Bridging America and the Indian Subcontinent
Saathee.com
September 2025
IN THIS ISSUE Festival Foods: pg 44 Recipe: Kala Chana: pg 74 Classifieds: pg 108
Hello Readers We now move forward to the festival seasons, Navratri and Diwali are just around the corner. Don’t forget to peruse our Events section beginning on page 18 for the upcoming festive events. The fall movie season is also gearing up. Read our Upcoming Movies and Film Clips sections to get started. While you’re at it, simply flip through the whole magazine and enjoy a variety of content. You can also hop on over to Saathee.com for regularly updated content. Remember that when you call or visit one of our advertisers, be sure to mention that you saw their ad in Saathee Magazine, Saathee.com or the weekly e-Newsletter. Thanks for reading. Some highlights in this issue: ♦ Read about “Festival Foods” in our informative Nutrition for Life column beginning on page 44. ♦ The Dances of India column talks about “Captivating Dances of Rajasthan” on page 50. ♦ Financially Speaking column begins a new series on the changes in the tax laws recently passed. See page 54. We would be happy to add anyone in the Carolinas to the Saathee subscription base at no charge, simply visit saathee.com/subscription and also sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter and Instagram (@saatheemagazine). “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.” - Winston Churchill
“Bridging America and the Indian Subcontinent.”
September 2025 Issue # 328 Editor
Samir Shukla (Samir@Saathee.com)
Publisher & Advertising Divakar Shukla 704-527-7570 or saatheemag@hotmail.com
Digital Media & Marketing Jennifer W. Allen
Ad Design / Layout DSJ Graphics, Cooper’s Hive and Manimaran
Contributors for this issue: Balaji Prasad, Rupa Pereira, Purvee Shukla, Dipika Kohli, Nidhi Panchal, Rishi P. Oza, Hiren Deliwala, Kristen Moon, Ketu Desai, Dr. Maha Gingrich, Parul Kharod, Dr. Neealm Aggarwal, and Jalendu Vaidya. Mission: Our goal is to be a valuable source of information for the South Asian community and to be a vital advertising tool for businesses.
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September 2025
In This Issue
Page 14 Editor’s Desk: Sangam
Page 18 Upcoming Events
Page 52 The Fallacy of Immigration “Court”
Page 74 Recipe: Kala Chana
Content The Editor’s Desk . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 14
Nutrition for Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 44
Recipe: Kala Chana . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 74
Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 18
Eye on the Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 46
Cartoon Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 98
Mirror, Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 26
Dances of India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 50
Tune Your Brain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 100
Kismuth and the Way II . . . . . . . . .pg. 28
Immigration Matters . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 52
Pop’s Puzzles & Toons . . . . . . . . .pg. 102
Jane Austen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 30
Financially Speaking . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 54
Festivals and Holidays . . . . . . . . .pg. 104
Upcoming Movie Releases . . . . . . .pg. 34
Spot the Differences . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 56
Puzzle Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 104
Film Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 36
Mindful Masala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 58
AstroScope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 106
Thinking About Thinking . . . . . . .pg. 40
News Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 62
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 108
Bridging Worlds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 42
College Admissions Insider . . . . . .pg. 70
Index of Advertisers . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 112
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Editor’s Desk
by Samir Shukla
Sangam
The sangam (confluence) of Ohio and Mississippi Rivers Photo by Samir Shukla
The summer’s heat dome hung over the sharply dressed crowd. It was hot, yet I felt a special warmth on the inside. The kind we feel, even on the coldest of days, when we are among those that we like to be with during a gathering, in this case a family wedding out in the Midwest. I was happy being a part of this sangam. Sangam is a Sanskrit word meaning convergence or gathering, a term used for the confluence of rivers, where two, or more, become one. In essence, sangams are meeting points. No matter how individualistic some people may be or how self-reliant they may want to be, the emotional and physical fragility of what makes us human beings are the needs that mark the commonality of us – the need to belong, seek support, comfort and security. In essence, gather, meet and realign. It is in our genes to meet and converge in large and small groups. We need these groupings, with family and friends, among the like-minded at sporting or musical events, or holding court with spiritual kindred in places of faith. It is the stir of human life. Among the bindings bloomed by these types of groups is the most important of all, one that is preset by the sangam of bloodlines, not self-chosen, but genetically intertwined, through births. Families. There are varied ideas of what a family is, but we’ll stick with those created by blood connections and those connected by marriages. Editor’s Desk continued on page 110
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September 2025
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Upcoming Events Kiran Bazaar: Morrisville, NC (September 14, 2025) Support South Asian survivors of domestic violence and shop for clothing, food, jewelry, services, and more. The Bazaar will take place on Sunday, September 14, 2025, noon – 7pm, at HSNC Main Hall, 309 Aviation Pkwy, Morrisville, NC. For more details, visit Kiraninc.org.
Taal Se Taal Mila: Charlotte, NC (September 19, 2025)
Bystander CPR Training: Charlotte, NC (September 12 – 13, 2025) The Rohan Rajeev Foundation, which offers CPR training classes for free, was created to ensure no family loses a loved one because bystanders didn’t know what to do. RRF plans to expand CPR training to more underserved communities, collaborate with youth organizations to teach life-saving skills early, and advocate for CPR education to be a standard part of school and workplace safety programs. Upcoming classes: Charlotte and Raleigh, NC. For more info visit, Rohanrajeev.org.
Charlotte’s Ekal Chapter presents their annual fundraiser event with a live musical performance by Moksha Group. It will take place on Friday, September 19, 2025, beginning at 5:30pm, at Hindu Center, 7400 City View Dr., Charlotte. For more details, call 704-726-3852 or 704-906-3487. Visit Ekal.org.
Raas Garba w/ Parth Doshi: Florence, SC (September 19, 2025) R Shah Entertainment presents Raas Garba featuring Parth Joshi of Sa Re Ga Ma and Voice India Fame. The celebration and concert will be held at the Florence Center in Florence, SC on Friday, September 19, 2025. For further info, contact 732-589-6310. Advance tickets are available at events.sulekha.com.
Achal Mehta Garba Raas: Charlotte, NC (September 13, 2025) Singer Achal Mehta will perform live with his band for a night of garba and raas on Saturday, September 13, 2025, at Grady Cole Center, 310 N. Kings Dr., Charlotte, NC. Presented by Friends of Charlotte the tickets begin at $25. For details, call 803-412-1805 or 704-915-2939.
Charlotte Asian Film Festival: (September 13, 2025) Celebrate Asian cultures on the screens. The third edition of Charlotte Asian Film Festival will take place on Saturday, September 13, 2025, 9:30am - 3pm, at Dubois Center, 320 E. 9th St., Charlotte. Also featuring industry panels, cultural vendors, and a collection of curated, diverse films. For more details: Charlotteasianfilmfestival.org.
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Festival in the Park: Charlotte, NC (September 19 – 21, 2025) The 61st annual Festival in the Park will take place from September 19 – 21, 2025 at Freedom Park in Charlotte, NC. Enjoy music, arts and crafts along with vendors. There will be plenty of activities for the children. It’s a family affair. The lighting system allows festivities to continue into the night. Details: Festivalinthepark.org.
TGA Pre-Navratri: Raleigh, NC (September 20, 2025) Join Triangle Gujarati Association’s Navratri with the sensational duo, the queens of Garba Preeti and Pinky Live. Enjoy electrifying and classic Garba hits featuring a live band. Saturday, September 20, 2025, doors open at 6:30pm. The venue is NC Expo Center, 4285 Trinity Rd, Raleigh, NC. For details, visit Nctga.org.
Chanakya Youth Festival: Morrisville, NC (September 20, 2025) Aabaj (American Association of Bihar and Jharkhand) and HSNC present the Chanakya Youth Festival on Saturday, September 20, 2025, beginning at 9am, at HSNC, 309 Aviation Pkwy, Morrisville, NC. There will be high school and middle school debates and essays, spelling bees, sketching, art competitions, and more. Info: Aabaj.org.
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Upcoming Events Volleyball & Throwball Tournament: Indian Trail, NC (September 20, 2025)
Global Mela: Atlanta, GA (October 4 – 5, 2025)
Telugu Association of Greater Charlotte Area presents a volleyball tournament on Saturday, September 20, 2025, at Carolina Courts, 240 Chestnut Pkwy, Indian Trail, NC. Game fun, Indian breakfast, lunch and snacks, kids’ games and a DJ. For more details, call 904-343-9965 or visit Tinyurl.com/TAGCATB.
The 25th anniversary edition of Global Mela, featuring, vendors, food, shopping exhibition, kids’ activities, magic show, performances, and more on October 4 – 5, 2025. Free entry, parking, and prize giveaways. Global Mall is located at 5675 Jimmy Carter Blvd., Norcross, GA. Info: 770416-1111 or visit Amsglobalmall.com.
Asia Fest: Cary, NC (September 20, 2025)
The 10th annual Asia Fest will take place on Carnatic Vocal Concert: Charlotte, NC Saturday, September 20, 2025, 9am – 5pm, at Koka Booth Amphitheater, Cary, NC. See dragon boat (October 5, 2025) races, cultural performances, and enjoy delicacies CMAC presents a classical vocal in the food festival. For info: Asianfocusnc.org. concert by Sikkil Gurucharan on Sunday, October 5, 2025, 4pm, Festival of India: Charlotte, NC (September 20 – 21, 2025) Gandhi Bhavan, Hindu Center, The India Association of Charlotte presents the 29th annual Festival of Charlotte. CMAC members free, others $15 - $40. For more India. It will be a two-day event - day one at Belk details, call 704-904-9454 or visit Theater and on Tryon Street Uptown, on Onlinecmac.org. Saturday, September 20, 2025, and day two on Sunday, September 21, 2025, at Ballantyne’s Backyard. The festival celebrates India’s rich NC Dussehra Festival: Morrisville, NC heritage of artistic and cultural diversity and is an (October 5, 2025) effort to present glimpses of that to the local and regional community. Hindi Vikas Mandal and HSNC Learn something about the culture as you and your family sample present Ramleela, Ravan Indian culinary delights, get an artistic Henna tattoo, watch and dance Dahan on Sunday, October 5, along to popular and pulsating Bollywood music, learn about yoga, 2025, beginning at 4pm, at 309 see Indian classical dance, and marvel at fashions. Participate in Aviation Pkwy, Morrisville, interactive workshops for dance, learn some traditional Indian art NC. Featuring mela (food, form. The finale of the event is a Fusion Orchestra by Charlotte stalls, clothing), Ramleela and Ravan Dahan. For Symphony, highlighting the rich tapestry of Indian and Western more details call 919-656-5224 or visit traditions woven together through orchestral music. For further details Hsnctemple.org. on the festival and its activities, visit: Indiafestival.net.
Navratri Celebrations Hindu Center & HSNC: NC (September 22 – October 1, 2025)
Children’s Garba: Charlotte, NC (October 5, 2025)
Garba and Navratri celebrations will be held at the temple, Hindu Center 7400 City View Dr., Charlotte, NC, nightly from September 22 – October 1, 2025. For more details, call at 704-535-3440 or visit Hcclt.org. There will be nightly garba celebrations at HSNC, 309 Aviation Pkway, Morrisville, NC. Details: Hsnctemple.org
The annual children’s garba will take place at Hindu Center, 7400 City View Dr., Charlote, NC, on Sunday, October 5, 2025, in Vihar Hall, 4 7pm. Enjoy and teach kids garba and raas. Aarti will be conducted at 6pm. For more info, call 704535-3440 or visit Hcclt.org.
Jaipur Literature Festival NC: Chapel Hill, NC (September 26 – 27 -2025)
Sharad Purnima Fusion Garba: Morrisville, NC (October 10, 2025)
The globally renowned festival’s NC iteration takes place September 26 – 27, 2025 in Chapel Hill, NC. Authors and speakers include William Dalrymple, Kiran Desai, Kal Penn and more. For more details, visit Jlflitfest.org/north-carolina.
Triangle Gujarati Association presents Sharad Purnima with a twist of tradition and fusion! Come dressed in your vibrant garba outfits and dance the night away to a mix of garba and Bollywood beats with DJ Chirag. It will take place Broken Images w/Shabana Azmi: on Friday, October 10, 2025, at 8pm, at HSNC Raleigh, NC (October 2, 2025) Main Hall, HSNC Main Hall, 309 Aviation Legendary actress Shabana Azmi stars in the play Broken Parkway, Morrisville NC. Food will be available Images, written by Girish Karnad and Alyque Padamsee, for purchase. Details: Nctga.org. on Thursday, October 2, 2025, 7 – 8:30pm, at Fletcher Opera Hall, Raleigh, NC. For more details, call 919-4341966 or find tickets at Ticketmaster.com.
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September 2025
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September 2025
CMAC Sept 2025 Quark 2025 Sikkil Gurucharan_3.438x4.875_Layout 1 8/20
Upcoming Events
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Hum Sub Diwali: Cary, NC (October 11, 2025) Hum Sub presents the annual Diwali celebrations on Saturday, October 11, 2025, 9am – 9pm, at Koka Booth Amphitheater, Cary, NC. Experience Indian dances and music, food, and shopping all in one day that culminates in fireworks that will light up the night skies. Details: Humsub.org.
SUNDAY, October 5 | 4:00 PM Gandhi Bhavan • Hindu Center For details call: Lakshmi & Muthukrishnan: 704-904-9454 Jayashree & Panduranga: 704-840-5949 Padma & Vijay: 704-287-3256
BCH Octoberfest: Concord, NC (October 12, 2025) Breast Cancer Hub presents its annual fundraiser on Sunday, October 12, 2025, at Odell Elementary School, 1885 Odell School Rd., Concord, NC from 11:30am – 3:30pm. Featuring food, fashion, games, henna, jewelry, vendors, and more. There will also be a dance competition. Free entry. For more details, visit Breastcancerhub.org.
ADMISSION: Members - FREE Gate entrance: $30 for adults $10 for Children (8-15 years of age) Zelle:
Keep up with all the events happening in our region with Saathee Magazine. The best way to find them is in these pages or online at our regularly updated events section: Saathee.com/events
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Tapping Into the Science… of Belief The Nine Billion Names of God
Mirror, Mirror by Jennifer Allen
Introductions were given to all of us as students to authors who had inspired many contemporary works we still enjoy. Writers like Asimov, Miller, Bradbury, and Gibson were explored over the span of 3 and a half months, and I suddenly felt like a bumbling novice when it came to my knowledge of the genre at large. Each one of these unique tales provided a deeper understanding of core fundamentals which make science-fiction what it is. And keep in mind this was 6 years before the world would even begin to accept and appreciate “geek culture” via a little film known as The Matrix… Out of all the great stories I read for this course, the one which stood out to me the most was a short story written in 1953 by Arthur C. Clarke. The Nine Billion Names of God is a brief read at a little over 20 pages and yet after finishing it, you are left with a both a sense of existential thoughtfulness and the looming dread surrounding human mortality. It is a tale which fuses the world of modern technology with ancient mysticism and even to this day sparks discussions regarding cosmology and astrophysics in regard to origins of the universe.
