Clik here to view.
Nine Takes for the Nine Divine Nights of Navratri
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are entirely mine. The Sanskrit terms and Hindu ideology are a reflection of my interpretation. (Photo/chiragndesai) Maha Navratri is a nine-day Hindu...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why I Went To See Narendra Modi At Madison Square Garden
Indian PM Narendra Modi gave a speech in Madison Square Garden. (Photo/Priya Arora) “Why?” If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me last week why I was going to the Narendra Modi event in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Identity In Pieces: When You Don’t Know Where You Count
Last summer, I wore a pink and yellow sari to my cousin’s wedding. As my Indian family lingered in the hotel lobby, dressed up and waiting for our shuttle, we received a few looks from other hotel...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Quick Picks: Portland’s Dance Missionary & DJ Anjali
This week we feature the current favorites and obsessions of DJ Anjali. With a name like Gitanjali (song offering) you’d think she was born to play records. Made in India and born in Oregon, Anjali...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ritual, Love and Community: A 21st-Century Family’s Mundan Ceremony
Photo courtesy of Nishta Mehra and Shoot With Personality. I always knew I didn’t want an Indian wedding. Even when I thought that I might marry a boy someday, I imagined us eloping, telling my parents...
View ArticleDebunking the Model Minority Myth with Humor: The Rise of the South Asian...
One of Hari Kondabolu’s jokes begins with his observations while sitting on a bus in New York City. He describes a woman who is teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) classes. She says, “Asians...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Tribute to Hybrids, A Different Kind of ‘Other’
(Photo/Blacklava) A few days ago I set up a booth with a stack of copies of my just-published book, Faint Promise of Rain, at an India Festival put on by a neighboring town. Several times, a South...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Dialogue, Identity and ‘How Do You Pronounce That?’
Every time I am introduced to someone new, I say my name and pause, waiting for the furrowed brow and inevitable question: how do you pronounce that? My name, Ashwin, is a source of deep pride, but...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Post-Racial, All Inclusive: A Take on a Trip to the Dominican Republic
The tropical morning mist had begun to lift. I stepped through the ornate, bejeweled lobby, spun through the revolving doors and hurtled out onto the sidewalk. My wife stepped out beside me. “There’s...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Creating A Home Away From Home On Diwali
Rangoli by Rashi Tulshyan, photo courtesy of Ruchika Tulshyan. I have a frenetic week planned: I’m heading to Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market to buy flowers and fresh ingredients for the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Meet The Patels Takes On Arranged Marriage Trope
“Not getting married and staying single is the biggest loser you can be.” This is the candid assessment that Ravi and Geeta Patel’s voluble father issues during one of many discussions about how...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Queer Desi Reflections On The Meaning Of Marriage
“What would you like to drink?” the bartender asked me. “Two introspective whiskeys, please.” “What?” “Sorry. Two Jack Honeys on the rocks.” We come to this bar so often that I forget the bartenders...
View ArticleBangle Banger: An Interview With Style Blogger Anjana Raj
Born in India, raised in Alabama and Kansas, and based in Chicago, Anjana Raj’s background is a confluence of differences, much like the diverse clothing featured on her blog, Bangle Banger. Launched...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Women’s Victim Role & The Bangladeshi Liberation War
A sculpture at Mujibnagar, Dhaka, depicts the rape of a Bangladeshi woman during the Liberation war. (Wikipedia/Rahat Rahim) If you were to believe most narratives in historical documentation of the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Finding Music In India While Growing Up In The ’80s and ’90s
The faint strains of a song wafting down the hallway was way more interesting than the grown-ups’ conversation I was stuck being a spectator to in the living room of the house of my cousin...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Revolution Starts with My Thathi: Strategies for South Asians to Bring...
It’s getting to that holiday time again, and many of us will be spending time with our families, given and chosen. If your family is anything like mine: South Asian, upper middle class, and oftentimes...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Catch Up With These 21 Interviews From The Aerogram
In 2014 The Aerogram interviewed a range of people working in diverse fields — film, art, fashion, photography, writing, YouTube comedy and more. Catch up with some of these fascinating conversations...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why A Bollywood Celebrity’s Struggle With Depression Is A Big Deal
Bollywood superstar Deepika Padukone just publicly revealed her recent struggle with depression and anxiety. Speaking up about personal challenges is highly uncommon for female celebrities in India....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Sendhil Ramamurthy On Indie Film Brahmin Bulls & The Universal Language of...
The Picture House in Pelham, New York, hosts a January 22 screening of Brahmin Bulls and Q&A with Sendhil Ramamurthy. The film will be released on VOD later this year. Sendhil Ramamurthy in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Quick Picks: Journalist & Author Anjan Sundaram
This week we feature the current favorites and obsessions of journalist and author Anjan Sundaram. Sundaram is the author of Stringer: A Reporter’s Journey in the Congo, which has been optioned for a...
View Article/pic9814888.png)
/fit-in/580x348/filters:format(webp)/english-betterindia/media/media_files/2026/09/17/balaghat-4-2026-09-17-19-01-31.png)
