Members of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum visit Udaipur
Members of the Solomon R. Guggenheim museum visited Udaipur on the 9th March 2008 during their visit to India, “India-Traditions/Transformations” The group were escorted on a tour of The City Palace Museum by Thakur Sahib Bhupendra Singh Auwa before seeing the Osler Crystal Collection at The Crystal Gallery, Fateh Prakash Palace. In the evening Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar of Udaipur hosted a cocktail party at Shambhu Niwas. Delegates dined on the Palace Island of Jagmandir where they also listened to a music recital performed by The Manganiyars.

Extracts from Shriji's diary

Shriji inaugurates Aditi Singh's painting exhibition in New Delhi
Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar of Udaipur inaugurated an exhibition of paintings by Ms. Aditi Singh at the popular Café Turtle in Khan market on the 14th March 2008. The function was attended by a gathering of Delhi's glitterati.
In her collection Ms. Singh illuminates her passion for nature. Her narrative is simple and speaks of intuitive instinct and all that is feminine with a golden voice of colour and vibrancy. The exhibition was open from the 14th to 24th March 2008.

 
Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar of Udaipur
inaugurating the painting exhibition

Miss Ami Morakhia and Mr. Abhishek Javeri
The marriage took place between Ami, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Shripal Morakhia and Abhishek, son of Mr. and Mrs. Asit Javeri at Aamby Valley, Mumbai on the 23rd March 2008 followed by dinner. The celebrations started with Mehendi on 22nd March 2008 followed by cocktails, dinner and dancing. Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar of Udaipur attended the wedding ceremony.

Culinary events in New York and Melbourne, Australia

Melanie Dunea launched her book 'My Last Supper' at Le Bernardin Restaurant, New York on the 18th October 2007. In this imaginative book, Ms. Dunea asks fifty of the world's famous chefs including Vimal Dhar, Corporate Chef, HRH Group of Hotels, Udaipur, to reveal their Last Supper fantasies. Their responses were refreshing and as distinct from each other as the chefs themselves. Chef Vimal disclosed that he would like to share his Last Supper with his family in a traditional Kashmiri style.
The launch was followed by a photographic exhibition that officially started the week long food festival on the 26th of March at the Atrium, Crown Hotel, Melbourne where Portraits of 56 of the world's famous chefs including Anthony Bourdain, Nobu Matsuhisa, Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and Vimal Dhar were displayed.

Chef Vimal Dhar (Center) at the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival

On the 1st March, during the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, a glamorous night of gastronomic indulgent guests enjoyed a feast of “Last Suppers” prepared by World Class Chefs. Guests also tasted wines from the state of Victoria in the colonial opulence of the North Melbourne Meat Market. Chef Vimal Dhar served Shami kebab, Palak Pakori Chaat, Bhuttiya cheese kebab dahi anjeeri kebab as starters and Lamb Rogan Josh with Saffron Rice and mujj chetin in main course.
A Master Class was also organized on the 1st and 2nd March where 16 top international chefs and winemakers from across the globe joined some of the leading Australian Chefs and connoisseurs of wine at a seminar where they shared their knowledge with participants. Vimal Dhar from HRH Group of hotels demonstrated his recipe of Chowk Wangun (Tangy Eggplant), Rogan Josh and Mujj Chetin.
An Indian banquet was prepared on the 3rd March by Chef Vimal when he created a selection of sumptuous dishes on the terrace of Breezes Restaurant. During the food festival , between the 27 February and 4th March, “My Las t Supper’ menus were prepared for both lunch and dinner at a restaurant at the Crown Entertainment Complex. Vimal Dhar was assisted by Chef Andrias and Chef Dheeraj of Breezes to showcase their a la carte main course dishes from macher jhol, prawns moilee, Kashmiri Kokur nadur Palak Yakhin to rich Gillawat, dahi anjeeri kebab and many more with dessert menus.
The event demonstrated the viability of exchanging ideas from different cuisines from all over the world.