As a 19-year-old college sophomore, I felt like I’d already tapped into quite a variety of science-fiction and fantasy stories. I had already been watching the original Star Trek (thanks to my mother) since I was 6. I first watched Star Wars: A New Hope on cable TV when I was 9. I first caught Doctor Who reruns on PBS at 10. I read both The Hobbit and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in the same summer when I was 11. The Last Unicorn, both book and film adaptation, are still on my shelf to this day. I started playing Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (also encouraged by my mother) at 14. I think you get the picture… And yet it still seemed so unusual upon choosing my class schedule in 1993 to discover a 200-level Course dedicated to reading and discussing science-fiction literature. At first, I mistook it to be an “Easy A” class… with my young, smug attitude thinking I’d already seen and read enough to breeze through it. Contrarily, it ended up being one of the more difficult literature courses I’d ever partake in.
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Mirror continued on page 90
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September 2025
TThhee YYeeaarr o off tthhee CCoomm ppoossiittiioonn
Stories
I fully accept that things are more complex with ways we absorb, ambiently or attentively, words or pictures fed to us online. The sheer volume of it. (In looking for a statistic on just how much is getting made, I found myself lost trying to assess the credibility of sources, the reliability of self-styled experts branding themselves as researchers, and the usual slog of wondering if something is just too old to bring up: too many options.) When we talk about ‘what’s a good story,’ what are we talking about, now? Is it educational? Informational? Entertaining? Pre-internet, maybe. How about now though? Surely there must be more metrics on the carousel. Shocking? Juicy? Sensational? Shareworthy? Or: Will the algorithm like it? There was a time, at our small community newspaper’s office, we’d get together on a Monday morning, put on the kettle and brainstorm a list of story ideas for that week’s paper. There was a casualness to it, someone’d notice if we were out of milk and you’d hear, ‘I’ll just run to the store for a half-pint.’ We sat together and talked to each other in old school, zip diskette, newspaper making ways. Inevitably, something fun or light or ‘Did you hear?’ would come up, and we’d veer to that for the cover story. This idle catching-your-ear type of article would be one that made sense in the context of there, and then. We would ask questions of the people who knew things, we would draft, edit, revise and publish, every week, like that.
Kismuth and the Way II by Dipika Kohli It is five minutes to twelve noon in Phnom Penh and hazy with the exact kind of heat most of us will avoid at this hour. It is coolest in rooms with high ceilings but no matter what your setup, it’s a collective wait. Sure, there are stray motos and people on tuk tuks going places, or big cars, but by and large, you see less motion and commotion at this time of day. Does a place and time make a story? This question came up in reflecting on what to share with you here about ‘Composition.’ I realize it might be on the nose, ‘story,’ but we can’t fully address the art of composition, as I had set out to do in the Year of Composition, without prodding into the substance of what makes a story. To me it is the art of it, in other words, the heart of it, that lingers past a reading or recounting of a good story that is what I really love.
Kismuth continued on page 80
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September 2025
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September 2025
Jane Austen, pencil-andwatercolor sketch on paper by her sister, Cassandra Austen, c. 1810; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
Jane Austen: Relevance and Appeal multitude of events across the world to celebrate a literary genius who has left an enduring legacy and gained global recognition. The contrast between present-day United States and the context in which the fictional Bennet family lived is stark to the extreme. The U. S. widely recognized as a progressive and highly developed country, is acclaimed for its infrastructure, technological innovations, medical advances, diverse and delicious food, homeownership and efficient transportation. A diverse multi-cultural population and vibrant communities, and a penchant for innovation and building connections are also hallmarks of the US. In short, a world incredibly different from the social context that Jane Austen writes about. The question is why do tales of fictional characters and their everyday lives, their social customs, their family conflicts and relationships in rural England at the turn of the 19th century continue to captivate modern audiences? Jane Austen envisioned her writing process as small and precise. In a letter to her nephew in December 1816, she wrote: “What should I do with your strong, manly, spirited sketches, full of variety and glow? – How could I possibly join them on to the little bit (two inches wide) of ivory on
My Voice by Dr. Neelam Aggarwal
Which long-dead writers deserve to have the epithet “great” applied to them? It would be reasonable to say those whose creations have stood the test of time have endeared themselves to readers across the boundaries of time and place. They have been a source of inspiration to writers over the ages. By any measure, Jane Austen is a great writer. Her books have never been out of print and have been translated into numerous languages all over the world. Her phenomenal legacy is evident from the countless adaptations, spin-offs, sequels, parodies, performances, interpretations, and retellings of her books in writings and productions across films, theatres, television, and web series. Her fans, indeed, her devotees, have formed literary foundations and societies to foster appreciation and study of her work in countries ranging from North America to Brazil to India, Italy to Singapore, Japan to Mexico, Canada to Pakistan, to name a few. And in 2025, the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, there are a Saathee.com
Jane Austen continued on page 86 30
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Upcoming Movie Releases September 19 A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (Director: Kogonada) Cast: Margot Robbie, Colin Farrell, and Kevin Kline Jolly LLB 3 (Director: Subhash Kapoor) Cast: Akshay Kumar, Arshad Warsi, Huma Qureshi, and Amrita Rao The Summer Book (Director: Charlie McDowell) Cast: Glenn Close, Emily Matthews, and Anders Danielsen Lie
September 5 Baaghi 4 (Director: A Harsha) Cast: Tiger Shroff, Sanjay Dutt, Sonam Bajwa, and Harnaaz Sandhu
Nishaanchi (Director: Anurag Kashyap) Cast: Aaishvary Thackeray and Vedika Pinto
The Bengal Files (Director: Vivek Agnihotri) Cast: Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Puneet Issar, and Palomi Ghosh
Doin’ It (Director: Sara Zandieh) Cast: Lilly Singh, Sonia Dhillon Tully, and Mary Holland
Twinless (Director: James Sweeney) Cast: Dylan O’Brien, James Sweeney, Chris Perfetti, and Lauren Graham
September 26 One Battle After Another (Director: Paul Thomas Anderson) Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio del Toro, and Sean Penn
Mirai (Director: Karthik Gattamneni) Cast: Teja Sajja, Manoj Manchu, and Ritika Nayak
Haunted 3D: Ghosts Of the Past (Director: Vikram Bhatt) Cast: Mahaakshay Chakraborty and Chetna Pande
The Conjuring: Last Rites (Director: Michael Chaves) Cast: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, and Ben Hardy
September 12
All of You (Director: Scarlett Johansson) Cast: June Squibb, Jessica Hecht, and Chiwetel Ejiofor
Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari (Director: Shashank Khaitan) Cast: Varun Dhawan, Janhvi Kapoor, Sanya Malhotra, and Rohit Saraf
Akhanda 2: Thaandavam (Director: Boyapati Srinu) Cast: Nandamuri Balakrishna and Samyuktha Menon
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (Director: Simon Curtis) Cast: Simon Russell Beale, Hugh Bonneville, and Paul Giamatti
OG (Director: Sujeeth) Cast: Pawan Kalyan, Emraan Hashmi, and Arjun Das
October 3
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (Director: Rob Reiner) Cast: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, and Rob Reiner
Play Dirty (Director: Shane Black) Cast: Mark Wahlberg and LaKeith Stanfield Ek Deewane ki Deewaniyat (Director: Milap Zaveri) Cast: Harshvardhan Rane and Sonam Bajwa
The Long Walk (Director: Francis Lawrence) Cast: Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Judy Greer, and Mark Hamill
Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari (Director: Shashank Khaitan) Cast: Varun Dhawan, Janhvi Kapoor, Sanya Malhotra, and Rohit Saraf
Saathee.com/movies has the latest info on where the movies are showing or streaming. All dates subject to change. Saathee.com
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September 2025
p s m i l C l F i The Bengal Files The film is a journey through India’s most challenging historical period revealing the universal struggle for human dignity and the fundamental right to exist. The cast, Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Puneet Issar, and Palomi Ghosh is directed by Vivek Agnihotri. Look for it on September 5, 2025.
Nishaanchi Twin brothers, identical looks but different values, face brotherhood, betrayal, love, and redemption. Their paths weave through crime into a deeper story of human nature. Directed by Anurag Kashyap, the film stars Monika Panwar, Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub and Vedika Pinto. It will be released on September 19, 2025.
Code 3 Follows a paramedic that is so burnt-out by the job that he is forcing himself to resign, however, he first must embark on one last 24-hour shift to train his replacement. Directed by Christopher Leone and starring Rainn Wilson and Lil Rey Howery, the movie opens on September 12, 2025.
Jolly LLB 3
One Battle After Another
Two iconic lawyers return in this sequel to fight against the system in the pursuit of justice. Akshay Kumar, Arshad Warsi, Huma Qureshi, and Amrita Rao star in the Subhash Kapoor directed film. It opens on September 19, 2025.
When their evil enemy resurfaces after 16 years, a group of ex-revolutionaries reunite to rescue one of their own’s daughter. Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio del Toro, and Sean Penn star in the Paul Thomas Anderson directed movie that opens on September 26, 2025.
Waltzing with Brando Movie star Marlon Brando recruits a Los Angeles architect to build the world’s first ecologically perfect retreat on a small, uninhabited island in Tahiti. Bill Fishman directs Richard Dreyfuss, Tia Carrere and Billy Zane in the film that opens on September 19, 2025.
OG
bai’s g from Mum After vanishin boss ob m , r a decade underworld fo ing ek se es ac resurf Ojas Gambheera lords. nst rival crime vengeance agai yan, s Pawan Kal Sujeeth direct in as D i, and Arjun Emraan Hashm on s en op drama that the dark crime 25. 20 , September 26
Movie release dates subject to change. Saathee.com
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September 2025
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September 2025
Be a Soothe Sayer or a Sooth Sayer
“Poly tics”! Emotions that are viscerally felt by someone are visually felt by those around them. The writing is on the face. Literally. It often manifests as grimaces, scowls, tics, and, sometimes, even growls that cause people around to draw back, startled from an unexpected level of reaction. Also, the range of subjects that seem to stimulate such behavior might be much more than at most other times in history. People often ascribe the difficulties in communicating with others to “politics”. However, that word doesn’t seem to fully connote the range and degree of what we see nowadays. So, a new term, “poly tics’ may be a useful framing that captures the more aggravated sense of politics on steroids that is rampant. Pretty much everything is “poly tics” nowadays. Whether it is the economics behind trade tariffs, the science behind viruses, the statistics behind carbon-dioxide, the philosophy behind nationhood, the morality behind crime and punishment, or even the biological basis for gender. The trouble with all these disciplines such as science, statistics, etc. are that they are often used to imbue human wordplay with a false sense of rigor and truth. Co-opting these disciplines for motivated ends simultaneously super-charges these with “poly tics” for those who attempt to discuss these things and erodes the value of the disciplines themselves by presenting the spectacle of how these are contorted and twisted to achieve whatever ends are desired by those who play fast and loose with these things.
Thinking About Thinking by Balaji Prasad
“This above all – to thine own self be true.” ~ William Shakespeare, in Hamlet Is it possible to have unfettered freedom of speech? Maybe. But there’s some fine print that goes with this answer. It depends on the audience! If you are talking about your own self as the audience, then maybe, yes. Surely, you can say things to yourself that would not cut through your emotions like a knife, or which would not conflict with things that you believe in with the deepest conviction? Alas, even with this trusted audience of one, you may find recalcitrance. There are things that many people wouldn’t even bring themselves to admit to their own selves. So, you can’t even count on your own self to be a willing receiver of some words that may hold potential truths. Then how on earth could you contemplate that others would be likely to receive what you say? Especially when emotions are high and unexamined beliefs are held to be gospel truths. It is possible that emotions and convictions in the population at large is at one of its highest points in history. Why?
Thinking continued on page 82
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September 2025
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Bridging Worlds: My Study Abroad Experience in Switzerland through the Gilman Scholarship
During my 10-day study abroad program, I visited several places that deepened my understanding of global health. From museums that told stories of the history of medicine to organizations tackling today’s infectious diseases, one thing became clear: healthcare and medicine are not just about doctors and hospitals; it’s about access, equity, and the systems that work to connect people worldwide. Speaking of connecting people worldwide, visiting the Moulage Museum in Zurich certainly made me feel more connected to humans than I had ever felt before. It housed wax model replicas of over 100 disease symptoms that had been observed on the people who actually had them. This experience was both haunting and humbling at the same time. Seeing the precise, lifelike detail of skin diseases, tumors, and infections, along with hand-drawn microscopic images of the pathogens causing them, reminded me that behind every condition is a person, a life, a story.
My Voice by Nidhi Panchal
Beautiful snow-capped Alps and lush green fields filled with cows wearing the famous DDLJ cowbells were what I always imagined when I thought of Switzerland. Even though the country was exactly that, it was also so much more. It was a place that taught me to understand the bigger picture of medicine and healthcare. It also helped me see my future role in the healthcare field in a new light because by the end of the program, I saw myself working in a medical laboratory as a part of a global network of people trying to improve lives. This trip pushed me to look beyond textbooks and learn from human stories, struggles, and triumphs that were so intriguingly explained via museum displays and company conferences.
Bridging Worlds continued on page 72 Saathee.com
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September 2025
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Festival Foods inflammatory, immune boosting properties that help prepare the body for the cold winter months. Cinnamon and fenugreek seeds have been shown to help lower blood sugars and cholesterol. Saffron is wonderful for eye health and for lowering cholesterol.
Nutrition for Life by Parul Kharod
The festival season is approaching. Our daily foods are replaced by delicacies that are enjoyed on these special occasions. Festivals are a celebration of religion, culture, and traditions. Each festival has its own unique customs, and special treats and delicacies. We want to keep the traditions alive. In fact, it is important to celebrate these festivals so the cultures and traditions can be passed on to the next generation and not be forgotten.
Ghee: According to Ayurveda, ghee calms the pitta dosha. Black chana: A traditional prasad during Navratri, desi chana is rich in fiber, protein, iron, and other minerals, and can provide sustained energy and balanced blood sugars throughout the day. It may be a good idea to swap some ingredients and see if a recipe can be modified to not lose the tradition and yet avoid causing blood sugar spikes or other imbalances during festival season.
