DESIGN & FASHION
Print (books and magazines)
Non-Fiction:
India in Fashion: The Impact of Indian Dress and Textiles on the Fashionable Imagination (2023) by Hamish Bowles
Mazaar, Bazaar: Design & Visual Culture in Pakistan (2010) edited by Saima Zaidi
Pakistan: A Fashionable History (2020) by Mehr F Husain, Saad Sarfaraz
Sar: The Essence of Indian Design (2016) by Swapnaa Tamhane and Rashmi Varma
Fiction:
The Henna Artist (2020) by Alka Joshi
The Henna Wars (2020) by Adiba Jaigirdar (YA)
Laxmi’s Mooch (2021) by Shelly Anand (Children’s)
A Sari for Ammi (2021) by Mamta Nainy (Children’s)
Film & Video
Handmade in India—available on YouTube on Indian Diplomacy channel
Audio & Music
The Design Pataki Podcast hosted by Esha Gupta
Other
SOUTH ASIAN ART & ARCHITECTURE
Print (books and magazines)
Non-Fiction
Buddhism: A Journey through Art (2023) by Rose M. Woodward
Hanging Fire: Contemporary Art from Pakistan (2009) by Salima Hashmi, Mohsin Hamid, et al.
India: A Story Through 100 Objects (2021) by Vidya Dehejia
Insurgency and the Artist (2023) by Vinay Lal
The Islamic World: A History in Objects (2018) by Ladan Akbarnia, et al.
Jali: Lattice of Divine Light in Mughal Architecture (2023) by Navina Najat Haidar
Modern India (2020) by John McLeod, Professor of History at the University of Louisville
Mughal and Rajput Painting (1992) by Milo Cleveland Beach
Painting in the Kangra Valley (2021) by Vijay Sharma
Fiction
Insurgency and the Artist (2023) by Vinay Lal
Film & Video
Doshi (2009) directed by Premjit Ramachandran
Audio & Music
A Very South Asian Podcast hosted by Anushray Singh
South Asian Art & Culture, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
RELIGION & PHILOSOPHY
Print (books and magazines)
Non-Fiction
In God’s Name (2007) by Gedeon and Jules Naudet
Modern India (2020) by John McLeod, Professor of History at the University of Louisville
Muhammad (1983) by Michael Cook
Very Short Introductions series published by Oxford University Press, includes: Buddha, Buddhism, Gandhi, India, Indian Philosophy, Islam, The Koran, Muhammad, Southeast Asia.
Fiction
Amina’s Voice (2017) by Hena Khan (Middle Grades)
Internment (2019) by Samira Ahmed (Young Adult)
Holi Hai! (2022) by Chitra Soundar (Children’s)
Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth (2012) by Emily Haynes and Sanjay Patel (Children’s)
The Little Book of Hindu Deities (2006) by Sanjay Patel (Children’s)
Ramayana: Divine Loophole (2010) by Sanjay Patel
Poetry
Gitanjali, by Rabindranath Tagore
The Masnavi by Jalal al-Din Rumi, translated (2008) by Jawid Mojaddedi
Film & Video
Kedarnath (2018) directed by Abhishek Kapoor
The Cup (1999) directed by Khyentse Norbu
Kundun (1997) directed by Martin Scorsese
he Message (1976) directed by Moustapha Akkad
In God’s Name (2007) directed by Gedeon and Jules Naudet
Places to Visit
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir-Hindu Temple
Maninagar Shree Swaminarayan Gadi Temple
Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Louisville (ISSO)
Jain Temple of Louisville/Louisville Jain Temple
Gurudwara of Sikh Society of Kentucky
Louisville Islamic Center, River Road Mosque
Other
Events: Festivals celebrating Diwali and Holi by the UofL Indian Student Association
What We Do — Indian Student Association at the University of Louisville
ELEPHANT CONSERVATION
Print (books and magazines)
Non-Fiction
An Elephant’s Story (2018) by Jamie Renee Heraver (Middle Grades)
Elephants of Thailand: The Smiling Elephant (2017) by Aston Heath (Children’s)
Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived (1997) by Ralph Helfer
National Geographic Readers: Elephants (2016) by Avery Hurt (Children’s)
What it takes to live near an elephant herd, The Washington Post
Elephant-human conflict in India is forcing villagers to adapt – The Washington Post
Film & Video
The Elephant Whisperers (2022) directed by Kartiki Gonsalves
Fitz the Elephant Retrospective (2019 – 2023) – Louisville Zoo Youtube Channel
Audio & Music
Elephant Tails Podcast, Wildlife SOS
Places to Visit
Elephants at the Louisville Zoo
Other
Asian Elephant Conservation | Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/asian-elephant
World Wildlife Fund
https://www.wwf.org.uk/learn/wildlife/asian-elephants
https://www.ifaw.org/animals/asian-elephants
FOOD
Print (books and magazines)
Non-Fiction
Flavors of My World, (2013) by Maneet Chauhan
Indian Cookery, (originally published 1973) by Madhur Jaffrey
