Category Diaspora

Melting pot of cultures

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Nilgiri’s Ajoy Joshi inspiring children to cook. Photo Credit: © Neena Bhandari

By Neena Bhandari

Sydney, 20.11.2010 (The Hindu): In a country where sushi, laksa, and pizza are a gourmet’s everyday delight, Indian cuisine is attracting a growing fan base with more Australians traveling to India and Indians migrating DownUnder.  

The just released India Cookbook published by Phaidon Press comes at a juncture when Australians, eager to experiment with spices and ingredients, are seeking easy to cook recipes.

The book, designed in Sydney and printed in Italy, is a collection of a 1000 recipes written by Indian author and recipe columnist, Pushpesh Pant, and is interspersed with images of dishes photographed in London.

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Zoroastrians Keep Old Traditions Alive in Australia

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By Neena Bhandari

Sydney, 21.03.2010 (Women’s Feature Service): It’s a Sunday morning, a fire is burning on a silver urn in the sanctum sanctorum as about 30 children pray with a priest in the main hall of the Darbe Meher, place of worship and community activities for Zoroastrians, in the Sydney suburb of Annangrove.

Nestling amidst verdant surroundings with a tranquil billabong (pool of water) and fruit trees, the Darbe Meher has become the epicentre of learning and festivities for Zoroastrians, who have migrated to Australia from India, Pakistan and Iran since the 1960s.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2006 Census data, there are 2110 people (1156 males and 954 females) practising Zoroastrianism, the pre-Christian faith founded in Persia (Iran) by Prophet Zarathushtra who believed in a single God, Ahura Mazda.

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New Zealand: Asian Muslims Tell Their Own Stories

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By Neena Bhandari

Sydney, 16.03. 2009 (IPS): A new book and accompanying exhibit provide rare insight into the lives of Asian Muslims, who have become an intrinsic part of New Zealand’s diverse community since the first Muslim Chinese gold miners landed on its distant shores 130 years ago.

‘The Crescent Moon: The Asian Face of Islam in New Zealand’ largely focuses on Muslims from the Indian subcontinent, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Fiji, with the aim to create a better understanding and appreciation of Islam and the various Asian cultures that have enriched New Zealand’s socio-economic and cultural fabric.

The first Muslims in the country were 15 Chinese gold miners working in Dunstan on the South Island, according to the New Zealand government census of April 1874, and by 1950 there were still only 150 followers of Islam. The 1996 census registered a Muslim population of less than 14,000.

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