Health Benefits of Festival Foods & Healthy Swaps All Festival foods are not unhealthy. There are many ingredients that are eaten during festivals that have many Sugar: Try to avoid sweets made with white sugar. Opt for nutritional benefits. less sweet items made with jaggery or dates. Sweeter spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg can be used to Jaggery: Jaggery has more vitamins and minerals than white enhance the taste while keeping the sugar low. sugar. However, jaggery is still sweet and so we need to be mindful of the amount. Simple starches: Rawa & Maida are simple starches without fiber that cause sugar spikes. Choose to make halwa Sesame seeds: White, and especially black, sesame seeds are from carrot, dudhi, moong dal or ragi instead of rawa/atta. a rich source of minerals, including calcium. Choose besan based sweets instead of plain flour. Nuts, peanuts, and seeds: These are great sources of Nuts & seeds: Modak and other sweets can be made with protein, fiber, minerals, and healthy fats. nut flour instead of atta to increase protein and reduce simple starches. Spices: Dried ginger, black pepper, cardamom, nutmeg, saffron, and all such spices have a wealth of antiNutrition continued on page 92 Saathee.com
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September 2025
Housing Correction and Structural Flows into the Stock Market
Redfin reports that there are currently 34% more sellers than buyers. This is the most sellers have outpaced buyers since 2013. Homebuilder supply is 70% greater than normal or the sixth most in history at 9.8 months. Homebuilder stocks are down nearly 20% in the last year. The XLRE (S&P real estate ETF) relative to the S&P is at lows going back to 2009. More than one in four listings got a price cut in June. Investor demand is falling as cap rates are not much above Treasury yields. AI will likely be a source of worry for many workers, which will make them more cautious in making a large purchase. The administration as we head into the midterms next year will make housing affordability a major priority. Historically, when house prices started to decline, they declined for years to come and declined meaningfully. Housing and AI are drivers of disinflation; One Big Beautiful Bill and the AI datacenter boom are the drivers of growth. Each of which will add approximately 1% to GDP growth for the coming quarters. For now, at least, there is a virtuous cycle. AI will be a deflationary force, which will allow deficit spending to continue and the Fed to cut rates. The market is picking up on it. Deficits allow companies to grow the top line, while AI allows them to expand margins. That is exactly what we are seeing from earnings reports. Revenue is growing at 5%, earnings at 10%, and margins are near all-time highs at 13% on their way to 14% next year. The S&P is the nation’s retirement and savings scheme. The economy is levered to the stock market. The equity
Eye on the Markets by Ketu Desai While the headlines are focused on tariffs and inflation, the overwhelming trend is disinflation. This will be driven by mean reversion in housing, structurally lower oil prices, and AI driven wage and service deflation. The 5YR breakeven rate (a proxy for inflation over the next 5YRs) is in line with its average coming out of the Great Financial Crisis. Housing will come increasingly into focus over the coming months. Housing has a roughly one-third weight in CPI. It could be a major deflationary force. The average home price is up over 50% in the last five years, creating the most unaffordable housing market in history. A 20% down payment on a single-family home now represents a whopping 100% of annual household income. It could be argued that it is one of the biggest housing bubbles in history. We are seeing early signs that it is starting to burst. The Case-Shiller Home Price index has declined three months in a row, including during the important spring selling season. According to Zillow’s Home Value Index, prices have declined two percent at an annual rate over the last three months. In certain geographies such as in Florida, Arizona, California, and Texas prices are trending down more viciously. Saathee.com
Eye on Markets continued on page 94 46
September 2025
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September 2025
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Captivating Dances of Rajasthan Dances of India
giving you a spectacular dimension. The movie Padmavati has an amazing and spectacular representation of the Ghoomar dance. It is very rare to see such beautiful and pure dance styles in Bollywood. Then there is a dance of chivalry called Geendad. This is an exclusively male dance requiring years of experience as they carry swords or sticks and jump and exchange positions in a circle. These are real swords making it a dangerous dance form like the martial arts of Kerala. The same kind of precision is needed as they also do fire dances where they eat fire and jump through the fire rings. Yes! Like at the Renaissance festival. The other exclusively male dance is the Gair. It was originally performed only by men but has now developed into an inclusive dance form. However, usually men and women dance in separate circles. Men wear long, pleated tunics that open out into full-length skirts. Here when they are dancing it seems as if they are depicting a scene from war front.
by Dr. Maha Gingrich When we think of Rajasthan, we think of beautiful palaces shown in movies like Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. We also see the elaborate royal clothing and jewelry. As a dancer when I think of Rajasthan, I think of the pirouettes, swirls, acrobatic movements, and incredible costumes with vibrant colors, the intricate folk jewelry, timeless and diverse dances. Rajasthani dances require not only grace, but also elegance, flexibility, acrobatic moves, and dynamic music filled with toe-tapping tempo. A few years ago, when we did the Ghoomar dance during Dances of India production, people were spellbound. Ghoomar, which means going in circles, was originally restricted to be performed only by Rajput women (the royal families). Here the ladies dance with elegant hand movements wearing colorful lahangas or large skirts. As they go in circles the skirts flare beautifully Saathee.com
Dances of India continued on page 88 50
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The Fallacy of Immigration “Court” Immigration Matters by Rishi P. Oza
The Trump Administration’s push to ramp up deportation has thus far been a mixed record, although the Administration is going through great lengths to publicize its deportation efforts. This push continues to highlight the ridiculous idea that the Immigration Courts are, in fact, courts – they are not. The Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR), a branch of the US Department of Justice, is an executive branch agency just like US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and is not an independent court system housed under Article I of the US Constitution. This makes the court system dysfunctional and antithetical to our nation’s basic idea of justice, equality and separation of powers. The structure of the Immigration Courts is relatively unique. The court system, as thought of by the public atlarge, is an independent and co-equal branch of government with the legislature (i.e. Congress) and the executive (i.e. President). As a co-equal branch, the courts are designed to Saathee.com
function without having undue influence from these other branches and capable of making decisions that are fair and just. As such, when a regular individual walks into her local US District Court, she can be assured that the government attorney (employed by the US Department of Justice, which is part of the executive branch) does not hold any sway over the court itself and cannot direct any particular outcome over the proceedings. Herein lies the problem with the Immigration Courts, given its place as a subagency of the US Department of Justice. In an immigration court proceeding, the government attorney represents the US Department of Homeland Security, an agency that is controlled by the President; since both the DOJ and DHS are both executive branch agencies, under the direct control of the President, immigration judges have a clear incentive to avoid bucking the whims of the President. The Trump Administration has repeatedly removed immigration judges that it sees as insufficiently loyal to its aim of maximizing deportations, which as a result, bends the purpose of the court from the fair and even-handed
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September 2025
OB3 Big and Beautiful: Part 1
$31,500 for joint filers) on top of the inflation-adjusted permanent amount. The enhanced amounts are effective for tax years beginning in 2025. State and Local Tax (SALT) Deduction Cap: A limitation on the amount of state and local taxes that can be deducted on federal income tax returns. The $10,000 cap is temporarily increased to $40,000 for tax years 2025 through 2029. This amount will increase by 1% annually during this period. Effective for tax years beginning in 2025 to 2030. There is an income phaseout limit to benefit from this extended cap. Enhanced Deduction for Seniors: An additional deduction for older taxpayers. For tax years 2025 through 2028, individuals aged 65 or older can claim an additional $6,000 deduction per qualifying individual. Effective for tax years 2025 through 2028. There is an income phaseout limit for this deduction. Child Tax Credit (CTC): A credit reducing tax liability for families with qualifying children. The base $2,000 per child credit (from TCJA) is made permanent, preventing its scheduled reversion to $1,000 after 2025. For tax years 2025 through 2028, there’s a temporary additional $200 per child, increasing the maximum to $2,200 per child. There are phaseout limits for high-income taxpayers. “Trump Accounts”: A new savings vehicle designed to provide a financial head start for newborns. For children born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, the federal government provides a one-time $1,000 contribution to a newly established account. Families can also contribute up to $5,000 annually. The account grows tax-deferred, with
Financially Speaking by Rupa Pereira FAANG, MAGA, FOMO, YOLO - you may be familiar with these acronyms. How about adding to that list? TCJA was the previous big tax bill that was passed on December 31, 2017, and was scheduled to sunset on December 31, 2025. Of course, the administration that passed TCJA 1.0 is now back in office and was able to pass another significant piece of legislation TCJA 2.0 or more correctly: OBBBA, aka OB3 or One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” is a new law that changes a lot of things about taxes and government programs covering Social Security to tips, student loans to auto loans and domestic investments to foreign businesses. It’s definitely keeping tax and financial professionals on their toes in that which provisions affects their clients and how. Over the course of the next few months, I’ll try to unpack some significant portions of this legislation. In no order, following are a few things affecting individuals. Individual Income Tax Rates: The lower individual income tax rates (10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, 37%) from the TCJA are made permanent. Consider no change to your current tax brackets if there’s no change to income. Standard Deduction: The increased standard deduction amounts from the TCJA are made permanent. For tax year 2025, there’s a slight increase (e.g., $15,750 for single filers, Saathee.com
Financially Speaking continued on page 88 54
September 2025
Spot the Differences See if you can spot the 15 differences between the original photo on top and modified below. (Solution on page 104)
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September 2025
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September 2025
“It’s All Small Stuff”
A Reflection on Perspective, Stress, and Mindset Mindful Masala by Hiren Deliwala At Second Innings, our bi-weekly thinking group of likeminded couples, we meet to explore ideas that challenge us to grow emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. A few weeks ago, we took up a book that’s simple in its message but profound in its impact: Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff… and It’s All Small Stuff by Dr. Richard Carlson. What followed was a rich, personal, and surprisingly relatable conversation about what “small stuff” really means—and how hard it is, sometimes, not to sweat it. The core idea of the book is easy to understand: Don’t let the little things in life ruin your peace. But when we unpacked it together, we quickly realized that the definition of “small stuff” is incredibly subjective. One of us shared how making the bed each morning or having stuff on the countertop is a small thing to him, easily overlooked. But to his partner, it’s a big deal, almost symbolic of order and care. On the other hand, he gets worked up over planning vacations, needing everything to be figured out in advance, while his partner is perfectly fine with figuring things out spontaneously. What’s small to one person can feel big to another, which is especially true for couples. Saathee.com
There was also a lot of good-natured couples’ banter throughout the session—some of us (mostly me) tried using the book as a philosophical escape route from household chores. The basic argument was that I’m not skipping the dishes—I’m focusing on higher things. It met the same result as it usually does at home: it didn’t go anywhere. Apparently, not sweating the small stuff does not mean someone else magically folds the laundry. That brought us to an important discovery and realization. Carlson’s message isn’t about ignoring life or avoiding responsibilities. It’s not a free pass to be careless or passive. Instead, it’s about how we hold these small things— what emotional weight we give them, and whether we allow them to disturb our peace. One line from the book talks about control: “When you let go of your need to control everything, you open yourself up to peace and calm.” That’s easier said than done, especially when you’re the one caught in the middle of something that feels big. Many of us reflected on how easy it is to stay calm when something inconvenient happens to someone else. A canceled flight or a missed deadline? You might tell a friend, “Don’t worry about it, these things happen.” But when it happens to you, the mind goes to a different place altogether. The stress, the blame, the analysis, all takes over. And in that moment, the idea that “it’s all small stuff” feels far from true. In my experience, that signal from the brain—the one that says “relax, this is not a big deal”—just doesn’t arrive.
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Mindful Masala continued on page 94 September 2025
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September 2025
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September 2025
News Notes
The NISAR satellite, jointly developed by NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), is encapsulated in the nose cone of ISRO’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, which stands on the launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India. Photo credit: ISRO
The unique dual-band Synthetic Aperture Radar of NISAR employs advanced, novel SweepSAR technique, which provides high resolution and large swath imagery. NISAR will image the global land and ice-covered surfaces, including islands, sea-ice every 12 days. NISAR mission’s primary objectives are to study land & ice deformation, land ecosystems, and oceanic regions in areas of common interest to the US and Indian science communities. NISAR mission will help to - measure the woody biomass and its changes - track changes in the extent of active crops - understand the changes in wetlands’ extent - map Greenland’s & Antarctica’s ice sheets, dynamics of sea ice and mountain glaciers - characterize land surface deformation related to seismicity, volcanism, landslides, and subsidence & uplift associated with changes in subsurface aquifers, hydrocarbon reservoirs, etc.
NISAR: NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar Mission Our home planet is constantly changing in a variety of ways — some subtle, others dramatic. The NISAR mission will enable us to comprehensively monitor Earth’s land and ice surfaces, building a detailed record of large and small changes over time. Short for NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, NISAR will help scientists better understand processes involved in natural hazards and catastrophic events, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and landslides. The NISAR satellite’s cloud-penetrating ability will help the urgent-response communities during weather disasters such as hurricanes, storm surge, and flooding. It will also provide key global Earth observations such as changes in ice sheets, glaciers, and sea ice, as well as improve understanding of how deforestation, permafrost loss, and fires affect the carbon cycle. NISAR is an equal collaboration between NASA and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) and marks the first time the two agencies have cooperated on hardware development for an Earth-observing mission. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in Pasadena, California, leads the U.S. component of the project and is providing the mission’s L-band SAR. NASA is also providing the radar reflector antenna, the deployable boom, a high-rate communication subsystem for science data, GPS receivers, a solidstate recorder, and payload data subsystem. U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) in Bengaluru, which leads the ISRO component of the mission, is providing the spacecraft bus, the launch vehicle, and associated launch services and satellite mission operations. ISRO’s Space Applications Centre in Amdavad is providing the Sband SAR electronics. NISAR was launched in late July 2025. The mission lifted off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, on India’s southeastern coast. NISAR is the first of its kind mission. It is an L and S-band, global, microwave imaging mission, with capability to acquire fully polarimetric and interferometric data. Saathee.com
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WhatsApp Channel for U.S. Citizens in India U.S. citizens who reside or travel in India can now choose to receive alerts and relevant updates of interest from the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in India via WhatsApp. The channel will repost Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) announcements but does not replace STEP enrollment. Use of this channel is completely voluntary. To follow the “U.S. Citizen Consular Information: INDIA” WhatsApp Channel, use the link below or find it on WhatsApp. You can unfollow the channel at any time. “U.S. Citizen Consular Information: INDIA” is the only official WhatsApp channel for American Citizen Services in India. Info: In.usembassy.gov. Search for WhatsApp channel for US citizens.
DC Area South Asian Film Festival 2025 The DC South Asian Arts Council is provides opportunities to South Asian artists to showcase talent via films, dance, books and art. They bring together a diverse mix of artists with South Asian heritage and promote, build awareness and provide South Asian cultural programming. This year the film festival is from September 5 – 7, 2025 and on Wednesday September 17, 2025, there will be a performance by Sarod Maestro Amjad Ali Khan and Family, Sarod Quintet, Three Generations, One Legacy. Info: Dcsaaci.org. September 2025
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September 2025
North Carolina Municipal Elections 2025
New Federal Law Expands Access to Short-Term Book Reviews Job Training for North Carolinians
North Carolina has more than 550 cities, towns, and villages. These are also known as municipalities, or local governments, which make decisions about development, policing, trash service, local taxation, and other issues that affect voters’ daily lives. Most municipalities in North Carolina conduct elections in odd-numbered years, including 2025. This is when voters choose who will represent them in local government offices, such as mayor and councilperson. Some municipalities may also conduct referenda on property tax or other matters. In Charlotte two Indian American women are contesting for City Council at Large positions, Dimple Ajmera and Namrata Yadav. In 2025, there are three municipal election dates in NC: Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025 (Partisan primary): Forsyth County: Rural Hall, Tobaccoville; Lee County: Sanford; Mecklenburg County: Charlotte. Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 (Second primary, primary election, or general election, depending on election method): Various municipalities. Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025 (General election or runoff, depending on election method): Various municipalities Early voting is available. For details visit, Ncsbe.org.
