PHOTOS: Jewels of India Gala

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The evening featured a sitar player and tabla percussionist, traditional Indian and Bollywood dancing – and DJ Sharad spinning popular beats. image: friends of the sands point preserve
Karli Hagedorn, Poonam Sachdev, Jean-Marie Posner image: friends of the sands point preserve
Jan Effman, Debra Odell, Jean-Marie Posner, Dancer, Martha Theodos, Dancer, Hon. Michelle Schimel, Chris Pierce image: friends of the sands point preserve
Event sponsors included Karli and Jim Hagedorn, the Peter and Jeri Dejana Family Foundation and Reliance Communications. image: friends of the sands point preserve
Stacey Jawitz, Ved Kawatra, Karishma Israni, Debra Odell, Chris Pierce image: friends of the sands point preserve.
The gala raised $135,000, which will help protect the site’s historic buildings and grounds. image: friends of the sands point preserve
Jean-Marie Posner and Jack Mandel image: friends of the sands point preserve
Honoree Ashima Narula and friends image: friends of the sands point preserve.
Elected officials: Dina DeGiorgio, Ashima Narula, Karli Hagedorn, Jean-Marie Posner, Mike Narula, Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, Eric Zausner, Ed Adler Jack Mandel with Mayor Bob and Jane Weitzner. image: friends of the sands point preserve.
Honorees Ashima and Mike Narula accept their awards from Amrit Sethi. The Narulas were also celebrating the wedding anniversary at the Jewels of India Gala. image: friends of the sands point preserve
Gala Committee. image: friends of the sands point preserve
Maya & Guli Rajani. image: friends of the sands point preserve

The Preserver’s Celebration, an annual fundraiser for Friends of the Sands Point Preserve, brought a mix of fashion, food and fun to Hempstead House on May 23. The Jewels of India Gala transformed the Gold Coast mansion into a royal Maharaja Palace, treating more than 250 revelers to a magical evening.

The evening featured a sitar player and tabla percussionist, traditional Indian and Bollywood dancing – and DJ Sharad spinning popular beats. Inside the library, guests sampled rye and gin, while the billiard room featured scotch tastings. And there was an abundance of Indian and American cuisine and sushi, catered by chef and Philip Stone.

Guests enjoyed the traditional Indian culture, as the community celebrated two Sands Point philanthropists and entrepreneurs, Mike and Ashima Narula.

“This is really a proud moment,” Mike Narula said. “As I look around the Hempstead House, I see so many jewels here – from India, the United States, and the rest of the world. The gala committee has done a tremendous job putting this evening together. We truly appreciate all the hard work – myself and Ashima – of our friends, our parents, family, neighbors and committee members who had generously supported this event to make it as historic as tonight is.”