Arts/Books

PANIPAT- Master weaver Khemaraj Sundriyal shared his remarkable journey from a humble farming family in Uttarakhand to becoming the silent architect behind Panipat's rise as a world-renowned handloom hub. India has just awarded him the 2026  , recognizing his six decades of

WASHINGTON, DC- The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art has announced that it will return three historic South Indian bronze sculptures to India after provenance research established that the works had been illegally removed from temple settings decades ago. The museum

KOLKATA- Tripti Mukherjee, a renowned handicraft artist from Suri in West Bengal’s Birbhum district, who has empowered thousands of rural women through the art of Kantha stitch, has credited her mother for her success after being honored with the Padma

India-West Staff Reporter LOS ANGELES, CA - Noel de Souza, actor, journalist, and longtime member of the Golden Globes, marked a rare milestone with the publication of his debut novel, ‘Dust’, on his 100th birthday. The book is co written with

PIcture - Danville.Ca.gov India-West Staff Reporter DANVILLE, CA - The Village Theatre Art Gallery here, is hosting ‘One Voice Many Visions,’ an exhibition presented by the Indian American Artists Association that highlights diverse artistic interpretations of heritage, identity, and cross cultural connection. The

NEW DELHI -Lamenting the minuscule representation by women candidates in Bangladesh’s upcoming elections, a Dhaka daily on January 19 flagged “systemic design and failure” as the main reasons, echoing the voice of writer and activist Taslima Nasreen without naming her. “The

Image: Wikipedia India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY -  Scott Adams, the creator of the comic strip Dilbert, died this week at 68, closing the chapter on a career that produced one of the most widely recognized workplaces in popular culture. Among

India-West News Desk SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Bollywood spectacle met American sports culture on a December night in San Francisco when the thumping title track of Ranveer Singh’s blockbuster film ‘Dhurandhar’ echoed through an NBA arena. During halftime at the Golden State

Photos: Vino Wong India-West Staff Reporter NEW YORK, NY - In a year crowded with notable debuts, Parul Kapur’s ‘Inside the Mirror’ has quietly emerged as one of the celebrated literary novels of 2025, earning the Pattis Family Foundation Creative Arts Book

India-West News Desk RAIPUR – Renowned Hindi novelist and poet Vinod Kumar Shukla passed away on  December 23, at AIIMS Raipur. He was 89. A towering figure in contemporary Indian letters, Shukla was the first author from Chhattisgarh to receive the Jnanpith Award,

By Michael Borden FAIRFIELD, IA - Interest in sacred architecture and vastu based design has been steadily growing over the past decade, reflecting a wider search for meaning, harmony, and wellbeing in the spaces we inhabit. Fear and the Modern Home In my work,

Photo: Kiran Desai (Left), Arundhati Roy (Right) India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY - The New York Times Book Review has unveiled its weighty and much anticipated year end list, naming the editors’ top five fiction and top five nonfiction books of

NEW DELHI – Renowned sculptor Ram Vanji Sutar, whose artistic vision gave form to the Statue of Unity in Gujarat and shaped the visual identity of modern India, passed away at his residence in Noida. He was 100. Family sources

India-West Staff Reporter SACRAMENTO, CA - Dr. Vipul Mankad’s new book arrives at the intersection of medicine, memory, and meaning. ‘When Science Meets the Soul: A Doctor’s Quest for Deeper Healing’ is part professional memoir and part philosophical inquiry, offering a conversation between modern

Photo: Smithsonian India-West Staff Reporter WASHINGTON, DC - High in the Himalayan foothills, in small courtly kingdoms far from imperial capitals, artists once created some of the most intimate and refined paintings in South Asia. Next spring, many of those works, including

MUMBAI - Actress Sumona Chakravarti has spoken about the kind of stories that linger long after a book is finished, reflecting on themes of heartbreak, healing, and the quiet comfort of familiar emotions. Sharing her thoughts on a recent read, the actress

MUMBAI- Actress Sonali Bendre has shared her book picks for the month offering a festive dose of literary inspiration to her followers. Calling it the SBC Book(s) of the Month – December Edition, the actress recommended three titles: 'Hercule Poirot’s Christmas'