By Samir Shukla
Beginning in July 2026, the newThere Workforce Grant are two Pell commonalities that can bring the world program will allow eligible together, break down barriers and maybe bring some students of to peace use between federal squabbling societies. They are semblance financial aidloved, for short-term, universally where people can sit together and enjoy training programs—some as is music and the other food. life’s simple pleasures. One short as eight weeks Here are two books, one India-centric and the other depending on that instructional Pakistan-centric dive into the culinary specialties of the hours and program programs lead directly to two countries. Comedesign. sit andThese let’s eat. jobs in high-demand fields like healthcare, engineering and advanced manufacturing, and transportation, and Dal trades Chawal information technology. Author: Sapna Panjabi “This is a major step(Hardie forwardGrant in making higher education ) more accessible and responsive to today’s The two foundational vegetarian foods workforce said cooking, Dr. JeffareCox, of India, andneeds,” South Asian the Presidentcooked of the North widely partners dal Carolina (pulses, lentils, legumes) and chawal (rice).“North Sapna Community College System. Panjabi, a Mumbai native now residing in Carolina’s community colleges have been Dallas, presents recipes exploring the preparing for this85 moment—modernizing myriad possibilities of this combination. programs, forming employer They are easyand to follow, with background partnerships, positioning students for info andinphotos. as well as spicy success today’sSweets economy. Expanding goodies and perennial comfort foods like khichdi the Pell Grants to include short-term workforce traininggive directly simple dal chawal combo a whole new life. These are not supports the goals of Propel NC—our statewide plan to just dal chawal recipes, she brings in many other ingredients modernize community colleges through programs, funding, to to this foundation include,high-wage Khaman andadd business models alignedand withrecipes high-demand, Dhokla, Dal landmark makhani,expansion Bhuga Chawar and Mumbai careers. This of Pell eligibility helps bhelpuri. DalCarolinians chawal are Indian staples, butcredentials, the possibilities more North gain skills, earn and and combinations are anything butfor routine. connect to opportunity. It’s a win students, employers, span across the Subcontinent, andRecipes communities our state.” from Rawalpindi in Pakistan to South India, Bengal, andthe North India. U.S. Senator Ted BuddGujarat, (R-NC) introduced legislation The added benefit of this book are explanations of each type earlier this year. Other members of North Carolina’s of dal along with Ayurveda Notes she adds to each recipe, congressional delegation have voiced support for expanding noting the six Ayurvedic tastes as education. per recipe. The effort has Pell access to workforce-focused received bipartisan support in recent years, with sponsored Pakistan and co-sponsored legislation from both Senator Thom Tillis Author: Maryam and Congresswoman Virginia Foxx.Jillani ( Hardie Grant ) “As we work to strengthen America’s workforce, I’m Maryam Jillani foodPELL writer, proud that the coreisofa my Actborn has and raised in Islamabad, who has traveled been signed into law,” said U.S. Senator wide and currently in Manilla. She Ted Budd. “In just resides eight weeks, students has gathered recipes from her native can earn in-demand credentials suited for Pakistan into this lively and informative today’s evolving labor market, setting them book. She brings into focus many of the on a path to pursue good-paying jobs and historical backgrounds and common foods family-sustaining careers. Investing in our that overlap India and Pakistan, different workforce is one of the most powerful ways regional foods that also influence others, to secure long-term economic growth in from Sindh to the Northwest Frontier Province, along the North Carolina and beyond.” coast and river communities. Previously, Pell Grants could only be used for There are over a hundred recipes. Some will be familiar curriculum-based programs lasting at least 15 weeks. Under to Indian cooks, others will seem more exotic. Jillani deftly this landmark expansion, students enrolled in approved covers the culinary traditions and habits of each region. short-term, non-degree at eligible institutions— Raitas, chutneys, street programs foods, breads, rice and many fish including North Carolina’s 58 community colleges—can and meat recipes are here in cultural and regional context. receive that helps cover tuition, andwritten other Theresupport are many cookbooks about India. fees, She has expenses. an encompassing book about Pakistan’s varied foods, a To in prepare forIt’s the launch of to Workforce PellThis by July 1, rarity the field. a love letter her heritage. would 2026—aligned with the start of the 2026–2027 academic make a solid addition to any foodie’s bookshelf.
Jaipur Literature Festival NC 2025 The Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF), held annually in the historic Pink City of Jaipur in Rajasthan, India, is hailed worldwide as the “greatest literary show on Earth.” Since its founding in 2006, JLF has expanded to include satellite festivals in nine locations across the globe, including six in the United States. Last year’s inaugural JLF-NC was a success. This year’s Festival will take place on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (September 26 – 27, 2025) and the Chapel Hill Library (September 28). Both venues are strategically located in the Research Triangle—known for its top-tier universities, tech industries, and rich cultural scene. The Carolina Asia Center and the Modern Indian Studies Initiative have announced that JLF-NC 2025 will feature William Dalrymple (on his new book The Golden Road), Kiran Desai (on her forthcoming novel The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny), UNC Professor Kathleen DuVal (on her Pulitzer Prize winning book Native Nations), author and actor Kal Penn, and other international thought leaders. The festival will also include music and dance performances, and workshops. JLF-NC 2025 is organized by UNC’s Carolina Asia Center in collaboration with Teamwork Arts in India and made possible by the support of Modern Indian Studies, the College of Arts and Sciences, and Carolina Performing Arts at the University of NC at Chapel Hill, South Arts, and local donors. Info: Asia.unc.edu/event/jlf2025/ Saathee.com
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September 2025
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September 2025
How to Approach the Personal Statement: A Straighforward Guide Choosing the Right Prompt: Does It Matter? Short answer: Not really. Longer answer: Write the story you want to tell first, then College Admissions Insider decide which Common App prompt it fits under. Treat the by Kristen Moon prompts like a set of flexible guidelines rather than strict categories. Most prompts are broad enough to accommodate almost any essay, so focus on your story and For many students, personal statements are one of the your voice. Let the form follow the function. most daunting parts of the college application process. At 650 words, it’s short—but it carries a lot of weight. This one Brainstorming Your Topic If you’re staring at a blank page, here are three simple, essay will be sent to nearly every school on your list via the Common App or Coalition App, and it’s often the first real effective ways to start brainstorming: opportunity for admissions officers to get a sense of who ● 10 things you wish a college knew about you ● 10 quirks, skills, or random things you consider yourself you are beyond your grades and test scores. That said, it’s crucial to understand that many schools an expert in will also ask for supplemental essays. These are additional ● 10 objects that are meaningful to you—and why prompts that may touch on your interest in a particular Don’t worry if none of these feel like “the perfect topic.” major, community values, or your fit for a specific program. The point of brainstorming is to get ideas flowing, not to To avoid redundancy or running out of ideas, map out all strike gold on the first try. Often, you’ll find your best the essays you’ll need to write before diving into the personal statement. Planning ahead helps you avoid material buried in the second or third idea—not the first. repeating the same story across multiple prompts.
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College continued on page 80
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September 2025
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September 2025
of the world still face huge obstacles like war, drought, diseases, lack of education, and even basic medical care. While I was there, I saw a poster that said, “You can’t do it Unlike textbook diagrams that I grew up learning from, alone.” That really stuck with me, and it sums up the reality these moulages were human. They reflected the history of that addressing these global issues requires collaboration, human suffering, resilience, and the need for compassion in cooperation, and not just between organizations and healthcare. As someone pursuing a career in Medical governments, but also with communities themselves. These Laboratory Science, I came out of that museum with a basic issues, like poverty, lack of education, and weak social renewed sense of empathy and purpose. Now that we have support systems, can ultimately be worked on to transition advanced healthcare, it is more important to understand into better access to healthcare for these communities, giving that technology and treatments mean nothing without the them better health overall. people we serve. With that being the last visit in our program, I was Zurich was the first of the three reminded that healthcare is more cities, and after witnessing such a raw, about compassion, equity, and patient-centered depiction of diseases providing aid to those in need. My at the Moulage Museum, I found perspective also shifted in that I was myself surrounded by centuries-old able to see the bigger picture of what remedies, handwritten prescriptions, a career in healthcare means. This trip and intricate glassware at the felt deeply personal to me as it Pharmacy Museum in Basel. Known changed how I view my future role, for being a hub of science, culture, and inspiring me to not only focus on the art, Basel seemed to be a fitting place science side of it but also contribute to to host such a collection. The Anatomy improving access while keeping in Museum only added more to the mind that my work can help someone city’s scientific allure. There were real heal. I found myself building human organs stored in glass jars with confidence as I learned more about informative explanations, and I navigating a different country, couldn’t help but think about how making new friends, and learning much dedication has gone into from instructors and tour guides in a understanding the entire human body different format than a classroom. over centuries. Thanks to that, we are To further add to the list of reasons now able to better diagnose, treat, and why this trip was deeply personal, I heal. was also the only South Asian From Basel, our journey took us to American student in my group of 35 Geneva. Renowned for many people. I often felt that I carried with international organizations, me a cultural understanding of the companies, and headquarters, Geneva is With our tour guide in Rheinfelden, importance of community, resilience, dressed as a plague doctor for the also home to the World Health and care for others. These were also historical Plague Tour. Organization (WHO). This visit was the some of the main lessons I learned most special to me because of how significant the WHO is through this program. Along with strengthening my and how big an opportunity it was to be able to learn about academic and career aspirations, these experiences have also global health issues and policies from the experts fueled my desire to bridge cultural perspectives in themselves. We learned about how they dealt with COVID- healthcare. 19 and other outbreaks like Ebola and Tuberculosis, with One of the biggest reasons I applied for the Gilman one of their biggest challenges being funding and support Scholarship was that it values diversity and provides from various countries, while also coordinating emergency opportunities for students from different backgrounds to responses and politics. pursue international education. I thought it was a great way As general public, most people tend to think of these to represent my community as well as my field of study, all organizations as distant and bureaucratic but talking with while gaining global insight and learning from experts in the experts directly involved showed me the human effort the public health field. behind the scenes. This was vital to understand that Thanks to the Gilman Scholarship, I was able to access a cooperation is the key to ensuring the most vulnerable life-changing experience that broadened my perspective and populations get the care they need. strengthened my career goals. I returned home not just with All of these visits gradually made me understand the memories, but with a mission I will see through. positive side of healthcare and medical help in general. However, during my visit to the International Museum of Nidhi Panchal the Red Cross and the Red Crescent, I realized that a huge is a third-year student of Biological Sciences at the part of the global health crisis comes down to a lack of University of South Carolina, Columbia, with a strong resources, access, and widespread poverty. Sure, the interest in healthcare innovation, equity, and community organizations and the government do their part to provide impact. Contact: npanchal2117@gmail.com access, but the reality is that many communities in all parts
Bridging Worlds
continued from page 42
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September 2025
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Saathee RECIPES
by Purvee Shukla
Kala Chana
Kala chana (black chickpeas) are the desi variety of chickpeas that are brown to black in color. They are a versatile and nutritious legume commonly used in Indian and South Asian cuisines. This rich source of plant-based protein and dietary fiber makes a valuable addition to vegetarian and vegan diets. You can incorporate it into salads or add it to soups and stews for flavor and texture. You will love this delicious, deeply flavored dish that is healthy and grandma-approved, which makes for a great meal anytime of the year.
Ingredients
Directions
Servings: 2 - 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cooking Time: 25 - 30 minutes
Boiled kala chana (black chickpeas)- 2 cups (Soak Boil kala chana (black chickpeas) in a pressure cooker for about 8-10 whistles on overnight and then cook) medium flame. Oil - 2 tbsp In a pan, heat oil and ghee together. Then add onion and sauté it until golden Ghee - 1 tbsp brown. Add hing and cumin. Then add bay leaf, cloves, garlic together and sauté Onion chopped - 1 for 1 minute. Then add tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes on medium Tomato chopped - 1 Garlic - 1 clove flame. Bay leaf - 1 After it’s cooked, add all the masala - turmeric, red chili, dhanajeeru powder & Cloves - 2-3 garam masala. Add a little bit of water so that masala doesn’t get burned, cook for Cumin - 1 tsp about 1 min, then add boiled kala chana and salt to taste. You can add a little bit of Hing - pinch boiled kala chana water to maintain consistency and gravy if you want. Let it cook Salt to taste Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp in the masala for 5-8 minutes on low flame. Red chili powder - 1 tsp Garnish it with cilantro and a little bit of fresh cream or yogurt. Enjoy it with Naan Dhanajeeru powder - 1tsp or Basmati rice and prepare yourself for a tasty meal. Garam masala - 1tsp Cilantro for garnish For more recipes, visit Saathee.com/recipes Saathee.com
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September 2025
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HINDU CENTER Support Hindu Center Expansion Leave a Lasting Memory on HC Wall.
Sponsor Plates for $1001, $5,001, $10,001, $25,001 or more Expansion project update: Work Completed: Grading, Parking Lot , foundation, stone work inside and outside. Work Continues: Main Shikhar and electrical.
2025 MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
Annual Membership: $101, Students & Seniors $31 Become life member for $1001!
Upcoming Hindu Center Events & Activities: Ratri before Navratri: September 6th, Saturday at The Park Expo Anant Chaturdashi: September 6th, Saturday Navratri – Sthapana: Garba - September 22nd, Monday to October 1st, Wednesday in Temple September 26th, Friday & September 27th, Saturday at Park Expo Durga Ashtami Havan: September 30th, Tuesday Navratri Visarjan: October 1st, Wednesday Vijaya Dashmi: October 2nd, Thursday Children's Garba: October 5th, Sunday at Vihar Hall Sharad Purnima: October 10th, Friday with Garba at Vihar Hall Pran Pratishta Coming Soon: Sponsor by clicking BOTH QR codes to select which Murti you wish to perform the Pran Pratishta: or call the temple: 704-535-3440
HINDU CENTER OF CHARLOTTE 7400 City View Drive, Charlotte, NC 28212 704-535-3440 email: administrator@hcclt.org Fax. 704-535-6923
OF CHARLOTTE 43rd Anniversary Navratri Celebrations – 2025 Ratri before Navratri: September 6th at the Park Expo Navratri: Mon. Sept 22nd to Wed. Oct. 1st in Temple (Fri. Sept 26th & Sat. Sept 27th at Park Expo) Dashera: Oct 2nd, Lord Sri Ram Abhisekham 6:30 pm, Ravan Dahan 7:30 pm Children’s Garba: Sunday, Oct 5th (Vihar Hall) Sharad Purnima: Friday, Oct 10th (Vihar Hall) Special Event
Aarti
Sept 22nd, Mon
Seeding of Jawara: Puja 11 am to Noon
Noon
Sept 22nd, Mon
STHAPNA: Puja 6 to 7, Stuti 7 to 7.30
Date / Day
Garba (Location & Artists)
7:30 pm
8 - 9 pm (Temple)
Sept 23rd, Tues - 25th, Thurs Stuti: 6:30 to 7 Puja: 7 to 7:30
7:30 pm
8 - 9 pm (Temple)
Sept 26th, Fri - 27th, Sat
Stuti: 5:30 to 6 Puja: 6 to 6:30
6:30 pm
7 - 7:30 pm (Temple) Park Expo 8 pm - 1 am (Indian Group)
Sept 28th, Sun - 29th, Mon
Stuti: 6:30 to 7 Puja: 7 to 7:30
7:30 pm
8 - 9 pm (Temple)
Sept 30th,Tues
ASTHAMI HAVAN: 6 to 7 pm
7:30 pm
8 - 9 pm (Temple)
Oct 1st, Wed
Stuti: 6:30 to 7 Puja: 7 to 7:30
7:30 pm
8 - 9 pm (Temple) followed by Visarjan
Oct 2nd, Thurs
DASHERA / VIJYADASMI Ravan Dahan 7:30 pm Lord Sri Ram Abhisekham 6 to 7 pm Lord Sri Ram Darshan: 7:45 pm - 8:45 pm Children’s Garba Sharad Purnima
7:00 pm
Oct 5th, Sun Oct 10th, Fri
6:00 pm 7:30 pm
Ram Leela 6:30 pm 4 - 7 pm (Vihar Hall) 8 - 11 pm (Vihar Hall)
Navratri Sponsorships: Mukhya Yajman (3): Navratri – 9 Days - $2501, Daily Yajman $501 Asthami & Navchandi Havan: Mukhya Yajman $1001 (1 couple), Yajman $251 / couple (11 couples only) Daily Aarti Sponsors: at the Temple $101, Prasad Sponsors $101 Dashera: Lord Sri Ram AbhiseKham $31, Lord Sri Ram Archna $11
Venue: Park Expo – Liberty Hall, 800 Briar Creek Rd (Next to Bojangles Arena) Park Expo on Independence Entrance: Members: $15 at the Gate only. Membership is $101/year (Seniors - $31) for Calendar Year 2025. Non-members 18 yrs and above: $25 person ($40 - 2 days) in advance and $30 at the gate. Student with ID & Seniors at the Gate only $15. $10 Parking charged by Bojangles. Carpooling encouraged.
