Arts/Books

India-West Staff Reporter 'Leave and Come Back' by Lavanya Lakshmi, Pamela Dorman Books, Hardcover, $30.00 'Leave and Come Back,' the debut novel by Lavanya Lakshmi, blends romance, family drama and South Asian cultural traditions. Released on June 16, the book explores themes

India-West Staff Reporter PALO ALTO, CA — TheatreWorks Silicon Valley will present the world premiere of 'The Employee Dharma Handbook,' a new play by playwright Geetha Reddy, from July 8 through August 2 at the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto. Set

India-West Staff Reporter 'Faraway Family' by Padma Venkatraman, illustrated by Nicole Wong; Nancy Paulsen Books; ages 3-7; $18.99 Award-winning Indian American author Padma Venkatraman will make her picture-book debut with 'Faraway Family', scheduled for release on August 25. Known for acclaimed novels including

MUMBAI- Choreographer Rajit Dev has directed and choreographed the official anthem for the FIFA World Cup 2026, titled ‘Siir Siir’, which features actress Nora Fatehi. The music video is scheduled to be showcased during the tournament's opening ceremony. Directed by Moroccan filmmaker

Photo Credit: Will Kirk, Johns Hopkins University India-West News Desk LOS ANGELES, CA — Indian American anthropologist Anand Pandian has been named the recipient of the 2026 Zócalo Book Prize for 'Something Between Us: The Everyday Walls of American Life, and How

India-West News Desk SUNNYVALE, CA- Henrik Ibsen’s 1879 classic ‘A Doll’s House’ is being reinterpreted for the Sunnyvale Theatre, shifting the story from its original Victorian setting to the contemporary world of the South Asian diaspora in Silicon Valley. Director Rita Bhatia said

PICTURE CREDIT-www.compassionunites India-West News Desk SAN FRANCISCO -Ishan Shivanand, founder of Yoga of Immortals (YOI) and the mental health initiative Compassion Unites, has received a Gold Award at the 2026 Nautilus Book Awards for his memoir, 'The Practice of Immortality.' The book won

BHOPAL, INDIA -Widely admired for his ghazals, Bashir Badr built a literary legacy that spanned decades and earned him readers and admirers across India and the global South Asian diaspora. The renowned Urdu poet and Padma Shri awardee passed away

WASHINGTON, D.C .-Second Lady Usha Vance announced the winners of a nationwide bookmark design competition that invited elementary and middle school students to reflect on what America means to them as the United States prepares to mark its 250th anniversary. The

WASHINGTON, DC -Second Lady Usha Vance visited the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to promote childhood literacy, using a stop at one of Team USA's premier training facilities to encourage children to read during the

India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY - By all appearances, Sangeetha Kowsik’s life spans multiple disciplines: she is a Hindu chaplain trained in Islamic calligraphy, the former Head Designer at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and founder of a multidisciplinary studio

By Arpita Banerjee IRVINE, CA - For one afternoon in Irvine, five decades of Bharata Natyam history came alive on a single stage. Ektaa Center’s ‘Dance Conversations: Five Decades. One Living Tradition,’ presented May 2 at the Lakeview Senior Center, brought together six

India-West News Desk MUMBAI- In her latest middle-grade novel, ‘Roar,’ bestselling author Varsha Bajaj turns to India’s wildlife sanctuaries to explore the tension between economic development and environmental conservation. The story follows Rohan, a boy traveling from the United States to visit his

MUMBAI- Singer and music composer Vishal Dadlani shared an anecdote about the creation of the iconic Hindi song ‘Chingari Koi Bhadke’ during an appearance on the reality show Indian Idol. Vishal recalled how legendary composer R. D. Burman, fondly known as Pancham Da, had worked

Photo: Wikipedia India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - A recent ruling by the Madhya Pradesh High Court on the disputed Bhojshala complex has renewed public and scholarly attention on an 11th-century sculpture of Goddess Saraswati that today sits thousands of miles away

India-West News Desk SAN FRANCISCO, CA -A new solo exhibition by artist Lakshmi Shankarreddy at the Consulate General of India, San Francisco offered viewers a vivid journey through landscapes, florals and portraits shaped by life between India and California. Hosted on May

