Friday, October 23, 2026 | Vol. 45, No. 43
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October 23, 2026
Indo American News
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Navaratri Season Underway: Durga Puja, Dusserah
P2-P3 Celebrations During Navaratri Season: Durgabari, TAGH
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‘Pooja Meri Jaan’: An Intriguing Tale of Rejection
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2 October 23, 2026 COMMUNITY Dussehra Celebrations Away from Home in the U.S. and Diaspora Back home, Dussehra arrives with its own soundtrack. Ramlila loudspeakers, firecrackers and the smell of jalebis frying at street corners. In New Jersey or Texas, the day may start with an alarm for a 9 AM office call. There’s no public holiday, no effigy burning in the neighbourhood park, and no cousins dropping by unannounced. Yet Indian families across the United States have found their own ways to keep the festival alive. Some look very different from India, and some are surprisingly close. When Families Celebrate In India, Vijayadashami falls on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. Dates in America can shift slightly because of the time difference, so many families check their local temple calendar before planning. The bigger issue is the weekday. Most people can’t take a Tuesday off for a festival. So community events usually move to the nearest weekend. Many temples and cultural associations hold their main celebrations on Saturday and Sunday. At the same time, families do a small puja at home on the actual day, often before work or after dinner.Calling relatives in India takes some planning. In late October, India is 9.5 hours ahead of the US East Coast and 12.5 hours ahead of the West Coast. A morning call from Delhi lands late at night in California. Many families record a short video of their home puja and send it ahead instead. Ravan Dahan, American Style Burning a tall effigy in an open field isn’t simple in the US. Fire
safety rules, permits and insurance make large outdoor fires difficult in most towns.So communities get creative. Some organisations do secure permits and hold controlled Ravan Dahan events at fairgrounds or large temple grounds, with fire marshals on site. Others use smaller effigies, or even models that collapse with sound and light effects instead of real flames. Ramlila performances are popular too. Local drama groups, often with children playing monkeys in Hanuman’s army, stage the story in temple halls or school auditoriums. For kids growing up far from India, these plays often become their first real connection to the Ramayana. Regional Traditions Travel Too Indian families in the US don’t celebrate Dussehra in one way, be-
cause India doesn’t either. Bengali associations organise Durga Puja in rented halls, often with idols shipped from Kolkata. On Vijayadashami, married women take part in Sindoor Khela, smearing sindoor on the goddess and on each other. The evening ends with Bijoya greetings, sweets and hugs.Gujarati communities fill convention centres with garba and dandiya during the nine nights before Dussehra. Some of these events in New Jersey and Texas draw thousands of dancers.South Indian families often keep a Golu display at home, steps lined with dolls of gods, saints and village scenes. Kerala families may hold Vidyarambham, where young children write their first letters in rice under a teacher’s guidance.Ayudha Puja adapts easily to American life. Laptops, cars and kitchen
tools get a tilak and a flower, honouring the things that keep work and home running. Small Ways to Keep It Meaningful at Home Not everyone lives near a temple. Many families mark the day with a simple home puja, a few diyas and a meal that includes something sweet. Telling children the Ramayana story at bedtime, chapter by chapter during Navratri, builds up to the victory on Dussehra.Indian grocery stores in larger cities stock puja items, but Shami and Apta leaves are hard to find. Some families use any green leaves as a symbolic substitute while explaining the tradition to their children. Inviting American friends and neighbours helps too. A plate of homemade sweets with a short note about the festival often sparks curiosity and conversation. -- ToI
Indo-American News • Friday, october 23, 2026 • www.indoamerican-news
Dussehra is a ten-day long Hindu festival that is celebrated at the end of Navratri every year. Dussehra or Dusshera is celebrated to mark Lord Rama’s victory over the demon Ravana that signifies the triumph of good over evil. On Dussehra, huge effigies of Ravana are burnt with fireworks which symbolize the quelling of darkness by light. Dussehra also paves the way for the next big festival of Diwali (the festival of lights) which is celebrated across India with great pomp and fervour. The word ‘Dussehra’ signifies the meaning of the festival itself. The word is formed from two words – Dus and Ahara. ‘Dus’ means ten and ‘Ahara’ means day, so tenth day. Another meaning comes from the mythology of the festival where ‘Dus’ signifies the ten heads of Ravana or bad or evil and ‘hara’ means to defeat or removal. In the northern and western states of India Dussehra is celebrated in the honour of Lord Rama who was an avatar of Lord Vishnu. Plays based on Ramayana and Ramcharitmanas called Ramlila are performed at outdoor fairs by theatre troupes. Dussehra is also celebrated as Vijayadashami and also signifies the killing of demon Mahishasura by Goddess Durga on the tenth day of Navratri.
COMMUNITY
October 23, 2026
Cultural Celebrations During Navaratri Season: Durgabari, TAGH
Durgabari dignitaries with CG DC Manjunath (center)
Telugu Association of Greater Houston (TAGH) with CG DC Manjunath (center)
With a delegation from the Hindus of Greater Houston (HGH)
Telugu Association of Greater Houston (TAGH) Nathukamma festival
Indo-American News • Friday, october 23, 2026, 2026 • www.indoamerican-news
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4 October 23, 2026 COMMUNITY IACF Donor Appreciation Dinner Sets a Promising Pace for Gala urgent needs. During the COVID19 pandemic, it provided critical protective equipment and contributed toward 20 ICU beds for hospitals in India. When devastating floods struck Texas Hill Country, including the Kerrville area, in 2025, IACF contributed $50,000 toward relief and recovery efforts, working alongside Sewa International and other organizations. The Foundation also supported relief efforts following Hurricane Harvey. At the dinner, founding members Jagat Kamdar, Subodh Bhuchar and Kamala Raghavan shared memories of IACF’s early years and the community spirit that has guided its work. Guests paid tribute to the many volunteers, donors and partner organizations whose commitment has helped the Foundation make a difference over the past 30-plus years. The evening was filled with warmth and fellowship, with the emcee, Devanshi Shah and DJ Diva keeping the gathering lively and photographer Thiru capturing memorable moments. The event concluded on an uplifting note, as donors made pledges in support of IACF’s work, setting a promising pace for the Foundation’s Annual Fundraising Gala on November 22, 2026.