Contacts: Decorations: Rashmika Patel – 980-322-3505, Prerna Amin – 704-258-1696, Ameeta Patel 203-434-4004 Advertising / Marketing / Banners / Sponsors: Vijay Patel – 704-277-2468, Rajnibhai Patel – 704-488-8145, Bharat Bhai Patel – 704-459-1954, Nirav Pandya - 570-205-2636 Fundraising: Ravi Patel, Hemant Amin, Rajni Patel, Bharat Patel, Nirav Pandya, Vivek Vemunoori Religious, Decoration, Aarti, Prasad & Garba: Deepakben Jadeja - 704-819-9814, Bharti Patel - 704-678-9991 Hemant Amin – 704- 258- 3588, Surendra Patel – 704-564-9436, Pravin Shah – 704-307-8336, Dinesh Shah, Mahesh Patel, Loku Hemnani, Jatin Patel, Anju Jain, and Niketa Mittal Dashera: Jagdish Patel, Hemant Amin, Mittal Patel and Harshal Jambusaria Sound: Subodh Patel, Nayan Patel Vendors: Reena Roy, Nirav Pandya, Ameeta Patel, and Hemant Amin
For all other info call Temple – 704-535-3440
HINDU CENTER
Diwali Cultural Program & Mela 2025 You are cordially invited!
Free Admission October 25 & 26 (11 am -7 pm) at Vihar Hall Clothing, Jewelry, Crafts
Community Entertainment
Food Stalls
Vendor Booths
CONTACTS: Cultural Show: Anitha Gowtam 704-206-9348, Sarika Milhoutra 201-696-1877, Poonam Rojra 704-682-1388, Rashmikaben 980-322-3505, Riya Annesha 980-349-9476, or email: hc_cultural@yahoo.com Sponsorships: Anju Jain 704-620-4503, Nirav Pandya 570-205-2636, Nikita Mittal 732-586-6075 or email: hc_cultural@yahoo.com HC Contacts – Reena Roy: 704-607-8412 or reena.roy@hcclt.org, Hemant Amin 704-258-3588 or Ameeta Patel 203-434-4004
OF CHARLOTTE 43rd Anniversary
Diwali Celebration October 18th (Tuesday) to November 8th (Saturday) DATE
EVENT
TIME
AARTI
October 18th (Sat)
Dhanteras Laxmi Puja
7 pm - 8 pm
8 pm
October 19th (Sun)
Kali Chaudas Lord Hanumanji’s Abhisekham
7 pm – 8 pm
8 pm
Diwali Puja Bhajans
7 pm - 7:30 pm 7:30 pm - 8 pm
8 pm
October 22nd (Wed)
Annakut New Year’s Day, Evening Goverdhan Puja Bhajans
All Day Temple opens 6 am 7 pm - 8 pm
8 am, 10 am Noon, 2 pm, 4 pm 6 pm & 8 pm
October 18th (Sat)
Lord Ram Sita Kalyanam
11 am to 1 pm
November 1st (Sat)
Tulsi Vivah
6 pm to 8 pm
8 pm
November 4th (Tues)
Karthik Poornima Deepotsavam Lord Satyanarayan Katha
After Aarti
8 pm
6 pm to 8 pm
October 25th & 26th (Sat & Sun)
Diwali Cultural Program
11 am - 7 pm
November 8th (Sat)
Diwali Dinner
7 pm to 11 pm
October 20th (Mon)
Volunteer Contacts: • Decoration & Annakut – Rashmika Patel 980.322.3505, Prerna Amin 704.548.8454, Bharti Patel 704.678.9991, Varsha and Subodh Patel – 704.264.5949. Please bring Prasad for the Annakut by Monday, Oct 20th • Sparklers only Celebration – Note: NO FIREWORKS ALLOWED. STRICTLY ENFORCED BY POLICE. • Volunteer for Traffic control – Nirav Pandya – 570.205.2636 • Sounds and Lights – Subodh Patel 980.365.1550 • For more information or to participate in the Puja – Call Temple 704.535.3440 or HC Contacts: Ameeta Patel 203.434.4004, Reena Roy: 704.607.8413; Hemant Amin 704.258.3588
College
Kismuth
continued from page 70
continued from page 28
Around that time, I went along to a writer’s workshop, and I met someone there who quoted a famous magazine editor who said, apparently, that besides the news and ‘what, so what, now what’ styled stories, it was her responsibility to source ragged, raw, and real stories of a time and place. Pieces written by surprising contributors, for example, got taken very seriously. What about today, though? What about ‘content creators?’ Are people who are in charge of shaping what information we get really concerned about that? I wonder what happened to a good old-fashioned story for the sake of story, art for art’s sake, as they say. A part of me wishes we had more artful stories sent to us by the internet when we query a string. But listicles arrive. Things are clearly generated by machines. I read them, sort of, but when I see their every-word-in-caps headlines and bullet points and em dashes, I quit halfway. Or a quarter way. Or a paragraph in. But even ‘cultural’ papers, magazines, and sites that used to be of interest in that non-mechanical, humanist way, have been budget-cut to the point of being too thin. They lack pizzazz. (Why does it have to sound so put together, wrapped up in a bow, end it on a positive note, all that? Does it have heart?) I am debating whether or not to tote along some novels on an upcoming tour. I probably won’t because of the 7kilogram weight limit on carry-on. But I want to be the kind of person who (still) reads books. I am often told to start a book club because ‘you’d be really good at that, Dipika.’ I do not want to, though. I attended one of these and someone kept quoting what an AI said about the book, so I think that demotivated me. So let me see. Where can I consume slow writing? Where can I go to talk over it, quietly in low-key gatherings, where it is friendship and conviviality that is the goal not showing off how well we memorize or pretend? Stories that move us, stories that change us by showing us a side of life that we can connect with and relate to. ‘We can find good friends in books,’ I was told by a person who feels this way. A small bar with leaves going up all the walls, somewhere in Da Nang after someone’s wedding. Exiting the afterparties, four of us traded ideas amongst tall shelves full to the brims with books in English, German, Dutch and of course Vietnamese. It reminded me of libraries in the Triangle. I forgot that I used to read, and I forgot how great stories and people who care about them help us to talk and talk to ourselves and feel less alone. Fear, love, estrangement, bitterness, mirth, awe, cruelty: these are themes already written about, over and over. Maybe I will take a novel, after all, on my trip. It is starting soon. By the time you read this, I’ll be in a new scene.
Topics to Be Cautious With There are no absolute “off-limit” topics, but some themes are trickier than others. Here are a few that require careful handling or may be best avoided: ● Mental health – If you write about this, focus on growth and resilience, not just the struggle. ● The death of a family member – This can often become more about the person who passed than about you. ● Sports – Unless you’re offering a fresh perspective, these essays can feel clichéd. ● Stories about someone else – Remember: this essay is about you, not your grandfather or coach. ● Feeling othered – Important, yes, but make sure you center your own perspective and reflection.
Dipika Kohli
Kristen Moon
is an author who is based in Phnom Penh. Discover her books at kismuth.com and ther projects at dipikakohli.com.
is the founder of Moon Prep, an education consultancy brand with a focus on U.S. Medical programs. Contact: kristen@moonprep.com
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Writing Your First Draft A few key things to remember when you’re writing: ● Ignore the word count (at first). Don’t obsess over hitting exactly 650 words on the first try. If your draft is 400 words, great—you can expand it. If it’s 1,000, you’ll trim. ● Be specific. If you’re under the word count, look for places where you can add depth or detail—sensory descriptions, reflections, or examples. ● Don’t censor yourself. Your first draft will be messy. That’s okay. Get the ideas down first; you can revise later. Common Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them) ● Chasing someone else’s success story: Just because a friend got into Harvard with a certain kind of essay doesn’t mean you should try to replicate it. ● Over-editing: It’s tempting to ask everyone for feedback, but too many voices can dilute your message. Choose 1–2 trusted readers. Listen, but trust your instincts. ● Overusing ChatGPT: Tools like ChatGPT can help you brainstorm or revise—but your essay should still sound like you. Admissions officers can tell when it doesn’t. ● Over-focusing on one interest: BS/MD applicants, for example, often make their personal statement all about medicine—and then struggle to write a strong “Why Medicine?” essay later. Keep variety in mind. ● Using words you don’t normally use: You don’t need to sound like a dictionary. Use your natural voice. ● Assuming you must be “creative”: Not true. You can write a great essay without metaphors, poetry, or dramatic structure. Just be honest. ● Writing only about an event: Don’t just tell us what happened—reflect on how it changed or shaped you. ● Feeling like you must write about trauma: You don’t. Your story matters, even if it’s not dramatic. This essay is not about proving you’re extraordinary. It’s about helping colleges see who you are, how you think, what matters to you, and how you might grow on their campus. Your personal statement doesn’t need to be perfect; it just needs to be personal. Start writing. You’ve got this.
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Thinking
Immigration
continued from page 40
continued from page 52
How do you speak to others when the bases of speech application of the law. As a practitioner, I have no doubt that itself are under assault? many of the individuals that continue to occupy the role of immigration judge or appeals court judge continue to have To speak or not to speak? high standards of jurisprudence and observation of law, but The easy way out is to refrain from speaking about pretty the perception of impropriety corrodes the fundamental much anything besides day-to-day trivial things. It is not principle that justice is blind and is not tilted towards one uncommon to come across online groups that sternly warn party (the government) over another (the foreign national). that members who discuss “political” subjects will be To be clear, this characteristic is hardly the fault of the censured, censored, or even ousted. current administration. Various court advocates, including People resign themselves to “Happy Tuesday”, birthday the Federal Bar Association, have long taken up the cause of wishes, movie recommendations and sports scores. That is removing the immigration courts from the US Department one way. of Justice and moving them into the Article I federal courts The path of avoidance seems to lose quite a bit, though, system, as a way of ensuring judicial integrity free of for those driven by a desire to express, understand, share interference of either Congress or the President. However, and engage in ways that are beyond the trivial, humdrum, such a reorganization requires Congressional action and and inane. Arguably, “those” would be pretty much likely acquiescence from the Executive Branch, neither of everyone. Man is a social animal. Inviting people to a social which are likely. party and asking them to observe silence, to refrain from The Executive has no incentive to give up power over the eating, and to drink insipid beverages that are said to be court system, as it can implement immigration policy “healthful” makes the party a bit of a cruel joke. through agency action. Under President Biden, DHS Is there a way to converse meaningfully in these times, prosecutors and DOJ Immigration Judges dismissed without broken bones or bruised egos? Can you take control thousands of cases against foreign nationals that were in the of the rudder of the ship, and navigate through the storm of United States unlawfully but were considered low conversation so that it is neither a “non-versation” nor a enforcement priorities. Similarly, under President Trump, bonfire station? these same agencies have swung 180º in the opposite direction, now seeking to speed individuals through the It’s not you: it’s me! deportation process, sometimes with rather sad results. When the mountain doesn’t come to you, you go to the Again, as a practitioner, this isn’t an indictment on mountain! specific individuals, as my experience with the court system There are a few things of importance as we look inward has shown me that many DOJ and DHS employees have and seek to turn the problem on its head. always operated with integrity and honesty. But the idea First, it is important to have a healthy objective. You that a single individual (i.e. President) can be judge, jury and don’t seek to win. You desire something that is more executioner is fundamentally anti-American and fails to pertinent to your existence, perhaps, more knowledge and observe the best standards that our nation is built upon. understanding, if not of the subject matter, then about what While Trump’s willingness to push both DHS and DOJ to others think and the way they think. implement his aggressive deportation agenda is entirely Second, your focused objective needs good technique. within his prerogative as the President, the ability to do so Develop a good forehand. The backhand causes insults and does not mean that it should be done. injuries and can be a quick path to various negative Our American system of government often focuses on outcomes. One way is to use questions rather than limiting the use of power by any singular entity – the assertions; this can be quite productive and give you points willingness of Congress to abdicate its role as a co-equal for being a great “conversationalist” though you hardly branch of government has been years in the making but speak (a la Dale Carnegie’s sage advice). leaves us open to Executive branch abuses. Removing Third, as Polonius said to Laertes in the quote at the top immigration courts from the executive would at minimum of this piece, you don’t have to buy anything from anyone. permit the public to realize that justice isn’t just lip service You are simply having a conversation. You can keep your relegated to academic papers or history books, but a real convictions safely locked up in that steel trunk that is your concept that applies to all of us. Doing so would uphold our mind, if you so choose. Unless your questions elicited most cherished of traditions, while avoiding the current something that moved your mind a tad bit. That’s the win! farce that the immigration courts are actually courts; until You keep your sooth, and your conversation soothes … or then, immigration judges will simply be first cousins to DHS at least avoids adverse effects. prosecutors, while Lady Justice remains an afterthought.