WASHINGTON, DC - Second Lady Usha Vance visited a charter school in Florida as part of her effort to promote childhood literacy and highlight her Summer Reading Challenge for students across the country. During her visit to AcadeMir Academy Charter School

PHNOM PENH-Archaeologists have completed the emergency restoration of the early 10th-century Baksei Chamkrong temple in Cambodia’s famed Angkor Archaeological Park after parts of the structure were found to be at risk of collapse, the APSARA National Authority (ANA) said. It said the

By Bhartti Kumar ATLANTA, GA - Bedtime routines in many households have gradually shifted, often shaped by busy schedules and the easy availability of screens. For families spread across countries, the experience of listening to a grandparent tell a story has

Photo: Manhattan DA India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY- In a landmark victory for cultural heritage preservation, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has repatriated a massive cache of 657 antiquities to India. Valued at approximately $14 million, the returned artifacts represent the

WASHINGTON, DC -A major exhibition of Indian art has opened in the U.S. capital, showcasing rare paintings from the Himalayan hill kingdoms and highlighting a lesser-known but influential artistic tradition. Titled “Of the Hills: Pahari Paintings from India’s Himalayan Kingdoms,” the

India-West News Desk WASHINGTON, DC -  US Rep.Pramila Jayapal and US Senator Mazie Hirono have introduced a congressional resolution recognizing library workers nationwide and highlighting their role in providing public services, education and community support. The measure was announced after National Library Week and comes amid

MUMBAI-Actor-director Rajat Kapoor, who is receiving a positive response to his recently released streaming film ‘Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa’, has said that stage is a more flexible medium compared to cinema. He said, “It's right that you can't do anything about

NEW DELHI-Celebrated photographer Raghu Rai, widely regarded as a pioneer of photojournalism in the country, passed away on April 26 at the age of 83 after battling cancer for over two years. Rai was cremated at the Lodhi Road cremation ground

India-West News Desk SAN DIEGO, CA - For thirty-five years, Hamid Daudani has been the quiet architect of Desi theater in San Diego, weaving cultural narratives into the fabric of the local arts scene. On April 18, that journey reached a

MUMBAI- Author and columnist Twinkle Khanna has revealed that husband and actor Akshay Kumar’s “only contribution” to her writing career is telling her “Mat kar.” Speaking on World Book Day on April 23, Twinkle Khanna said that while discussing topics for

Photo: William and Mary News/@ltgovhashmi India-West News Desk RICHMOND, VA - Ghazala Hashmi has kicked off an innovative and intellectual new ‘Literature & Government’ tour with an inaugural lecture at College of William & Mary, drawing more than 200 students to the

MUMBAI- Tarun Khanna said portraying Lord Shiva more than 440 times on stage has transformed him personally, increasing his patience and bringing back a sense of kindness. Khanna has played Mahadev in television shows including ‘Karm Phal Data Shani,’ ‘RadhaKrishn, Jai Kanhaiya Lal Ki,’ ‘Devi Adi

Photo: Wikipedia India-West News Desk ST.LOUIS, MO - At the Sheldon Concert Hall on April 8, Jhumpa Lahiri accepted the 2026 St. Louis Literary Award, a recognition presented by Saint Louis University to writers whose work expands insight into the human condition. For

India-West News Desk CHICAGO, IL — Marking ten years since its founding, Matwaala Mehfil 2025 reflects the steady evolution of a literary collective focused on South Asian diaspora poetry and community engagement. Launched in 2015 by Usha Akella and Pramila Venkateswaran, Matwaala

India-West News Desk IRVINE, CA – In a rare coming together of lineage, memory, and movement, “Dance Conversations” will bring six pioneering Bharata Natyam practitioners in the US to the stage on May 2, transforming performance into both archive and dialogue. Hosted

India-West News Desk BERKELEY, CA - Berkeley Repertory Theatre Artistic Director Johanna Pfaelzer and Managing Director Tom Parrish have announced the world premiere of ‘The Lunchbox’, a new musical scheduled to run from May 17 through June 28. Staged at the Roda Theatre,

