Zeel Ahir, Council Member, City of Artesia, in presence of K J Srinivasa, Consul General India, Los Angeles, presenting Certificate of Recognition to Sundeep Bhutoria Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], February 07: Cultural activist, philanthropist, and Managing Trustee of the Prabha Khaitan Foundation, Mr Sundeep Bhutoria, has been honoured with a Certificate of Recognition by the City of Artesia, California (CA), during his recent visit to the United States to attend the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

The certificate was presented by Ms Zeel Ahir, Council Member of the City of Artesia, CA, at a special dinner hosted in Mr Bhutoria’s honour. The event brought together members of the Indian diaspora and representatives of various organisations from across California. Mr. K. J. Srinivasa, Consul General of India in Los Angeles, was also present on the occasion.

The recognition was conferred in appreciation of Mr Bhutoria’s sustained social work and his significant contributions towards the promotion of Indian art, culture, and literature on national and international platforms.

Expressing his gratitude, Mr Bhutoria said, “The honour accorded to me comes as a pleasant surprise, especially since the majority of my cultural and social initiatives are based in India.” He added that the recognition reaffirmed the growing global relevance of Indian cultural engagement and the role of the diaspora in strengthening cultural ties.

The City of Artesia, located in south-eastern Los Angeles County, is widely known for its vibrant “Little India” district on Pioneer Boulevard and has emerged as a cultural hub for the South Asian community in California.

The City of Artesia, CA., has its own city government with a five-member City Council and regularly hosts cultural festivals and serves as a significant centre for Indian commerce, cuisine, and traditions in the region.

Visitors find colourful storefronts selling Indian fashion, jewelry, spices, sweets, and services like henna and eyebrow threading, alongside eateries offering curry, lassi, and thali meals. It draws crowds from Los Angeles County for cultural festivals, while nearby Hindu temples add to the spiritual depth.

Sundeep Bhutoria is a social and cultural activist, entrepreneur, philanthropist, author, and blogger, who has been working for over two-and-a-half decades in the fields of welfare, international cultural cooperation, and the promotion and preservation of Indian arts.

Based in Kolkata, India, he devotes his time to conceptualising and curating, strategising and managing a wide array of social and cultural activities in around 60 cities in India and beyond. As the managing trustee of the Prabha Khaitan Foundation, he helps carry out various cultural activities with the aim of preserving and promoting India’s rich cultural heritage.

Some of the programmes he has been instrumental in instituting and executing are An Author’s Afternoon, Aakhar, Chaupal, Ek Mulakat, Kalam, Kitaab, Lafz, Tete-a-Tea, The Write Circle, and The Universe Writes. These have all secured a place on the social and cultural calendar of India.

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