Balaji Prasad
Rishi P Oza
is an IIT/IIM graduate, a published author, SAT/ACT Online is Partner at Brown Immigration Law, a firm that focuses and in-person Coach, and K-12 Math Tutor at solely on immigration law; he practices in Durham. NewCranium. balaji.prasad@newcranium.com. roza@rbrownllc.com
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up a mirror to show darker issues like the tenuous position of women in society and their financial vulnerability. Another major reason why modern readers find Austen’s which I work with so fine a brush, as produces little effect novels so compelling is her ensemble of interesting, relatable after much labor?” Elsewhere she wrote: “three or four and recognizable characters. She portrays them as very families in a village is the very thing to work on.” Her tales human with their fair share of strengths and weaknesses. focus on the struggles and triumphs of those few families. Over two centuries later, we can understand and relate to Her social range is admittedly narrow, limited to what their flaws and fears, their anxieties and apprehensions. Virginia Woolf refers to as “parties, picnics, country Using dialogue rather than detailed description, Austen dances.” gives us a glimpse into the innermost thoughts of her Critics may judge her for being parochial, but they also characters. Elizabeth Bennet is witty and strong-willed but acknowledge her mastery of the human material and her perceptions and faulty judgement about Darcy and domestic lives she writes about. That Jane Austen’s books Wickham demonstrate her immaturity. resonate with readers of our fast-paced world today testifies About Emma, Jane Austen said: “I’m going to take a to their underlying relevance. The answer lies in her heroine whom no one but myself will much like.” As it universal themes, her nuanced relatable characters, and her happens, for all her flaws, her over-confidence, her selfextraordinary style combining wit and gentle irony. delusion, and her meddling nature, Emma remains a Regardless of culture, life experiences, and prevalent favorite of many readers over the years. She is fully norms and expectations, at the believable, and one can see how Critics may judge her for being her romantic misadventures heart of every social context, is the issue of people and their parochial, but they also acknowledge her expose the prevalent obsession problems. And many of those mastery of the human material and with social status. Austen’s problems can be traced to money, minor characters are also marriage, misunderstandings. domestic lives she writes about. memorable and highly Human relationships, social class, recognizable: the complacent gender roles, financial security are issues as relevant in and highly deferential and boring Mr. Collins; the charming today’s world as they were two or three centuries ago. The and dishonest Wickham; the plain sister Mary Bennet whose challenges arising out of social pressure and generation gap pianoforte skills Austen dismisses as having “neither genius are ubiquitous facts of life. Jane Austen provides an in-depth nor taste; and though vanity had given her application, it depiction of a range of relationships: husbands and wives, had given her a pedantic air and conceited manner…” The mothers and daughters, neighbors who are well-intentioned wide range of characters add a unique richness and depth and those who are not. to the stories. Pride and Prejudice, probably the most beloved of her Austen’s books display a combination of gentle humor, books, is the story of five sisters whose mother attempts to comic wit, and brilliant irony unusual for her time. The find socially acceptable and financially rewarding matches words that she has Elizabeth Bennet utter in Pride and for them. Austen explores the social norms and customs of Prejudice could well be her own axiom in life: “I dearly love the time through her spirited heroine, Elizabeth. In a to laugh…follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies multilayered plot revolving around relationships in a do divert me…and I laugh at them whenever I can.” Indeed, society obsessed with social status and marriage, Elizabeth the first sentence of Pride and Prejudice is arguably one of the Bennet and Mr. Darcy go through a journey of self- most quoted sentences of brilliant humor: “It is a truth awareness and overcome their initial prejudice and universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession arrogance to find true love. of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” The storyline In Emma, Emma Woodhouse, bright, beautiful and itself is funny; the characters are delightful: the wealthy, makes a lot of wrong decisions out of her manipulative Mrs. Bennet obsessed with marriage prospects misplaced confidence in her match-making skills. Always for her daughters; Mr. Bennet humorously disdainful of his well-intentioned, never malicious, she ignores the advice of own marriage while his wife is blissfully unaware of his sly Mr. Knightley, and stumbles from one misadventure to digs and ironic gibes. Austen’s books are full of such another. She eventually learns the importance of self- exhilarating statements and insights. reflection and rejoices in her love for and compatibility with Jane Austen’s subject and style as well as her Mr. Knightley. characterization and comic wit have endeared her to readers In Sense and Sensibility, the impoverished Dashwood over the years. Discerning readers of today enjoy and reread sisters go through many ups and downs before finally her six books with a quiet chuckle or loud laughter and settling into happy marriages. Elinor values “sense,” reason always with a great admiration and love for this great writer and restraint. Marianne with excessive “sensibility” is who died at age 41, never anticipating the spectacular carried away by emotions. In the most simplistic terms, both success of her books. sisters need the right balance of sense and sensibility to achieve happiness. Despite the happy ending of her novels, Dr. Neelam Aggarwal Austen’s books are not simple escapist romances. Her is a retired professor and former Dean of the School of Arts romantic plotlines also explore the challenges faced by her and Social Sciences at a university in Singapore. She now characters, especially women, due to the limitations resides in North Carolina. imposed on them by the social norms of the time. She holds Contact: neelam_716@yahoo.com.
Jane Austen
continued from page 30
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Dances of India
continued from page 54
continued from page 50
It is believed by the locals that this dance must have got some significance to war. This form of dance is also seen in Africa and Central Asia. The sticks used in the dance are called Khanda. These sticks are very attractive and catch every eye. The sticks play vital role in the dance. They are very thin, do not carry much weight and give a flare look. These sticks are cut from the gundi tree and involves a little cleaning process. In some places instead of sticks, swords are used, making it very difficult for the dancers and challenging them on precision. Rajasthan is also known for religious dance forms. We have many pictures of beautifully dressed snake charmers with turbans. Actually, the Kalbelia community or snake charmers of Rajasthan do a beautiful snake dance to the tunes of the Been instrument. During this dance, they worship the Snake God and imitate the snake with difficult back bends and hand movements. The Terah Taali dance is a ritual dance performed as an ode to Baba Ramdev with 13 cymbals called Manjeera tied to their bodies creating music with great speed making it look easy. To make it more complicated they also hold a sword between their teeth and place pots with lit lamps on their heads. How can you not be focused when you do a complicated dance such as this? That focus itself is a ritual and a trance, as I call it “A prayer in motion”. The Bhavia is a dance that was influenced by the neighboring state of Gujrat. This dance is incomprehensible as I watch with horror. The dancer balances nine brass pots on his or her head. Then they stand on a sharp sword or glass and continue their dancing with graceful hand movements and speed. The dance that touches the hearts of all ages is the Kathputli (the Puppet) dance. Years ago, Bollywood movie Chori Chori featuring Nargis and Raj Kapoor brought attention to this dance form, then again in the recent film Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. These puppet shows tell the folk stories, stories from epics like Ramayan and Maha Bharath and other literatures. Due to the intricacies of making these puppets, these dances have not been spreading beyond their origin. These handmade puppets are very rare to come by. You may find small representations for decorations. I hope this beautiful dance form does not disappear. The energy and beauty of all the dances performed in Rajasthan is a divine gift. This state is truly embodied in its various dance forms its spirit and creativity. Art has always been an integral part of Rajasthani culture and its people. All over India and abroad the legacy of Rajasthani dance forms continues to flourish making them timeless.
qualified withdrawals (for education, first-time home purchase, small business) taxed at long-term capital gains rates. The government contribution is for children born starting January 1, 2025. There are no income limits for the initial $1,000 government contribution. Deduction for Tips and Overtime Pay: New deductions for certain types of earned income. For tax years 2025 through 2028, new above-the-line deductions are introduced. Up to $25,000 of qualified tip income can be deducted. Up to $12,500 of qualified overtime income can be deducted ($25,000 for joint filers). Effective for tax years 2025 through 2028. There are income phaseout limits for both deductions. Deductible Auto Loan Interest: A new temporary deduction for interest paid on certain car loans. For tax years 2025 through 2028, an above-the-line deduction of up to $10,000 for qualified passenger vehicle loan interest is allowed, specifically for new autos with final assembly in the United States. There is an income phaseout for this deduction. Charitable Contributions Deduction: A deduction for charitable contributions that can be taken even by those who don’t itemize. Creates a permanent above-the-line deduction of $1,000 for individuals ($2,000 for joint filers) for charitable contributions. Effective for tax years beginning in 2026. The OBBBA also introduced substantial reforms to both Medicaid, Medicare and the ACA marketplaces, generally aiming to reduce federal spending on these programs. Medicaid Reforms: Adds new work requirements for able-bodied adults aged 19-64 without disabilities or dependents. Most changes to Medicaid will roll out between January 1, 2026, and January 1, 2028. It also narrows the categories of non-citizens eligible for full Medicaid services that were previously eligible. Medicare: The bill delays the implementation of rules that would have made it easier for low-income seniors to be automatically enrolled in programs like Medicare Savings Plans. The law tightens the rules for Medicare eligibility for non-U.S. citizens, with some documented immigrants who have paid into Medicare potentially losing their benefits. ACA Marketplace Changes: The OBBBA does not extend the enhanced premium tax credits and are scheduled to expire at the end of 2025. There’s also a requirement for annual re-verification of tax credit eligibility, eliminating the previous automatic re-enrollment process for those receiving premium tax credits. We’ll continue coverage of OBBBA impact on education planning and student loans in the next month. Meanwhile: A bill with a name quite grand, Brought changes across the land. With tips, loans, and pay, more money to save, And some new rules for all to understand.
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is a CFP, EA, CSLP and an Advice-Only Planner and Tax Professional based in North Carolina. She specializes in cross-border matters and all things financial planning. Contact: info@fwjplanning.com
For questions or comments, contact via email at GingrichMaha@gmail.com
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Eastern Buddhist monks: the end of the world is only part of the start of the eventual rejuvenation of the universe — whereas the Western technicians are portrayed as materialists despite technological advancement and who interpret the finale as fearful and nihilistic. I personally see the ending as a way for you as the reader to gain a sense that humanity is just another in a long line of God’s grand experiments. With the monks’ obligation fulfilled, a new cycle can begin, and another intelligent species would emerge to set forth on new journeys of selfrealization and unity. Ultimately, The Nine Billion Names of God is a brilliant apocalyptical tale in which the world doesn’t end in by means of extreme violence or ecological disaster… but instead by seeking knowledge of the unknown. It comes by means of a mere winking of stars as they disappear from the night sky, which in some respects can be much more terrifying. This was also written (similar to other science-fiction writers of the time) as a cautionary tale in response to the Cold War and emerging news of nuclear weapons during the early 1950s. Even if man does not destroy himself imminently with these, Clarke’s story appears to suggest that something else could occur as a means to counteract it. Perhaps in this day and age, the story deserves further interpretation and introspection. We as human beings struggle more than ever with the above “Western” view of our existence. It is now all about the sensationalism of the moment as almost everywhere you look there are materialistic viewpoints glamourizing the anarchic state of the human condition just to “get clicks.” Like George and Chuck, our ambitions extend no further than simply wanting to go home within a few hours as opposed to the more transcendent goals of the monks. I guess we’ll have to see how it all works out… As a side note, I recommend watching the 2018 short film of The Nine Billion Names of God directed by Dominique Filhol which is available now on YouTube.
Mirror
continued from page 26
“I’m sometimes asked how I would like to be remembered. I’ve had a diverse career as a writer, underwater explorer, space promoter and science popularizer. Of all these, I want to be remembered most as a writer — one who entertained readers, and, hopefully, stretched their imagination as well.” ~ Arthur C. Clarke The story begins with a Tibetan monk visiting an American scientist in Manhattan to discuss the purchase of a “Mark 5 Automatic Science Computer”. The latter, obviously, questions the former as to the reason for this purchase, as a Tibetan lamasery seems an unusual place even for a seemingly “simple” computer such as the Mark 5 Automatic Computer. The monk explains that his order wishes to use the machine to calculate all possible configurations of within the Tibetan alphabet to discover the nine billion names of God. The process undertaken at the monastery had already begun three centuries prior by manually writing each one down. If continued by this method (discarding any nonsensical combinations) it would take another 15,000 years to complete. The computer would finish the project in 100 days, and once every name has been discovered the universe is destined to end. Two computer technicians (named George and Chuck) are sent along with the machine to the Himalayan mountains in order to accomplish this task. The two witness the monks printing off pages and pages of what they deem as “gibberish” to which the holy men then painstakingly cut into strips and place into books. As the project nears completion, the technicians learn from the high lama that the monks believe this is their mission divined to them by God. “They believe that when they have listed all His names — and they reckon that there are about nine billion of them — God’s purpose will be achieved. The human race will have finished what it was created to do, and there won’t be any point in carrying on. Indeed, the very idea is something like blasphemy… When the list’s completed, God steps in and simply winds things up… bingo!” “Oh, I get it. When we finish our job, it will be the end of the world.” Chuck gave a nervous little laugh. “That’s just what I said to [the high lama]. And do you know what happened? He looked at me in a very queer way, like I’d been stupid in class, and said, ‘It’s nothing as trivial as that.’”
Jennifer Allen works at Saathee and is also a Podcaster, Blogger, Photographer, Graphic Artist, Gamer, Martial Arts Practitioner, and an all around Pop Culture Geek. You can reach her at Saathee@Saathee.com
As expected, the two men further discuss their skeptical views of this process as they slowly walk from the lamasery to the airfield where their transport awaits to take them home. One even mentions what a disappointment it will be if 300 years of dedication leads to a disappointing outcome. However, as the final pages emerge from the printer, they look up at the heavens if only to notice stars gradually disappearing within the night sky… Clarke, notably an atheist, often wrote stories which focused on faith and human’s interpretations of the Divine. His true purpose for this narrative is in its use of Eastern religion vs Western science. In the story’s context involving Saathee.com
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Recipe
Nutrition
continued from page 44
Dry Fruit Modak
Oil: If you plan to make fried foods, choose higher quality oils such as peanut, sesame, grapeseed, or rice bran oil for deep frying. When buying ready to eat snacks, avoid palm oil, palmolein oil, and hydrogenated oils as these can raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol. See if you can use air fryer for making roasted mung dal or air fried chiwda to reduce total oil.
Yield: ~ 15-20 modaks Prep time: 40 mins | Cooking time: 15 mins | Total time: 45 mins Ingredients: 1.5 cups of Seedless Dates, chopped 1/4 cup Raisins 1/2 cup Almonds 1/4 cup Cashews 1/4 cup Pistachios 2 tbsp Poppy Seeds (Khus Khus) 1 tsp Ghee
Tips for Healthy Festival Season It is important to consider that times have changed. We have become a community with much higher statistics of health issues. South Asians are at an increased risk of cardiovascular problems compared to other ethnic groups in the US. In fact, South Asians develop heart disease about 10 years earlier than other populations. We are also at an increased risk for diabetes, fatty liver disease, and stroke. So Method: how can we enjoy the festivals and yet take care of our Dry roast the nuts one by one separately for 1-2 mins taking care that they would not get burnt, remove them and keep health? aside on a plate.
• Maintain normal daily routine: It is very important to
In the same pan add poppy seeds and roast them slightly until they start popping, remove and keep aside.
have a proper daily routine. Even during festival season, make sure to adhere to your daily routine as much as possible. If there is flexibility in what time you do your evening Aarti or prayers, try to fix a time so your dinner is not very late. Also do not skip meals during the day so you have a good feast at night.
Heat ghee in the same pan and add chopped dates and raisins and fry continuously until it comes together and becomes like a thick mass. This may take 4-5 mins. Do not leave it unattended as the raisins might get burnt. Switch off and let it cool slightly.
• Mindful eating: Festival season means eating yummy
specials like mathia, mathri, gujia, murukku, and many Grind the roasted nuts and poppy seeds into a coarse other deep fried sweet and savory dishes. We do not want powder in pulse mode. Remove the mixture aside into a to completely stop eating them; however, it is a good idea plate. to be mindful about when you eat them and how many you eat. Practice mindfulness and portion control. Try to eat Now add the date-raisin mixture and pulse it in the mixer fried snacks in small quantities between two healthy meals. to get a coarse mixture.
• Water: Adequate hydration is important all year long, and Take out the mixture into the same pan and add coarsely especially during festival season when you may eat extra oil ground nuts and mix nicely and bring it back on the flame and salt. Make sure to drink a good amount of water and stir continuously for 2-3 mins until the mixture becomes throughout the day. Average recommendation for adults is slightly sticky and hold the dry fruit mixture nicely. about 2 liters per day. Remove the mixture into a plate and cool slightly until you can handle it with bare hands. • Physical Activity: Just like we are supposed to maintain daily routine for meals, it is also important to continue your daily activity for exercise. If you do not have time to go to Make small balls out of it and place them in a modak mold the gym or exercise in one chunk of time, try and do and press it tightly by levelling the down and pressing it activities in 10-minute increments – a short walk, some firmly to get the modak shape. If you do not have modak mold, you can roll the balls and make ladoos. stretches, some standing/sitting calf raises etc. Prepare all the modaks (ladoos) and store them in an airtight container.
• Sleep: During festivals, especially Navratri, we stay up late and miss out on adequate sleep. Since this is just for a short period of time, it may not do much damage to the body. However, if possible, take a short 20-minute power nap during the day to make up for the missed sleep. Make sure to get adequate sleep all other nights through the year. Also important is to keep about a 3-hour gap between dinner and bedtime whenever possible.