Sugar Land: On October 4, the Indo American Charity Foundation (IACF) held its annual Donor Appreciation Dinner at Indian Summer in Sugar Land, TX. Donors, partner organizations, longtime supporters and first-time guests joined the IACF Board of Directors to celebrate the generosity that has sustained the Foundation’s work in the community for more than 30 years. In welcoming guests, IACF President Ramesh Maddi reflected on the lasting impact of giving: “Somewhere, your generosity is already at work, and that is a powerful legacy.” For more than three decades, IACF has raised funds for programs in education, family support, general welfare and healthcare. Its scholarship program supports students in local school districts, while its grants help nonprofit organizations continue serving people in need. IACF has also been a longstanding supporter of the Indian Doctors Charity Clinic, which provides free medical care to uninsured and underserved community members. The Foundation’s work extends beyond its annual events, including the Walkathon, Scholarship Distribution, Donor Appreciation Dinner and Annual Gala. IACF also collaborates with community organizations to respond to
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HEALTH
Indo American News Founder: Dr. K.L. Sindwani Publisher: Jawahar Malhotra Editor: Pramod Kulkarni Correspondent: Sanchali Basu
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Indo-American News • Friday, october 23, 2026 • www.indoamerican-news
ENTERTAINMENT
October 23, 2026
‘Pooja Meri Jaan’: An Intriguing Tale of Rejection
Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.
By Archika Khurana Story: Pooja (Mrunal Thakur) rejects Aniket’s (Vikram Singh Chauhan) romantic advances, but his subsequent suicide and a blaming voice note leave her grappling with guilt, judgment and accusations. As questions emerge, she must confront the consequences of his decision. Review: In a society where rejection is often treated as an insult rather than a personal choice, Pooja Meri Jaan explores an uncomfortable question: where does heartbreak end and responsibility begin? Set in Delhi, the film centres on Pooja Dogra (Mrunal Thakur), whose decision to reject her close friend Aniket’s (Vikram Singh Chauhan) romantic advances sets off a disturbing chain of events. When Aniket dies by suicide and leaves behind a voice note blaming Pooja, she is arrested and accused of pushing him to take his own life. What follows is a courtroom battle involving obsession, rejection, public shaming and the dangerous consequences of assigning blame without knowing the whole truth. The premise has considerable potential. Aniket proposes to Pooja publicly, but she turns him down privately. Following an argument, she asks him to leave her alone and walks away. His subsequent death transforms a deeply personal decision into a legal and social controversy. As the narrative moves between the past and present, different layers of their relationship emerge, keeping the audience questioning what really happened and whether Pooja is a victim of circumstances or being held responsible for someone else’s decision. Sana (Huma Qureshi), a common friend and corporate lawyer, takes up Pooja’s case. She finds herself fighting not just the legal battle but also public prejudice and a narrative that has already branded Pooja guilty. Opposing her is Jatin (Vijay Raaz), who firmly believes Pooja’s actions contributed to Aniket’s death. Their courtroom confrontation could have been the film’s strongest dramatic engine, but this is where Pooja Meri Jaan falls short. Writer-director Navjot Gulati’s story has the ingredients for a sharp, provocative courtroom drama in the vein of Pink, but the legal proceedings rarely generate the tension or intellectual con-
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flict the premise promises. Instead of building arguments through compelling cross-examinations, evidence and legal strategy, the courtroom often feels like a vehicle for delivering the film’s larger message. The opposing viewpoints are clear, but the arguments lack the complexity and escalation needed to make the trial genuinely gripping. Sana’s character arc further weakens the legal proceedings. Her sudden transition from a corporate lawyer to handling a criminal case, seemingly within a single hearing, feels convenient rather than convincing. The film expects the audience to accept her courtroom transformation without adequately establishing her preparedness or expertise. This makes the legal battle feel more constructed for dramatic convenience than grounded in believable courtroom procedure. At 117 minutes, the film maintains a brisk pace, and its movement between past and present is largely effective. However, the screenplay only skims the psychology of obsession and the inability to accept rejection. Aniket’s behaviour is central to the conflict, yet his character graph is not suf-
ficiently developed to make his obsession feel fully convincing. The film raises an important point about accountability being determined by right and wrong rather than gender, but it sometimes stops short of exploring the issue with the depth it deserves Mrunal Thakur is the film’s strongest anchor. She plays Pooja with restraint and conviction, capturing her fear, confusion, anger and vulnerability while keeping the character deliberately ambiguous. Vikram Singh Chauhan brings sincerity to Aniket, but his underwritten character limits the impact of his performance. Huma Qureshi and Vijay Raaz are dependable, though their courtroom exchanges needed greater dramatic weight. Pooja Meri Jaan deserves credit for tackling rejection, obsession and social judgment from a less conventional perspective. But while its premise invites a powerful courtroom examination of guilt and responsibility, the screenplay does not consistently deliver the legal or emotional intensity required. It remains relevant and thought-provoking, but ultimately feels like a promising idea that needed a more rigorous treatment. -- ToI
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