Star-Studded & Flower-Flooded: Priyanka Chopra Greeted with Mogra Magic by Vikas Khanna

Key Highlights

 

Priyanka Chopra Jonas was welcomed with the perfumed embrace of mogra flowers during her recent visit to celebrity chef Vikas Khanna's award-winning New York restaurant, Bungalow. The symbolic and nostalgic gesture transformed her meal into an Indian heritage and personal touch celebration.

 

•⁠  ⁠A Scent of Home in the Heart of New York

 

Vikas Khanna, known for infusing Indian warmth into his kitchens, adorned Priyanka's table with mogra flowers, filling the restaurant air with the delicate, wistful fragrance. The aroma, the chef described as sacred and nostalgic, and he spoke of memories, attempting to make Priyanka feel at home, away from India.

 

The mogra welcome was more than a ritualistic gesture—it was a celebration of Priyanka's strong identification with her heritage and her status as a world ambassador of Indian culture. Khanna radiated pride in her success and in being able to keep India in her heart, no matter where she might go.

 

•⁠  ⁠A Night of Culture, Cuisine, and Celebration

 

The evening mood was also enhanced by the chef's personal touch, such as knotting the sambalpuri handkerchiefs around Priyanka's wrists. The gesture was a tribute to the Rath Yatra festival that would take place later and a celebration of Sambalpur and Western Odisha artisans, in sync with Khanna's desire to highlight India's rich heritage.

 

Priyanka, who looked glamorous in a beautiful navy-blue co-ord outfit, took selfies with the restaurant waiters and was photographed smiling and laughing, every inch glamorous and earthy. The food that was served was a rich array of Indian dishes, topped off with a dessert menu that left the guests in a self-declared food coma.

 

•⁠  ⁠A Tradition of Hospitality 

 

This isn't the first time Priyanka has been welcomed at Bungalow. Previous visits, such as one with husband Nick Jonas, have always had welcoming gestures by Khanna, and the restaurant has been home away from home for food enthusiasts and Indian celebrities in equal measure.

 

Priyanka's mogra-adorned welcome to Bungalow is a salute to the power of little, considerate gestures to bring far-off continents together and respect identity—one scented flower at a time.

 

Sources: Times of India, Free Press Journal, IANS, NewKerala, Moneycontrol