India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY -Aruni Kashyap, a writer and Director of the Creative Writing Program at the University of Georgia, will translate ‘The Smell of Bamboo Blossoms’, a short story collection by Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi, after Penguin Random House’s

India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY - Meenal Patel’s forthcoming picture book, 'Where Do Stories Live?' to be released by publishers Kokila on May 5, offers a vibrant exploration of creativity and mindfulness for readers aged four to eight. In the spirit

India-West News Desk HOUSTON, TX- A one-woman theatrical portrayal of Kasturba Gandhi by performer Roopa Mohan drew a standing-room-only audience at the Eternal Gandhi Museum Houston, highlighting renewed interest in lesser-known voices from India’s freedom movement. Titled ‘Kasturba Gandhi – A

Photo: Bob Shomler India-West News Desk SAN JOSE, CA - The California Theatre is set to witness a unique cultural intersection this month as Opera San José prepares to close its 2025–26 season with a bold new staging of Giuseppe Verdi’s 'La

India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY- Author Arundhati Roy has been awarded the National Book Critics Circle prize for her memoir, 'Mother Mary Comes to Me'.   A ceremony for the 2025 publishing year winners was held at the New School in

MUMBAI - Amid the resounding success of 'Dhurandhar', author Harinder Sikka has expressed regret over the cinematic adaptation of his espionage novel 'Calling Sehmat', which inspired the 2018 film 'Raazi', starring Alia Bhatt and directed by Meghna Gulzar. He shared a

Photo: A transformed saree by Thota Vaikuntam x Sushma Thota. By REENA RATHORE SAN FRANCISCO, CA - The saree has always been more than mere fabric. Flowing, versatile, and timeless, it is a storyteller. Six yards of silk, both beautiful and practical, have

India-West News Desk WASHINGTON, DC - The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art here, has formally agreed to the repatriation of three significant antiquities to India after internal provenance research confirmed the items had been illegally removed from their original sites. The

MUMBAI -Actress Sheena Chohan brought to life the timeless heroines of the legendary painter Raja Ravi Varma with a striking four-image photographic series. The series beautifully reimagines his iconic women for a modern audience. Raja Ravi Varma’s muses have played a significant

India-West News Desk LOS ANGELES, CA - A Southern California dance academy is preparing to bring the vibrant spirit of India to the global stage at Walt Disney World. The Santa Clarita-based Ghungroo Dance School has been selected to perform at the

Kalaivanar Foundation presents  'She’s Auspicious' by Mythili Prakash atThe Eli & Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica. 

India-West News Desk BOSTON, MA -Rajani LaRocca, a Newbery Honor–winning author and practicing primary care physician, will release her first young adult novel, ‘Such Great Heights,’ this August. The book presents a contemporary retelling of the Hindu epic ‘Ramayana,’ shifting focus to

NEW DELHI- The Sahitya Akademi Award 2025, presented by the Government of India in the field of literature, was announced recently. This year, the honor in the Sanskrit category has been conferred upon the eminent scholar Mahamahopadhyaya Swami Bhadreshdasji for

BENGALURU- The Karnataka government on March 12 expanded its partnership with the British Council to strengthen English learning and improve library services in rural areas through the state's Gram Panchayat 'Arivu Kendras' (Knowledge Centers). Under the expanded collaboration, the number of

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI- The Sahitya Akademi on March 16 announced its 2025 awards across 24 Indian languages, concluding a three-month delay after a scheduled press conference in December was cancelled. The announcement had been deferred following a Ministry of Culture communication

By EV Master - Ezhilvanan Oppilamani SAN JOSE, CA - Dance is the most visceral language of culture, and few forms speak with as much raw power as Kuthu. Rooted in the soil of South India, Kuthu is defined by an

BHAGALPUR - The traditional, centuries-old Manjusha art of Bihar's Bhagalpur, which received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag five years ago, has emerged as a major source of livelihood for women and has helped the folk-art gain wider national and international recognition. Dating back

Photo: Instagram India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY - Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani has appointed Diya Vij as commissioner of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the nation’s largest municipal funder of arts and culture. She is the first South