted all of Houston to know they had opened their wholesale business of Hookah Supplies, Smoke Products lines such as Smok, Vapresso, VooPoo, Vape Disposables, CBD Pain Relief Products, and tons of Novelties. While normally the public is not allowed to enter, they still wanted to have a huge celebration outside. Jimmy’s brother Parvez Jasani, a long time supporter of Masala Radio, called Sunil T to supply the supply the Dhamaal for the Grand Opening.

During the middle of the event, he filmed a thank you ending with “No one can do this but Masala Radio!” They carefully timed the event on the actual day of HOLI, successfully drawing out a few thousand despite the pandemic.

“Our families are all based in Beamont,” said Jasani, and they have never celebrated Holi like this… they were floored” Jimmy’s wife Nisha Jasani exclaimed “We went a little above budget for this event, but it was “Paisa Wasool’ (Worth every penny) the way everyone enjoyed!” Jimmy added, “We opened this store after spending a year procuring unique, hard to find products from Dubai, China, and India. We are proud of our unique offerings” For Wholesale Inquiries only contract Samir Bhimani at 832-548-1564, or visit their showroom at Neptune Imports, 7636 Harwin @ Fondren. Photos by G Photography - view more amazing photos and videos at facebook.com/MasalaRadio98.7FM.

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April 2, 2021

Indo-American News • Friday, APRIL 2, 2021 • www.indoamerican-news.com