New York, Aug. 19 -- A capacity audience filled the 17th-floor auditorium of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Institute of Indian Culture, at 305 Seventh Avenue for "Many Paths... One Destination!, A Sacred Dialogue Across Faiths & Traditions," presented jointly by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan USA and the Chishty Foundation of Ajmer Sharif, India.

Convened by author Yakub Mathew, the Tuesday evening brought together a panel spanning Sufi spirituality, disarmament advocacy, culinary arts and interfaith literature, a convergence organisers described as deliberate, according to an official release.

The hall was filled to capacity, with additional guests standing along the rear and side aisles. The audience reflected the diversity the evening set out to h...