New York City is crawling with Indians. Brash young desi bankers making moves on Wall Street. World-famous authors, prosecutors, lawyers, and criminals too. Cab drivers, corner shop workers, medical students, starving artists. Do you really want to add to this South Asian saturation? Of course you do. NYC’s drive and dynamism are unmatched. So is its cultural mix. And when you step off the beaten path, you’ll find a whole world that, thanks to decades of migration and exchange, is simultaneously Indian and not. So when you’ve finished with your business meetings or have tired of the crowded tourist attractions, maybe stay out a little later than planned or take the subway a bit further than you’ve ever gone, and add some achaar to your Big Apple experience. Here’s how.
Aicon Gallery
The focus is contemporary South Asian art at Aicon, with a rich roster of modern masters like MF Husain and FN Souza, and current creators such as GR Iranna, whose ‘Tempered Branches’, a solo show of sumptuous large-scale paintings and installation, is up now (closes March 11). “Our audience is a mix of South Asians and generally interested New Yorkers,” says gallerist Jana Suhani Soin, who loves the hip energy of Aicon’s downtown location on a cobblestone street off the Bowery, and the visitors it brings to the cool gallery space. And how’s the market for contemporary Indian art? “It’s gaining strength,” says Soin. Word to the wise.
Rubin Museum of Art
There’s no more pleasant place to see art than the never-crowded Rubin, with its amazing Himalayan collection — sculptures and scrolls that show the wealth and diversity of devotional art from the mountains of India, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and beyond. Receive an education from the excellent wall text, or enter a contemplative state in the lavish Tibetan shrine room. A special show, ‘From India East’ (closes July 7), follows the Indian legacy in sculpture all the way to Thailand and Korea. The Rubin holds a terrific concert series as well; on Friday evenings, the café turns into the stylish K2 Lounge.
570 West 17th Street, Manhattan; 212-620-5000, rubinmuseum.org
Hindu Temple Society
There are plenty of temples in New York City but the Hindu Temple Society’s Ganesh Temple is one of the largest and, with its classic South Indian architecture — assembled locally by Indian artisans — the most impressive. Founded in the ’70s, it’s now a whole complex with a community centre; New York foodies have discovered the vegetarian canteen, and make their own pilgrimage to this suburban corner of Queens for dosa and uttapam. But the temple’s core are the Indian families who come from across the region for worship, festivals and rites offered by a dozen South Indian priests.
45-57 Bowne Street, Queens; 718-460-8484, nyganeshtemple.org. Take the 7 train to Flushing Main Street, then 15-20 minute walk
Basement Bhangra
“New York is the centre of the desi cultural universe!” DJ Rekha insists. “On any given night you can experience art, film, music and literature produced and presented by South Asians,” says Rekha, a well-known DJ and cultural entrepreneur, who is a pillar of this multi-arts scene. Her monthly party, Basement Bhangra — 17 years running and going strong — gathers a funky mix of desis and cosmopolitan New Yorkers for bhangra mixed with reggae, electronica and more. Things start slow in the lounge, often with art or poetry presentations; but once the whisky gets flowing and the Sikh boys hit the dance floor, it’s game on.
First Thursdays at 10 pm; 158 Bleecker Street, Manhattan; 212-505-3474, lepoissonrouge.com
Richmond Hill
Jackson Heights gets more buzz, but the desi-diaspora neighbourhood par excellence is Richmond Hill, Queens, where the Punjabi dhabas and gurudwaras of Lefferts Boulevard meet the bustle of Little Guyana, which stretches along Liberty Avenue. Stroll down Liberty and dive into Indo-Caribbean life with its temples, masjids, jewellers, sari and lehenga shops, and markets. Chutney-soca streams from car windows and bars. At casual dining restaurants like Singh’s Roti Shop (131-18 Liberty Avenue), you’ll find West Indian specialties such as conch, salt fish and doubles, and if there’s cricket on, dapper Trinidadian gents and other connoisseurs keen to discuss the match.
Liberty Avenue from 112th to 135th Street, Queens. Take the A train to Lefferts Boulevard station, then walk around
(Siddhartha Mitter is a New York-based journalist)