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www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know 10 NATIONAL AFFAIRS April 24, 2026 Life-Sized Statue Of Swami Vivekananda Unveiled In Seattle I n a historic first, the City of Seattle has become the first city government in the United States to host a life-size statue of Swami Vivekananda at the Westlake Square Park in the center of downtown Seattle. The installation in Seattle is sculpted by the prominent Indian sculptor Naresh Kumar Kumawat. With over 600 instal- lations across more than 80 countries, his works serve as cultural icons of India across continents. The life-size bronze statue was jointly unveiled April 12, 2026, by Seattle Mayor KatieWilson and Consul General of India in Seattle, the Consulate said on Saturday April 11. Sharing the details in an official statement, the Consulate said that this monument is the first installation of Swami Vivekananda, which is hosted by a city government anywhere in the United States. “Westlake Square” in downtown Se- attle, is a unique melting spot in the center of the city that records over 400,000 daily visits and millions of visitors each month and is within walking distance of the Spheres (Amazon HQrs), Seattle Conven- tion Center and Seattle Center Monorail, according to the Consulate press release. The unveiling ceremony was attended by several dignitaries from the Greater Seattle area, including Mayor of Seattle KatieWilson; Mayor of Kent Dana Ralph; Mayor of Auburn Nancy Backus; Mayor of TukwilaTomMcLeod; Mayor of Normandy Park Eric Zimmerman; and Mayor of Kirk- land Kelly Curtis. A large number of com- munity leaders from the Indian American diaspora and members of city councils of Bellevue, Bothell, Dupont and Redmond also joined in the ceremony, the Consulate said in the statement. Mayor KatieWilson, in her speech, underscored that the installation of the Swami Vivekananda Monument (SVM) in Seattle reflects the city’s inclusive spirit and further strengthens cultural ties be- tween India and the diverse metropolitan tech hub in the US Pacific Northwest. The Swami Vivekananda Monument is a gift from the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) to the City of Seattle in recognition of the city’s rich multicultural character and spirit of inclusivity and as such, it was befitting that the event was held on the occasion of the celebration of ICCR Day. The installation of SVM is part of India’s broader cultural diplomacy initiative, facilitated through ICCR and aims to strengthen people-to-people ties between India and the US Pacific North- west. Swami Vivekananda was a renowned philosopher and spiritual leader who in- troduced Vedanta and Yoga to theWest. By a StaffWriter Dignitaries including the Mayor of Seattle and the Indian Consul General in Seattle, pose for a photo during the unveiling event for the statue of Swami Vivekananda in downtown Seattle April 11, 2026. Scene from the unveiling ceremony of Swami Vivekananda’s statue in downtown Seattle April 11, 2026. PHOTOS:COURTESY ANI Five Of 2026 Guggenheim Fellows Are Of Indian, South Asian Heritage T he John Simon GuggenheimMe- morial Foundation announced the appointment of the 101st class of Guggenheim Fellows for 2026. The prestigious Fellowship this year includes , 223 distinguished indi- viduals working across 55 disciplines. At least five of the Fellows are of Indian, part Indian, or other South Asian origin. Chosen from a pool of nearly 5,000 applicants, the Class of 2026 Gug- genheim Fellows was tapped based on both prior career achievement and exceptional promise, the April 14, 2026, press release said. Established in 1925 by founder Senator Simon Guggen- heim, each Fellow receives a monetary stipend to pursue independent work at the highest level under “the freest possible conditions.” “Our new class of Guggenheim Fel- lows is representative of the world’s best thinkers, innovators, and creators in art, science, and scholarship,” Edward Hirsch, award-winning poet and President of the Guggenheim Foundation, is quoted saying in the press release. “As the Foundation enters its second century and looks to the future, I feel confident that this new class of 223 individuals will do bold and inspir- ing work, undaunted by the challenges ahead. We are honored to support their visionary contributions.” The five individuals of Indian or other South Asian heritage and the category in which they received the Fellowship, include the following: • Amitav Ghosh, General Nonfiction, Brooklyn, NY • Megha Majumdar, Fiction, CUNY Hunter College, Brooklyn, NY • Kris Manjapra, Intellectual & Cultural History, Northeastern University, Boston, MA • Vivek Narayanan, Poetry, George Mason University, Arlington, VA • Vinod Vaikuntanathan, Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Somerville, MA Since its founding in 1925, the Founda- tion has awarded nearly $450 million in fellowships to more than 19,000 Fellows. This year, applications in the Creative Arts and Humanities were up by 50% and ap- plications in the Sciences were up by 86%. In all, 55 scholarly disciplines and artistic fields, 97 academic institutions, 33 US states and the District of Columbia, three Canadian provinces, and eight countries beyond the United States and Canada are represented in the 2026 class, the press release noted. By a StaffWriter PHOTO:@AMITAVGHOSH.COM PHOTO:LINKEDIN.COM @VINOD-VAIKUNTANATHAN PHOTO:SKETCH BY DYUTI MITTAL @ENGLISH.GMU.EDU PHOTO:@CSSH.NORTHEASTERN.EDU PHOTO: INSTAGRAM @MEGHA.MAJ Amitav Ghosh Megha Majumdar Kris Manjapra Vivek Narayanan Vinod Vaikuntanathan