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Parul Kharod is a registered dietitian and licensed nutritionist and works as a Clinical Dietitian. She can be reached at parulkharod@gmail.com
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Mindful Masala
Eye on Markets
continued from page 58
continued from page 46
We also wrestled with a deeper question: does this philosophy promote a kind of apathy or lack of discipline? If we decide not to stress over unmade beds or missed meetings, are we just giving ourselves an excuse not to care? We discovered a thoughtful insight: it’s not about ignoring the small things, it’s about not letting them control us. We can still choose to make the bed, plan the trip, show up on time—not because we’re anxious, but because we value those actions. Anxiety is optional. The discipline can still be present, but without the emotional drama dragging us down. Another quote from the book stood out: “Ask yourself the question, ‘Will this matter a year from now?’” It’s a simple but powerful question that reframes the situation. If the answer is no, then maybe it’s not worth sacrificing your peace over. And even if it will matter a year from now, maybe the better question is: what’s the most peaceful and effective way I can deal with it right now? Looking back, many of us could recall times when we thought the world was ending—career setbacks, failed projects, personal disappointments. In the moment, those felt like the defining crises of our lives. But now, in hindsight, they seem far less significant. I have been laid off, demoted, and seen projects fall apart. At the time, each event felt like a disaster. But now? Those experiences barely register as important, and certainly not worth the sleepless nights and anxiety they caused. My dad always says, “Kyon si badi baat hai?” (What was the big deal?). It’s a question many of us could relate to. In the end, we agreed to disagree on a lot of things— mostly around what husbands should do versus what husbands actually do. But we did find common ground on one key idea: attitude and mindset matters. We can still make the bed, plan the trip, fix the project, or have that difficult conversation—but if we can do it without drama, silent resentment, or internal dialogue about giving kurbani (sacrificing), we’re halfway there. The goal isn’t to float through life dodging dirty laundry, it’s to deal with life’s messiness without turning every inconvenience into a crisis. The book’s message is not about avoiding life or floating above responsibilities. It’s about engaging fully, but lightly— and I love that part, “lightly.” We and the world could do a better job laughing about it. It’s about choosing peace over drama, calm over chaos. Carlson reminds us gently but firmly: “It’s all small stuff.” And the more we believe that the more we can live fully—without being ruled by the small stuff that was never worth our energy to begin with. Special thanks to my wife Komal and Second Innings group: Anand, Tejal, Deven, Aparna, Gautam, Urvi, Sanjay and Usha for your contributions on this topic.
market is 195% of GDP. It is politically important, and we saw the latest test of that in April. The public equity markets have a structural bid that totals into the trillions. Invest America recently passed. It is a plan in which the Government funds an account for each newborn that holds the S&P. It formalizes the S&P as the nation’s savings plan for the next generation. For the generations moving closer to retirement, the nation has a retirement savings deficit between $6.8 and $14 trillion according to the National Institute of Retirement Security. Closing this gap means higher equity allocations. Savings and retirement plans amount to approximately $500bn of inflows each year into the S&P, a number that is only going up. It is politically difficult to allow significant and lengthy drawdowns when a large portion of the population counts on equity markets for their retirement and savings. Another structural bid comes from S&P companies themselves. They buy back $1 trillion dollars of their stock each year. This will continue to expand as margins expand. Housing unaffordability has led to another structural flow into equity markets. Capital that would have gone for a down payment is now finding its way into the equity markets. This will continue as long as housing is unaffordable. We are on the verge of another major structural flow into public equity markets. The shift from private market and alternative investments to public market investments for large institutional investors. Private markets boomed after the Great Financial Crisis, as institutional investors did everything to avoid equity market beta. The results from the boom are in. The S&P has outperformed private markets on all-time horizons without the leverage and better liquidity. Further, private market investors are not getting exits and distributions. With rates no longer zero and increased competition, forward returns in private markets will be more difficult. Harvard and Yale are selling private market investments below net asset value. Despite the AI boom, venture capital has had a negative return over the last three years, while the Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) is up over 100%. The CIO of the UC System said they are ditching hedge funds after decades of poor performance. Jamie Dimon said on JPM’s earnings call that, “you may have seen peak private credit.” Private market fundraising is down 37% over the last three years. You can tell alternative asset managers are struggling because they are increasingly trying to raise money from retail. As institutional investors start getting their capital back from alternative asset managers, they will put that money to work in the S&P and public equity markets. Looking forward, the markets will focus on earnings, the economic data, the Fed’s Jackson Hole meeting, and the latest from Washington.
Hiren Deliwala is a Charlotte-based overthinker, closet philosopher, and avid board gamer. He writes about everyday life, Indian upbringing, and finding humor in the chaos. When not philosophizing over chai, he’s usually losing arguments to his wife and, shockingly, learning from them. Contact: hcdeliwala@gmail.com Saathee.com
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Editor’s Desk: Read Saathee Editor Samir Shukla’s essays collected here.
Go to our Recipes Page: Lots of delicious recipes found in Saathee are gathered here.
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Tune Your Brain Solve these brain teasers - Solutions on Page 110
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PUZZLES
Puzzles 4 Kids Answers on page 110
Answers on page 104 Saathee.com
Magic Maze Answers on page 110 102
September 2025
Key Word Search Fill in blanks of these clues, then take the first letter of each word and unscramble them to find this month’s Key Word. Obscuring of one celestial body by another. _____ Earth is part of a _____ system. The eighth planet in our system. _____ This planet is famous for rings. _____ Inventor Nikola ____. The seventh planet in our system. _____
Go Figure! Answers on page 104
Answers on page 104
Chess Puzzles Difficulty:
Difficulty: Game reference: Adhiban – Bajaj Prince 2006 Directions: White to move, checkmate in 3. Answer:
Difficulty: Game reference: Caruana – Giri 2014
Hello Readers
Directions: White to move, checkmate in 5.
We welcome comments and suggestions about our puzzles and cartoons pages. Send your thoughts to Samir@Saathee.com
Answer: 1.Nf6+ Kg7 (if 1….Kh8 2. Qf8#) 2.h6+ Kxh6 3.Qf8+ Kg5 4. Rf5+ gxf5 5. Qg7#
Puzzle provided by the Charlotte Chess Center
Answer:
1. Qxe7+ Kg8 2. Rxg6+ fxg6 (if 2…Kh7 3. Qxf7#) 3. Qg7#
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Directions: White to move and trap the queen 1. Na2
Visit: charlottechesscenter.org
Game reference: Ulf Andersson – Alfredsson 1969
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September 2025
Festivals & Holidays
Puzzle Solutions Spot the Differences Solutions from page 56
September 2025 Sep. 1 - Labor Day Sep. 3 - Parsva Ekadashi Sep. 4 - Vamana Jayanti Sep. 5 - Milad un-Nabi / Id-e-Milad / Onam Sep. 6 - Anant Chadurshi Sep. 6 - Read a Book Day Sep. 7 - Bhadrapada Purnima (Full Moon) Sep. 7 - Grandparents’ Day Sep. 11 - Patriot Day Sep. 12 - Stand Up to Cancer Day Sep. 13 - National Chocolate Day Sep. 14 - Hindi Dawas Sep. 15 - Visvesvaraya Jayanti Sep. 15 - Engineer’s Day Sep. 19 - POW/MIA Recognition Day Sep. 19 - Talk Like a Pirate Day Sep. 20 - Darsh Amas (New Moon) Sep. 20 - National Dance Day Sep. 21 - National Chai Day Sep. 22 - Navratri Begins Sep. 22 - Autumn Equinox / Mabon Sep. 22 - Maharaja Agrasen Jayanti Sep. 23 - Rosh Hashana Sep. 29 - National Coffee Day Sep. 30 - Durga Ashtami
1 Removed bell 2 Removed tree 3 Inserted cloud 4 Color changed 5 Added man 6 Removed bag 7 Added bird 8 Removed window
Key Word Search Answers from page 103
9 Removed stick 10 Added bird 11 Added leaf 12 Added bell 13 Added bird 14 Added dog 15 Removed camel leg
Puzzle Solutions from page 102
Eclipse Solar Neptune Saturn Tesla Uranus Key Word of the Month: SUNSET
Go Figure! answers from page 103
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September 2025
Astroscope
SEPTEMBER 2025
Aries (March 21 – April 19)
Libra (September 23 – October 22)
This will be a very action-oriented period as you should see further career success. A new relationship with someone of another gender will help you feel relaxed. Your friends and family will offer whatever assistance you need. You will be relieved of financial worries, but a stubborn attitude may lead to some unnecessary expenses.
You may not see any significant change to your day-to-day life this month. Relax and enjoy this routine while it lasts. Due to a potentially heavy workload, a minor increase in income is possible. You will also enjoy support from your partner and friends. You may see an opportunity on horizon but have to wait until the end of next month to see any changes.
Taurus (April 20 – May 20)
Scorpio (October 23 – November 21)
You may enjoy traveling with friends to your dream destination. A rise in bank balance is clearly indicated as you invest in more money-making activities. However, avoid investing in the stock market for now. An unexpected problem related to your kids may create anxiety during the last week of the month. Be sure to drive carefully and don’t rely on your associates.
You should feel quite comfortable after the first week of the month. An unexpected rise in reputation and/or fame is possible. You will meet and converse higher officials and authorities. You may be inclined towards religion and visit sacred places. A balanced state of mind is indicated, and family happiness should help in that regard.
Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21)
Gemini (May 21 – June 20)
This will be a very comfortable and relaxing month for you. You may discover a new relationship with someone of another gender. If you put in a little more effort, you can increase your income above expectations. You may want to throw a big party to enjoy some music and poetry. Your family will extend their full support. You may even receive a special surprise.
You will experience mixed results this month. There could be many opportunities coming your way, but you may not be able to utilize them. There may be a rise in status and/or position, but without much financial benefit. This is not a good time for heart patients. A spiritual experience can change your ideologies during the last few days of the month.
Capricorn (December 22 – January 19)
Cancer (June 21 – July 22)
Your income and expenses should balance each other this month. You could face uncertainty with your long-term goals, so this can be a good time to change workplace or field of study. Wise decisions can protect you from overspending. An investment in long term savings will prove beneficial. Disputes with family are likely possible, and yet you should listen to your parents.
Misunderstandings with a business partner could become a major concern. After a slow start, delays on past due payments may create additional stress, including expenses for unexpected household repairs. You may consider a religious remedy to receive supernatural guidance, and yet you could see results this month. Good physical health is clearly indicated.
Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)
Leo (July 23 – August 22)
You have no reason to be upset, and yet a sense of discomfort may linger. Your income, career and health will be in order, but general happiness may elude you for a time. Try to help those who are less fortune to feel more satisfied. A long-distance journey during the last week of the month can prove rewarding. Meditation may also help to build self-confidence.
You will be of an amiable disposition and avoid friction this month. A pleasant journey is quite possible during the first half of the month but be sure to avoid making major decisions during the second half. You may be inclined toward religious and social activities or even develop a taste for high philosophy or literature. Your place of business will survive due to prompt, positive action.
Pisces (February 19 – March 20)
Virgo (August 23 – September 22)
Be prepared for some major career changes as your attitude and skills bring excellent results. If you involve other educated associates, these results should be even more fantastic. An aggressive attitude will pay dividends but also learn to compromise with the ideologies of others. A family-related problem will also require attention.
After a very positive start, things will gradually decline. Unexpected expenses will adversely affect your budget. Avoid being charitable this month, as associates may take advantage of your generosity. However, this is a favorable time to invest in real estate. A minor health ailment could also be there. Avoid parties and social gatherings for now.
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for Mall Perfume Stores in Charlotte, NC, Pineville, NC, Hickory, NC, Memphis, TN & Knoxville, TN. Full-Time and Part-Time shifts available. Call Veer Singh: 415-265-8686. Saathee.com
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for Convenience stores in Concord and Kannapolis, NC. Full or Part-time. Good Pay! Experience and legal status required. Call Sam at 704-787-1567. Cashier Wanted for Convenience Store near Kannapolis, North Carolina. Very attractive salary! Accommodations provided. Text or Call 704-701-9482.
September 2025
Hotel Help Wanted Front Desk / Manager, Night Auditor & Housekeeper (Single/Couple) for franchise hotels in Charlotte (Airport Area) & Winston-Salem (Near Hanes Mall). Accommodations provided. Call 704-626-4849 between 4-8pm.
Hiring Immediately
HELP WANTED
Charleston, SC s Eyebrows Threaders s Licensed Esthethcians Great Salary Plus Tips & Commission
Call : 347-814-2938 Gas Station Seeking Help
Single or couple. in Rock Hill, SC seeking help. Good pay for an experienced person! No accommodations. Call 803-659-3330. Front Desk Manager & Housekeeping Couple Wanted for franchise hotel in Columbia, SC. Accommodations provided. Fluent English required. Text / Call 704-701-9975. Seeking Furniture Salesperson to join a Hospitality supplier company team in High Point, NC. This B2B sales role focuses on developing new business opportunities, nurturing client relationships, and offering tailored furniture solutions to meet the needs of hotel environments. The ideal candidate must be self-motivated and goal-oriented with exceptional organizational skills. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite required. Some understanding of commercial space planning and design principles preferred. Competitive base salary plus commission. Monday to Friday in High Point, NC (not remote). Email resume to rajm@amerifabintl.com.
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Matrimonial / Seeking Companion Seeking Bride US citizen, Hindu, business graduate, 33 currently working in a federal position in Raleigh, NC. Looking for educated bride. Call 336-683-7631 or cstore1947@yahoo.com. Kind-hearted, well-mannered IT professional seeks U.S. citizen Bride from respected business family. Loyal, caring, marriage-focused, and committed to supporting her, will take care of family business responsibly, and valuing trust and mutual understanding. Contact: 551-229-5710. US citizen, Hindu Punjabi, 32, currently working as electrician in Cary, NC seeking caring, educated Bride. Call 919-621-8204 or email sonnys0717@gmail.com. A well-educated Gujarati US Citizen groom, age - 24, engineering professional, never married, good-looking, vegetarian, spiritual, and family-oriented looking for a suitable Life Partner (only Manglik). Please text Chintan 704-978-9586. 43 year-old groom looking for Bride. Physical Therapist. Contact 919-437-1202 or dharmessh57@gmail.com. Looking for bride for 47 year-old man with 19+ years of experience in IT field working as Application Architect in Charlotte, NC. Please call 980-406-0666. Well-educated 3rd year Medical Student (25 year-old, never married, and good-looking, Vegetarian, Spiritual, Gujarati, only child, US Citizen) looking for girl, preferably Medical professional but will accept any higher education. Text Shailesh 260-602-3354. 40 year-old groom looking for Bride. Medical Doctor. US Citizen in North Carolina. Contact 919-437-1202 or bpraja1985@gmail.com.
For Sale / Rent Home For Sale by owner in Sumter SC. Includes furniture for three rooms plus dining table with four chairs and TV. Price $150,000. HOA fees $249.50 per month for common area maintenance. Great Location. Call or text 803-464-8925. Property for Sale in India
Get in on future Industrial and Mixed Use Call Bob! Atkinson Properties Group 919-362-6999 Saathee.com
Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat. Plot size: 500 vaar or 4500 sq ft, Located near Mahesvari Palace, Sardar Patel University, Nana bazaar, Mota bazaar. Call Rajesh: 706-633-4577. Rooms for Rent near Charlotte (Concord). 1 bedroom with private bathroom or partial house. Utilities included. $850/month. Call or text 704-956-8504. 109
Land & Condo for Sale Mt. Soma, NC Firefly Realty offers 4 land listings plus condo in Mount Soma, a Vedic community rooted in Vastu architecture. With over 5 years' experience serving buyers and sellers here, we specialize in this unique spiritual mountain haven. For details contact 828-771-2339 or sara@fireflyrealty.com.
