Want the Taj, in Tempe? A touch of Indian culture in the Valley? India Plaza—“Where India Comes Alive!” offers this in a spectacular two-acre complex at 1872 E Apache Blvd. in Tempe—the largest Asian center along the METRO light rail route.

 

Opened in April 2003 by entrepreneur Raveen Arora, the one-stop center for Indian food and culture includes the superlative Dhaba restaurant, the Dhaba Café, a food market offering Ayurvedic herbs and spices difficult to find elsewhere, a gift boutique (with mini Taj Mahals) and beauty salon. Arora plans to add a theater/auditorium museum—India House—to showcase art and artifacts of India and promote Indian movies, concerts, designers and other artists.

 

“With India Plaza, we want to bring India closer to expatriates, ASU students, working professionals and everyone who wants to know more about the world’s most populous democracy,” says Arora, whose wife Clara shares his vision for the center and love for India. “We have always wanted India Plaza to be known as a multicultural meeting place as well as a restaurant and market—a center for education and understanding.”