Vanakkam, Namaste, and dear San Antonio Indian Community members,
I, Rajaguru Paramasamy, warmly welcome you to this new year, 2025! May it bring you good health, happiness, and peace.
Today holds special significance for me, as it marks the 10th anniversary of my beloved father's (Appa) passing. I'm humbled to take on the role of IASA President on this poignant day, and I pledge to work tirelessly to serve our community.
As we embark on this new journey together, I'm excited to share our plans for 2025:
- Revamping our website to better serve our community
- Reviving Indo American Youth Association (IAYA) and Annual Sandesh (our community newsletter)
- Introducing a Monthly Newsletter to keep you informed about our events and activities
- Establishing a Response Team to provide support during emergencies for San Antonio Indian Communities
I'm pleased to announce that we've already made significant progress in digitizing our Sandesh content, and it's now available on our IASA website. Our next step is to continue digitizing more Sandesh issues, as well as our extensive photo archives, to preserve our community's rich history and make it easily accessible to everyone.
Furthermore, I'm thrilled to announce that IASA is collaborating with the San Antonio Museum of Art, along with several regional and non-regional organizations, to bring an extraordinary exhibition, "Envisioning the Hindu Divine," from March 7, 2025, to July 6, 2025. This exhibition promises to be a spectacular showcase of Hindu art and culture.
In addition to these new initiatives, IASA will continue to host its standard events, including:
- Republic Day celebrations (January 26)
- Festival of India (FOI) in the summer
- Holi celebrations in the spring
- Consular Camp for Indian passport and visa services
- Estate Planning seminars for our community members
- Independence Day celebrations (August 15)
- Diwali celebrations in the fall
And, after a brief hiatus, we are excited to bring back our Senior Citizen Event, which will provide a platform for our senior community members to connect, socialize, and celebrate.
To streamline event planning and avoid conflicts, we are introducing the San Antonio Regional Calendar (One Calendar), managed by IASA. This centralized calendar will provide a single platform for all Indian organizations in San Antonio to share their events, ensuring better coordination and planning. You can access the calendar here: https://indiasa.org/event_calendar.php
As we look to the future, we also plan to revitalize our beloved IASA Community Center, which has been a cornerstone of our community since 1978. Our goal is to renovate and upgrade the facility to better serve the growing needs of our San Antonio Indian community.
I would also like to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to our outgoing President for 2024 and their entire team for their tireless efforts and dedication to our community.
I look forward to working with each of you to make 2025 a remarkable year for our community. Together, let's promote Indian culture, foster community spirit, and create lasting memories.
Thank you for your continued support. I wish you all a wonderful year ahead!
Jai Hind
Rajaguru Paramasamy
President, 2025
(210) 910-4421
president@indiasa.org