Services Travel Passion International & Domestic Air tickets. We process India Visa, OCI, Indian Passport Renewal, Hotel bookings & Tour packages. Call 509-550-9076 or 509-550-9034 or email travelpassion24@gmail.com. Alterations Specializing in alterations for both Men’s and Women’s clothing in Charlotte, NC. Including Western & Indian Outfits. Contact Sanish Verma 980-349-0351. Pari Beauty in Matthews Threading, Waxing, Facials, Massage for newborn and mom & other services. 36 years of experience. Special Deals & Great Service. Call: 704-846-7912. Alyssa’s Garlands Unique fresh flower garlands. Boutonnieres, bouquets, flower ornaments. Exotic Flowers available on special Request. We ship nationwide. Contact Ila Amin at 803-627-4239 or ilaamin49@gmail.com Affordable Wedding Photography 20 years of experience in Indian wedding photography. Specializing in film & digital photos. Engagement, Wedding, and Receptions. Contact Vivek: email: vivekweddingmemories@gmail.com or call 347-321-4746. Priest Available for Shree Satya narayan katha, Shanti hawan, Vastu shanty, Weddings, Baby shower, Bhumi pujan, Mata ki chowki pujan, Funeral, all types of karmakand. Please call Viral Bhatt 704-438-6334. Neeta's Beauty Parlor Full service. Near Hindu Center of Charlotte. For details on our services or to make an appointment please call 704-968-0270.
To Submit a Classified visit: saathee.com/classifieds or email: saathee@saathee.com or call 704-527-7570 Deadline for print is the 20th. Saathee.com ads posted daily September 2025
Tune Your Brain Solutions from Page 100
Editor’s Desk
continued from page 14
Weddings not only bind the couple but two sets of families, creating a new grouping. Two lives merged. Two families merged. A sangam that leads to new directions for many people. Some families are close, enjoy regular meetings, and have each other’s proverbial backs. Others have drifted apart. A few misspoken words in anger or moments of heat can linger and dissolve into bitterness. A properly timed and emotionally open sangam can heal some of these disjointed relations. Families gather year-round for various activities, but summers are the quintessential season stacked with relational renewals. What better time of year for rekindling warmth of bonds than during hot summer days? There are happy sangams – weddings, graduations, reunions. There are also the unplanned convergences such as the passing of a family member. Somber sangams. Funerals. Familial bonds are the glue that hold societies together. This is a foundational unit. Societal dissonance and breakdown happen when the family unit breaks down. I consider myself lucky to be part of two large families, something common among folks of India heritage. How many untold sangams have happened between two unlike people crossing paths and becoming lifelong friends? Such is the power of this one word. We often reflect on the time and the specific place or point we met someone. It’s a memory marker accompanying us throughout our lives. Few gatherings can match the cacophonous, colorful, musical, spiritual and culinary delights of an Indian wedding. They are sangams of pure joy. Even family members who have become distant are drawn closer during these affairs. It’s their loss if they are not. On the drive back home to North Carolina after the rebinding during the wedding and its many events over the course of several days, we stopped by the sangam, the confluence, of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, near the town of Cairo, Illinois. These two American water highways become one as the Ohio ends its journey and joins the mighty Mississippi as it makes its way down to the Gulf. It was a lovely place. There were barges straddling the shores, old bridges connecting both sides. The water was calm as I tried to spot the area where the two waters became one. A couple of locals were fishing on the shore. We spent some time at this calming sangam. The area has seen better days. Cairo is a dying town with a desolate and abandoned main street. It felt like a ghost town with boarded up buildings and sad surroundings. This town could use some sangam love. The rivers flowed along at their leisure, in their own timeless journey. We went on with our journey home. Here’s to families - small, large, diverse, mixed, generationally connected, or recently attached. I’m looking forward to our next sangam, to renew the bonds with the gathered.
Magic Maze & Puzzles4Kids answers pgs 102 -103
Samir Shukla is the Editor of Saathee Magazine Contact: Samir@Saathee.com X: @ShuklaWrites Newsletter: ShuklaWrites.Substack.com Saathee.com
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September 2025
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September 2025
Advertisers Index for Charlotte, South Carolina & Atlanta Region 360insureall.com (Maqsood Khan) ......................51 365 SecurePath Insurance ..................................111 Achal Mehta (Navratri Garba - Charlotte)...............3 Allure Event Center (Charlotte)............................59 Anand, Versha (Real Estate) .................................87 BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Charlotte) 16 & 17 Bashyam Global LLP - Immigration Law............105 Bhindi Jewelers ...................................................2 Blooming Buds ...................................................57 Blumenthal Arts (Events) ...................................107 Brijal Shah (Keller Williams - Real Estate) ...........101 British International School of Charlotte................9 Brown Immigration Law (Rishi Oza, Partner) .......48 Carolina Law Group ...........................................97 Carolina Medical Partners ...................................83 Carolinas Pediatrics ............................................71 Charlotte Chess Center ........................................23 Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat .........................84 Charlotte Trim Light .........................................114 Chiro-Carolina ...............................................85 CMAC - Vocal Concert by Sikkil Gurcharan...........22 Color Master Collision Center ..............................67 Concha, David (Immigration Attorney).................31 Concord Children's Clinic ..................................75 Copper Restaurant (Charlotte) .............................61 Countywide Commercial (Pavement Solutions) ....101 Dances Of India Classes (Guru Dr. Maha Gingrich)..29 Desai & Desai LLP (CPA & Financial Services) ......43 Desai & Mehta CPAs PLLC .................................93 Dhira Hapani (Realtor) .......................................67 DJ Lalit (Lalit Hemnani) .....................................99 Dosa n' More (Fort Mill, SC)................................65 Eesha Realty, LLC...............................................45 Ekal Event - Taal Se Taal Mila.................................4 Elite Motors .......................................................25 Experior Financial Services .................................41 Festival of India Charlotte (CIAF)....................6 & 7 Furtados School of Music....................................21 Geological Resources, Inc. ....................................39 Glo Dentistry (Ankit M. Amin, DMD)..................63 Global Mall / Legacy Jewels ...............................115 Growing Smiles Pediatric Dentistry ......................71 Gurumaa (Anantmurti Gurumaa in Atlanta) .........13 H2 Laser & Skin..................................................87 Harish Bhasin (Independent Insurance Agent)........71 Health Markets (Medicare, Health, Life, Supplemental).49 Hindu Center of Charlotte (Events) .................76-79 Hitch Hiker's Guide to College .............................21 Infyni Tutoring (Math for Beginners).....................13 Insurance - Tushar Barot, Supreme Insurance Serv...99 Insurance Shopping (Sonal Patel - IndependentAgent)37 JVC Realty (Balaji Tatineni Realtor / Broker).........73 KB Zaveree (Atlanta) ...........................................19 Khanna & Sons Jewelers.......................................15 Kumar, Kokila (Real Estate - Allen Tate) ................29 Maharani Indian Cuisine (Charlotte).....................29 Malak Jewelers....................................................35 Malani Jewelers.................................................116 Malaya Kitchen...................................................31 Mathur, Gitanjali (Allen Tate Realtors)..................31 Meenakshi Creations LLC....................................32 Mehta & McConnell, PLLC (Injury Lawyers).........91 Merrill Lynch (Monica Vadhera) ...........................59 Mint MedSpa & Laser Studio ...............................83 Mystic Spice Restaurant (Charlotte)......................66 Namrata Yadav - Clt City Council At-Large............27 Neeta's Beauty Parlor ..........................................67 New York Life Insurance (Rasheed Ulhaq) .............67 North American Bancard ....................................11 Saathee.com
NRS PAY Credit Card Processing .........................55 NSD Tax & Accounting Services............................41 One 2 Entertainment ...........................................43 Parth Doshi Garba Raas (Florence, SC) ................10 Patel & Samatova, Law........................................99 Patel, Mrugesh (Law Offices)................................47 Patel, Tony (Real Estate) ......................................63 Persis Indian Grill (Fort Mill, SC) ........................65 PKT Tours USA..................................................51 Pramukh Mandapam...........................................93 Prema Senior Living............................................95 Prime Value Financials (Beena & Rahul Parmar)....39 Property for Sale India (Vallabh Vidyanagar).........47 Queen City Smiles (Dr. Kanupriya Tewari).............33 Raja Reslan - Financial Advisor (Edward Jones) .....33 Ram Mortgage (Mayank Patel) ............................41 Regal Oaks Dental & First In Smiles Dentistry .......68 Rooms for Rent (Concord / Charlotte area)............21 Ruby Realty LLC (Neil Pathak)............................60 Rug & Home.........................................................5 Ryan Shah (The Sidd Ensemble Bhajan Band)........13 Saffron Restaurant and Catering...........................85 Satya Realty & SAT Prep .....................................69 Shah & Associates, CPA, PLLC...........................111 Shah & Trivedi CPA, PLLC ..................................39 Shah, Anish (Real Estate) ....................................89 Sona Realty (Venkat Suryadevara) ........................38 SP Orthodontics (Matthews)................................22 Subham Supermarket ..........................................81 Taaza Fresh Indian Bistro.....................................53 Taige Media......................................................111 Tandoor (Rock Hill) ...........................................24 Technone LLC (Securtiy Systems) .........................43 The Blue Taj........................................................61 The Ivy Edge, LLC (College Admissions) ...............53 Travel Passion .....................................................41 Union Family Eye Associates (Dr. Keshav Bhat)......75 Uniworld Travel ..................................................53 VAS Mortgage (Sunita Dalal)...............................57 VAS Realty LLC (Ashwani Dalal) .......................113 Vema Mortgage LLC (Chirag Rachhadia)......33 & 75 Worldwide Travels ...............................................57
Index for Raleigh (Triangle), Greensboro (Triad) & Virginia 360insureall.com (Maqsood Khan) ......................51 365 SecurePath Insurance ..................................111 AABAJ Chanakya Youth Festival ..........................16 Achal Mehta (Navratri Garba - Charlotte).............68 Allure & Exclusive Indian Boutique Store ..............21 Anjappar (Now Open in Durham) ........................24 Apna Bazar (Morrisville) .....................................81 Aura Skin & Laser (Dipan Patel) ..........................27 Bashyam Global LLP - Immigration Law............105 Bhindi Jewelers ...................................................2 Blooming Buds ...................................................57 Blumenthal Arts (Events) ...................................107 Bombay Central (Grocery & Take Out Food)..........73 Brown Immigration Law (Rishi Oza, Partner) .......48 Carolina Law Group ...........................................97 Cary Internal Medicine & Diabetes Center, PA........83 Cary Medical Clinic.............................................79 Chandni's Beauty Salon .......................................25 Charlotte Chess Center ........................................23 Charlotte Trim Light .........................................114 Concha, David (Immigration Attorney).................31 Corner Stone Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine.......89 Countywide Commercial (Pavement Solutions) ....101 Crescent Dental (Dr. Kavita Ghai) ........................59 Darji, Iyer, Joshi & Patel (Accounting & Tax Services) 89 Desai & Desai LLP (CPA & Financial Services) ......43 Desai & Mehta CPAs PLLC .................................93 DJ Lalit (Lalit Hemnani) .....................................99 112
Eesha Realty, LLC...............................................45 Experior Financial Services .................................41 Furtados School of Music....................................21 GCAP (Events).....................................................9 Geological Resources, Inc. ....................................39 Global Mall / Legacy Jewels ...............................115 Growing Smiles Pediatric Dentistry ......................69 Gurumaa (Anantmurti Gurumaa in Atlanta) .........22 Health Markets (Medicare, Health, Life, Supplemental).49 Hindi Vikas Mandal (NC Dussehra Festival)...........10 Hum Sub Diwali (Cary, NC)...................................7 Huntington Learning Center ...............................63 Inchin's Bamboo Garden......................................59 Infyni Tutoring (Math for Beginners).....................13 Insurance - Tushar Barot, Supreme Insurance Serv...99 Insurance Shopping (Sonal Patel - IndependentAgent)..37 International Community Church.........................65 Jashi Abhirajan for Morrisville City Council ..........13 Jignesh Chandarana (Real Estate) .........................71 Johnson's Martial Arts - Tae Kwon Do ...................33 KB Zaveree (Atlanta) ...........................................19 Khanna & Sons Jewelers.......................................15 Malak Jewelers....................................................35 Malani Jewelers.................................................116 Marriott Raleigh Crabtree Valley..........................60 Mathematics Institute of the Triangle....................17 Mehta & McConnell, PLLC (Injury Lawyers).........91 Myriad Enterprises (Nitika Prajapati)...................31 NC Dermatology Associates..................................84 NCIAP (People's Medical Care)............................75 North American Bancard ....................................11 NRS PAY Credit Card Processing .........................55 NSD Tax & Accounting Services............................41 Oh' Calcutta (Restaurant Winston Salem) ..............32 One 2 Entertainment ...........................................43 Patel & Samatova, Law........................................99 Patel Brothers (Cary)...........................................78 Patel, Mrugesh (Law Offices)................................47 PKT Tours USA..................................................51 Pramukh Mandapam...........................................93 PreJuve Medspa & Wellness (Neelu Agarwal MD) ...79 Prema Senior Living............................................95 Prime Value Financials (Beena & Rahul Parmar)....39 Prism Lending (Madan Khatri)............................33 Property for Sale India (Vallabh Vidyanagar).........47 Rajeev Devgon, CPA ...........................................61 RB Realty Group (Ravi Bheemarao) .....................77 Real Triangle Properties (Joe Mathews) .................85 Reflex Physical Therapy (Chaitali Patel) ................61 Restaurant Equipment and Business Signs .............31 Rug & Home.........................................................5 Ryan Shah (The Sidd Ensemble Bhajan Band)........13 Shabana Azmi in "Broken Images"..........................3 Shah & Associates, CPA, PLLC...........................111 Shah & Trivedi CPA, PLLC ..................................39 Sheraton Chapel Hill (ATMA Hotel Group) ..........67 Singh, Manny (Real Estate)..................................27 Smile Forever Family Dentistry (Dr. Narender Dudee) .83 Sona Realty (Venkat Suryadevara) ........................38 Spectrum Family Medicine (Sujatha Sajeevan, MD)33 Spices Hut .........................................................87 Stylish Me ..........................................................29 Taaza Fresh Indian Bistro.....................................53 Taige Media......................................................111 Technone LLC (Securtiy Systems) .........................43 TGA - Pre-Navratri Event .....................................4 The Ivy Edge, LLC (College Admissions) ...............53 TiE Carolinas (High School Entrepreneurship Program)..6 Travel Passion .....................................................41 Tutoring (Nirmala Koripella - A+ Tutoring)..........76 Uniworld Travel ..................................................53 VAS Mortgage (Sunita Dalal)...............................57 VAS Realty LLC (Ashwani Dalal) .......................113 Vema Mortgage LLC (Vipul Hapani) ............25 & 65 Wake Spine & Pain..............................................85 West Cary Medicine (Dr. Kareem M.D.).................25 Worldwide Travels ...............................................57 September 2025