Photo: Sruti India-West News Desk SAN FRANCISCO, CA - The brilliant classical dancer, choreographer and actress Kumari Kamala passed away on November 24 in California at her son Jainand Narayan’s home. She was 91. Her death closes the chapter on one of Indian

Photo: Arushi Arts India-West Staff Reporter NEW DELHI - Baua Devi is a Mithila painting artist from Jitwarpur village of Madhubani District in Bihar. Mithila painting is an ancient folk art that originated in the region. It is recognized as a series

JAIPUR -Marking a historic moment for women’s cricket, the Jaipur Wax Museum has initiated the creation of a life-sized wax statue of Indian Women’s Cricket Team Captain Harmanpreet Kaur. Harmanpreet is set to become the first woman cricketer in the world

Photo: Wikipedia GANDHINAGAR -Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently championed India’s indigenous and heritage products, placing local strength at the heart of national growth. In line with this vision, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has set an ambitious goal of

DEHRADUN - When a region as young and complex as Uttarakhand reaches its twenty-fifth year, its story deserves a chronicler with patience, curiosity, and an eye for detail. Senior journalist Jai Singh Rawat steps into that role with 'Uttarakhand State’s

India-West Staff Reporter PARSIPPANY, NJ - What began as a personal project during the COVID-19 lockdown has evolved into a global platform for Tamil moral storytelling, driven by Parsippany resident Bhargav Kesavan. Kesavan, started recording simple Tamil moral stories for his nephew

India-West Staff Reporter NEW YORK, NY- Arts India US has announced its selection of ten emerging Indian classical performers as the 2026 Lotus Fellows. Chosen from nearly 100 applicants nationwide, the artists will participate in a yearlong program designed to significantly expand their

MUMBAI -The late actress Kamini Kaushal had a profound passion for puppetry, creating highly detailed figures that she used as an extension of her artistry. She had explained the profound connection she felt: “When you are doing puppetry, there is an

India-West Staff Reporter BOSTON, MA – Dunkin’ is debuting a new children's book and animated story, 'The Little Holiday Munchkin', narrated by Emmy-nominated writer, producer, and director Mindy Kaling, to support the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation. The story centers on a

India-West Staff Reporter NEW YORK, NY - Karan Mahajan’s return to fiction has been nearly a decade in the making, and his new novel ‘The Complex’, arriving from Viking on March 10, 2026, signals not just a comeback but an expansion

Photo: Penguin Random House India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY -Padma Lakshmi’s latest cookbook, 'Padma’s All American: Tales, Travels, and Recipes from Taste the Nation and Beyond', was released on November 4, by Knopf. Priced at $40.00, the 352-page hardcover is being hailed as

Photo: Dayton Literary Peace Prize India-West News Desk DAYTON, OH -Salman Rushdie has been honored with the Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award, the lifetime achievement prize of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, here. The award recognizes exceptional literary merit and a commitment

Picture Credit - Ishita Singh Photography India-West Staff Reporter CHICAGO, IL —Bestselling author Sonali Dev, celebrated for her witty and emotionally rich storytelling, is set to release her new novel, 'How Simi Got Her Groom Back', on March 3, 2026, from Lake

Photo:Yale University. India-West News Desk NEW HAVEN, CT - Yale University historian, Professor Sunil Amrith has been named the winner of the 2025 British Academy Book Prize for 'The Burning Earth: An Environmental History of the Last 500 Years'. The judges called the book

India-West Staff Reporter LOS ANGELES, CA - In his striking debut novel 'Voice in the Waiting Room' (Rupa Publications), Pittsburgh-based psychiatrist Dr. Mayank Gupta turns his lens inward—toward the fragile intersections of mind, migration, and meaning. Known for his expertise in

Photo: https://www.kalpenn.com India-West News Desk LOS ANGELES, CA — Kal Penn, actor and author of the memoir 'You Can't Be Serious,' is bringing his wit and curiosity to a new six-episode podcast series, 'Earsay: The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club.' Launched by

NEW DELHI- In line with the objective of bringing seminal authors to greater global renown, the 2025 Nobel Prize for Literature was conferred on Hungarian litterateur Laszlo Krasznahorkai, who’s demanding, yet pensive, post-modern, near-surrealist works draw on the traditions of

