February 2021

A culture that worships goddesses produces strong women. – Shyamala Gopalan The very sound of the word Kamala, another name for the goddess Laxmi, throned on a lotus flower, reminds us of nothing but India and Indian heritage. And Kamala Devi Harris particularly accentuated this throughout her career even in her recent election campaigns. It is always her pride to …

The daughter of immigrants and civil rights activists, Vice President Kamala Harris was raised in a California community that cared deeply about social justice. As she rose to prominence as a political leader, her experiences would become her guiding light as she grappled with an array of complex issues and learned to bring a voice to the voiceless. Now, in …

Petals of Padma: Acknowledging Excellence “Be the servant while leading. Be unselfish. Have infinite patience, and success is yours.” ― Swami Vivekananda Padma, the Sanskrit name for lotus, carries great significance in Indian culture and heritage. The Padma, or lotus, emerges from muddy water and blooms into an exquisite flower. The emergence of brilliance and beauty out of the darkness …

By Tanvi Dubey Mohan Das Karamchand Gandhi’s evolution from a lawyer, to becoming the face of India’s non-violent struggle for independence as the Mahatma, has been written about at great length. In this journey of a man who is regarded as the father of the nation, an integral companion was his wife, Kasturba Gandhi. Kasturba Gandhi’s name is often lost …

Hindu scripture consists of volumes of books written over thousands of years. Among these written works are the Bhagavad Gita, four Vedas: Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda, and Upanishads, all of which are the most read and quoted when discussing Hindu scriptures. In this month’s Word to Live By column, I would like to highlight a Hindu Scripture that is full …

Notwithstanding anything and everything, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reigns supreme. Despite demonetization, GST, COVID-19, Article 370, CAA, Love Jihad and the farm laws, Modi makes his mark. The timeline shows his popularity graph rising. Detractors just do not have enough mud to sling and none of it will stick. Jair Bolsanaro, Vladimir Putin, Recep Erdogan, Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, …

By Peggy Albers If you are a parent or a teacher, you most probably read stories to young children. Together, you laugh and point at the pictures. You engage them with a few simple questions. And they respond. So what happens to children when they participate in shared reading? Does it make a difference to their learning? If so, what …

Sanjana Sanghvi wooed the world with her impressive portrayal as the love struck girl with a deadly disease in the cinematic adaptation of the smash hit book by John Greene, Fault in our Stars. The film Dil Bechara was also co-star Sushant Singh Rajput’s last movie, earning good results at the box office. Currently, the actress is working on a …

No, it is not just Rubina Dilaik, even Nikki Tamboli joins her to slam Sonali Phogat’s habit of throwing food into the garbage showing that actions are open to criticism on the show.  The camera pans to the kitchen where viewers see Arshi busy cooking food and Sonali as she munches on breakfast. Arshi tells Sonali that food is limited, …