My Bombay Kitchen (2007) by Niloufer Ichaporia King
The Mughal Feast: Recipes From The Kitchen Of Emperor Shah Jahan (2021), by Salma Yusuf Husain
Dishoom: From Bombay with Love (2019), by Kavi Thakrar, Asma Khan
Cooking Delights of the Maharajas (1982), by Digvijay Singh
Audio & Music
“The Women Who Influence How America Eats,” Code Switch, NPR Podcast
The Splendid Table, episodes by Maneet Chauhan
Places to Visit (Louisville KY area)
Bombay Grill, serving North and South Indian cuisine, 216 N Hurstbourne Pkwy
Hyderabad House, serving Indian cuisine, 12412 Shelbyville Rd
Jay Hind International Grocery Store, 1941 S Hurstbourne Pkwy
Shreeji Indian Vegetarian Street Food, 1987 S Hurstbourne Pkwy, Louisville, KY 40299
Shalimar Restaurant, 1850 S Hurstbourne Pkwy Suite #125
Kashmir Indian Restaurant, 1277 Bardstown Rd
Tandoori Fusion Indian Kitchen & Bar, 4600 Chamberlain Lane
Clay Oven Indian Restaurant, 12567 Shelbyville Rd
Tikka House Indian Restaurant, 3930 Chenoweth Square
Apna Bazaar, 11324 Maple Brook Dr
Subzi Mandi Indian Grocery Store, 4746 Bardstown Rd
Namaste Kamana Grocery, 3825 Bardstown Rd
Asian Bazaar International Market, 2218 Hikes Ln
Pathivara International Grocery, 7535 Outer Loop
DANCE & MUSIC
Print (books and magazines)
Non-Fiction
Elements of Indian Music, (2018) by Radhika Iyer
Solkattu Manual: An Introduction to the Rhythmic Language of South Indian Music, (2008) by David Nelson
Biography
She Sang for India: How M.S. Subbulakshmi Used Her Voice for Change (2022) by Suma Subramaniam (Children’s)
Poetry
What Wants To Come Through Me Now by Rabindranath Tagore, translated (2020) by Coleman Barks, PhD
Film & Video
The Music Room (1958), directed by Satyajit Ray
RRR (2022) directed by S. S. Rajamouli
We Are Lady Parts (2021), a sitcom created by Nida Manzoor
Audio & Music
Artists: Bade Ghulum Ali Khan, Begum Akhtar, Nizamuddin Auliya, Mirza Ghalib
Birju Maharaj (Indiana dancer and composer of Kathak style of the Mughal period)
Places to Visit
Derby City Dhoom
Nachale Bollywood Dance Company
UofL Cultural Center, 120 E Brandeis Ave
UofL Asian Studies, University of Louisville
SOUTH ASIAN HISTORY
Print (books and magazines)
Non-Fiction
Daughters of the Sun: Empresses, Queens and Begums of the Mughal Empire (2018) by Ira Mukhoty
The Discovery of India (2004) by Jawaharlal Nehru
The Empire of the Great Mughals (2006) by Annemarie Schimmel
Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan (2018) by Ruby Lal
A History of India (latest edition 2011) by Peter Robb
The History of India (latest edition 2015) by John McLeod
India: A History (2000) John Keay
Modern South Asia (latest edition 2023) by Sugata Bose and Ayesha Jalal
The Wonder that Was India (1954) A.L. Basham
Poetry:
If They Come for Us (2018) by Fatimah Asghar
Fiction:
Amal Unbound (2018) by Aisha Saeed (MG)
A Fine Balance (1995) by Rohinton Mistry
The Night Diary (2018) by Veera Hiranandani (MG)
Film & Video
Earth (1998) directed by Deepa Mehta
Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001) directed by Ashutosh Gowariker
Mughal-e-Azam (1960) directed by K. Asif
Origin (2023) directed by Ava DuVernay
Taj Mahal (1963) directed by M. Sadiq
Places to Visit
Asian Studies Program, University of Louisville
Department of History, University of Louisville
CONTEMPORARY CULTURE
Print (books and magazines)
Non-Fiction
Being Indian: Inside the REAL India (2005) by Pavan K. Varma
Modern India (2020) by John McLeod
Our Stories: An Introduction to South Asian America (2022) by South Asian American Digital Archive
Fiction
And the Mountains Echoed (2013) by Khaled Hosseini
Brick Lane (2003) by Monica Ali
Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows (2017) by Balli Kaur Jaswal
Exit West (2017) by Mohsin Hamid
The Namesake (2003) by Jhumpa Lahiri
A Thousand Splendid Suns (2007) by Khaled Hosseini
Victory City (2023) by Salman Rushdie
The Year of the Runaways (2015) by Sunjeev Sahota
Film & Video
Bride & Prejudice (2004) directed by Gurinder Chadha
Devdas (2001) directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Jodhaa Akbar (2008) directed by Ashutosh Gowariker
The Kite Runner (2007) directed by Marc Forster
The Lunchbox (2014) Directed by Ritesh Batra
Ms. Marvel (2022) a television miniseries created by Bisha K. Ali
Monsoon Wedding (2001) directed by Mira Nair
Audio & Music
“Claim Us If You’re Famous,” Code Switch, NPR Podcast
“The Fallout of a Callout,” Code Switch, NPR Podcast
“What Makes a Good Race Joke?” Code Switch, NPR Podcast