Photos: M Palma Photography By Fatema Baldiwala LOS ANGELES, CA - In 'Neha & Neel', playwright Ankita Raturi takes audiences on a heartfelt road trip that travels across both geography and identity. Co-produced by the Latino Theater Company and Artists at Play, this

India-West Staff Reporter MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA - Vinita Gupta’s memoir, 'The Woman in Deed: Road to IPO, Bridge Tables, and Beyond,' was celebrated at a special launch event at the Computer History Museum here, on October 5. Hosted by Gupta and TiE

Photo: @megha.maj. India-West Staff Reporter NEW YORK, NY — Megha Majumdar, the Kolkata-born author whose debut A Burning electrified readers around the world, is back with a haunting new work — and it’s already garnering major acclaim. Her second novel, A Guardian

MUMBAI — Celebrated choreographer Terence Lewis has opened up about his personal life, candidly revealing why marriage is no longer on his mind. Known for his honesty and humor, Lewis said he’s perfectly content being single and has accepted that

India-West Staff Reporter CINCINNATI, OH  – As the world marks the 250th birth anniversary of Muthuswami Dikshitar (1775–1835), 'Anubhuti,' a new book by composer and scholar Dr. Kanniks Kannikeswaran, offers a groundbreaking exploration of this iconic figure. Published by Garuda Prakasan, 'Anubhuti'

Photo: https://www.qf.org.qa/ India-West News Desk MUMBAI -  A new museum dedicated to the life and work of Maqbool Fida Husain, an influential figure in modern art, is scheduled to open in Doha, Qatar, next month. The institution, named 'Lawh Wa Qalam: MF Husain Museum', will

India-West Staff Reporter LOS ANGELES, CA — For its 40th anniversary, Donna Sternberg & Dancers is presenting 'Thriving,' a performance honoring the creativity and endurance of mature choreographers and dancers in the Los Angeles community. The show aims to challenge stereotypes of

Photo:Toji Cultural Foundation India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY — Amitav Ghosh, the celebrated Indian American novelist whose work spans colonial histories, climate crises, and global interconnections, has been named the winner of the 14th Park Kyongni Award, often described as South

Photo: Booker Prize India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY — Nearly two decades after she became the toast of the literary world with 'The Inheritance of Loss', Kiran Desai has returned to the Booker Prize spotlight. Her latest novel, 'The Loneliness of

India-West News Desk MIAMI, FL - For author Chandramukhi Ganju, food is more than sustenance—it is a sacred connection to her Kashmiri heritage. Her new book, ‘Koshur Saal: Traditional, Quick and Easy Kashmiri Cuisine,’ goes beyond recipes, serving as a guide to

NEW DELHI -Penguin Random House India has launched a four-volume photobook series titled 'Seva Hi Sankalp, Rashtra Pratham Hi Prerna,' which translates to 'Service is Resolve, Nation First is Inspiration.' This biographical collection, compiled by the Bluekraft Digital Foundation, chronicles

MUMBAI -Veteran actress Deepti Naval channeled her inner poet, expressing her feelings with a thoughtful verse that won hearts online. The 'Chashme Buddoor' actress wrote: "I float on your arm and try not to think/ You sit in stillness/ Holding my

India-West News Desk MUMBAI - Chetan Bhagat is back with a love story. After more than a decade since he wrote 2 States and Half Girlfriend, the bestselling author is returning to the genre that made him India’s most popular novelist.

Photo: Poetry Foundation India-West News Desk SAN DIEGO, CA — On the campus of the University of California, San Diego, Kazim Ali spends his days surrounded by books, students, and the quiet hum of creative energy. This fall, his work will travel

India-West Staff Reporter HOUSTON, TX — From September 5–7, Houston became a hub of literary and cultural exchange as the 8th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) unfolded across four of the city’s most iconic venues. Produced by Teamwork Arts,

India-West Staff Reporter DUBLIN, CA – Bay Area resident Surendra Saxena has released a memoir, ‘Kailash: Footsteps to the Divine’, a spiritual travelogue that recounts his decades-long dream and eventual journey to Mount Kailash, one of the most sacred peaks in