Rama Duwaji, the First Lady of New York City and wife of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, recently traveled to India, sharing a collection of 14 photographs on Instagram that inspired her artistic work. The popular artist posted a monthly dump featuring images from Amritsar, Jaipur, and Delhi.
What Did Rama Duwaji Explore in India?
Duwaji's visit to India occurred four months after her husband was elected as the mayor of New York City. One of the first pictures she shared was of her foot near a patterned wooden door in Amritsar. She wrote, 'Something about the pattern of the wood and the darker textures where it's been weathered most,' while wearing traditional Amritsari Khussa shoes. The second image showcased a sculpture inside the Anokhi Museum in Jaipur, and the third featured a lithograph by Satish Gujral from 1952. She also visited the iconic Panna Meena Ka Kund in Jaipur and admired 19th-century Thandati ear studs at the Amrapali Museum. In Delhi, she watched 'Koodal,' a 1970 film by Tyeb Mehta, at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art and explored Mehta's ink drawings.
Social Media Reactions to Rama Duwaji's India Visit
Zohran Mamdani and Rama Duwaji married in Dubai in December 2024, followed by a civil ceremony at the New York City Clerk's office in February 2025. Mamdani is the son of renowned Indian filmmaker Mira Nair and Ugandan academic Mahmood Mamdani, giving him a strong connection to the Indian subcontinent through his mother's roots. As a result, his wife's visit to India sparked widespread celebration online. One Instagram user commented, 'I love these monthly inspiration posts from you! Also, that's so cool that you got to visit India!! I'd love to go someday.' Others wrote, 'Thank you my 1st lady,' and 'Thank you for coming to our house, I'm touched that it made you want to make art.' Another user exclaimed, 'Was she in India? I need to process this!!!!'
Notably, Mamdani has also recently paid homage to his Indian roots. When asked what he would say to King Charles III during his visit to the US, he jokingly replied that he would ask the king to 'return the Kohinoor.' Mamdani's consistent references to his Indian heritage, combined with Duwaji's India trip, have garnered him strong and consistent support from Indians worldwide, particularly in New York.
