Browsing: Waris Ahluwalia

Mansion, the official home of the Mayor of New York, had probably never seen so many Indians or cooked up such a big batch of samosas!

Hundreds of Indians from all walks of life – diplomats, community bigwigs, journalists, artists, chefs and business people had all gathered in a huge tented space on the lush lawns of Gracie Mansion, overlooking the East River. This was the biggest Diwali bash in memory and included so many faces from the Indian-American community of New York.

Asian Garden of Many Delights – every table was decorated by a different designer and the dinner menu was designed by Chef Hemant Mathur of Tulsi and his wife, the equally talented pastry chef Surbhi Sahni of Bittersweet NYC.

I’m always amazed by the passion India evokes in those who visit her. I’ve met people in New York elevators and on the streets whose eyes light up when they hear you are from India. All of them have love stories to relate, wonderful anecdotes about what the country means to them. In the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, people everywhere have expressed their solidarity with the city and the country, showing their caring in many different ways.