Puja Performed to Mark First Working Day of Kitchen in Sona, Priyanka Chopra’s Restaurant in NYC
- The ceremony was officiated by a female pandit before the restaurant’s official opening in the city’s Flatiron neighborhood.
Sona, Priyanka Chopra’s Indian restaurant in New York City is getting ready to open its doors on Friday, March 26. Her partners and chef Hari Nayak are hard at work to officially welcome Indian food connoisseurs to the newest hotspot in Manhattan. On March 22, restaurateur Maneesh Goyal, who has collaborated with Chopra, along with his team, held a puja at the restaurant located in the Flatiron neighborhood.
In a tweet, Goyal revealed that the current prayer ceremony was similar to the one they performed in September 2019, before kicking off work on the restaurant. However, this time, there was a woman priest at the helm, whom Priyanka Mathew, who is also involved in the project, described as “the coolest female pundit.” On his Instagram handle, Goyal shared a few photos of the puja held yesterday (March 22) as well as the one held in 2019. He also revealed how they aimed to open the restaurant last year, but got delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This morning at SONA, we conducted a small puja or blessing ceremony,” Goyal wrote. “We’ll be seeing our first guests very soon and it was important to both @priyankachopra and myself that we hold a puja before our doors are officially open.”
Similarly, Mathew took to Facebook to share a few photos of the puja. “Blessings at SONA. A Puja (Hindu prayer ceremony) to bless the restaurant on our first working day of the kitchen. Officiated by the coolest female pundit ( priest). It’s good vibes all around all ready. Can’t wait to see you there!”
Earlier on March 6, Goyal wrote on Instagram: “Opening a restaurant is a team effort for sure. I’m gonna spend the next few posts proudly sharing the people who brought SONA to life.First, my kind friend @priyankachopra, who has been the creative force behind SONA. There is no one who better—and more boldly—personifies “global Indian” than Pri. SONA is so lucky to have her in our corner. From the design, to the menu, to the music, to even the name, Priyanka has her fingerprints all over SONA. Love you dear Pri! Our baby is finally ready for the world to see!”
On the same day, Chopra took to her Instagram to share the news of the restaurant. “I’m thrilled to present to you SONA, a new restaurant in NYC that I poured my love for Indian food into. SONA is the very embodiment of timeless India and the flavors I grew up with.”