News India Times

www.newsindiatimes.com – that’s all you need to know News India Times (October 11, 2025 - October 17, 2025) October 17, 2025 10 Community Indo-American Festivals Celebrates Dushahra In Edison With Burning Of Ravana Effigy T housands watched as the twenty feet tall effigy of Ravana burned down to ashes, representing the victory of good over evil, at the Lake Pappaianni Park in New Jersey, October 4, 2025. Organized by Indo-American Festivals Inc. (IAF), the 27th annual Dushahra Festival has become a special event in the tristate area, drawing people together for a full day of entertainment, cultural activi- ties, and shopping. IAF Vice President Raj Mittal said the Dushahra festival has become quite popu- lar with Indians and non Indians alike. “The Indian food available at the festival and the burning of Ravan has been draw- ing huge crowds,” Mittal said, speaking to News India Times. “Setting up the 20 feet effigy of Ravan was hard work,” Mittal said. Originally designed by the late architect Krishan Gopal, this year’s effigy was created by IAF Long Island President Dr. Goyal. Goyal and Damayanti Goyal also supervised its dismantling in transportable parts which were driven to the venue and then put together by expert handimen, taking more than 6 hours, Mittal said. Speaking at the event, chief guest, Edison Mayor Sam Joshi said he had been watching the event organized very efficiently for the past many years, and looked forward to seeing it continue and grow. Joshi distributed plaques and honors to special guests. Council member Ajay Patil was a special guest. Preparations for the event took the whole year, Mittal said. He said the team began working in late December last year, sending in application and waiting for venue approval. Fixing the date and a rain date all require permissions without which no logistics could be worked on, he added. The event was made possible with a grant from the Middlesex County which helped in covering essential expenses. “The venue was provided by the Township of Edison,” Mittal said. The event’s chief sponsors included PNC Bank, HindiUSA, Suhag Jewelers, NewYork Life, Lemfi, ICICI Bank, ITV Gold and ParikhWorldwide Media. Other guests included IAF Chair Chanchal Gupta, Vice Chair Raj Mittal, President Shiva Arya, IAF Long Island Chapter President Dr. Ravindra Goyal, Damayanti Goyal, Vishv Jeet, Shalini Chhabra, and countless other volunteers. A special feature of the celebration was a free medical camp organized by the NJ based Agrawal Samaj USA. The 20-year old organization has been helping plan and manage events, Mittal said. The camp was a busy, full day event, with medi- cal specialists including cardiologists, pulmonologists, and endocrinologists, performing free blood work, diagnosis and treatment consultations. “A number of visiting parents took advantage of it”, Mittal said. Security and fire safety regulations were managed by the township police and fire department which checked every single thing from the effigy to the food stalls, the vendor stalls and the tents for regula- tory compliance and safety, according to Mittal. Water fountains were also installed near the effigy. A special performance of Ramleela choreographed and directed by Navrang Dance Academy, with more than 75 artists kept the audiences glued to their seats. Other cultural activities included dances, music, skits and drama. Area dance schools showcased their talent. HindiUSA kids performed a play on Ramayana. A special supervising committee had ensured that all items were decent and proper for the occasion. NJ based artist Mayur fascinated the audience with his sand art where he drew palaces and figures from Ramayana on sand with his fingers, which were then projected on the LED screen with sound and music. Other attractions included about 75 stalls of jewelry, clothing, handicrafts, financial companies, travel agents, Hin- diUSA, and more. The food stalls attracted large crowds. The day ended with burning of Ravan’s effigy and fireworks. By Archana Adalja PHOTOS:Sunil Dubey,courtesyRaj Mittal A scene from the special performance ot Ramleela choreographed and directed by the Navrang Dance Academy for the Dushahra Festival in NJ organized by IAF. Megha Majumdar’s Kolkata-Based Novel Among US 2025 National Book Award Finalists K olkata-born Megha Majumdar’s second novel, “A Guardian and a Thief’ set to be out October 14, 2025, is on the prestigious list of Finalists for the US National Book Award. Her first novel, “A Burning” was longlisted for Fiction in 2020. Majumdar is among 25 Finalists to con- tend for the National Book Awards in the categories of Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature. The book tells the story of two fami- lies in Kolkata: one searching for a stolen purse containing their immigration docu- ments, and the other driven to thievery by desperation. TheWashington Post’s Ron Charles called Majumdar’s debut, “A Burning,” the must-read novel of summer 2020, when she first made the National Book Award list. And now her compelling saga based in Kolkata, has made it to the top Ameri- can national award shortlist. Winners of the National Book Awards receive $10,000, a bronze medal, and statue; Finalists receive $1,000 and a bronze medal. Information on the Nationalbook.org site, gives further details of events sched- uled for the 2025 Finalists andWinners as follows: The 2025 Finalists will read from their work at the National Book Awards Final- ist Reading on the evening of Tuesday, November 18 at NYU Skirball, an annual, in-person, ticketed event that is open to the public and livestreamed for readers everywhere, a press release on national- book.org said. Those interested in the Finalists Read- ings can procure the in-person tickets and register for the livestream at NYU Skir- ball’s website. On the morning of the same day, Tues- day, November 18, the Finalists in Young People’s Literature connect with middle and high school students for Teens Read the 2025 National Book Awards. TheWinners in all the categories will be announced live onWednesday, November 19 at the invitation-only 76th National Book Awards Ceremony & Benefit Din- ner at Cipriani Wall Street in NewYork City. The National Book Foundation will livestream the Ceremony for readers everywhere. Those interested can register to watch on the Foundation’s website at nationalbook.org/awards. By a StaffWriter PHOTO: INSTAGRAM @MEGHA.MAJ Author Megha Majumdar holds up her latest book.