INDIA COMMUNITY CENTER - The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History

The INDIA COMMUNITY CENTER began in July 1976 as a temporary facility known as India House, located at 10819 Magnolia Dr. in UNIVERSITY CIRCLE. Established by the India Assn. of Cleveland, India House was designed "to educate and expose the younger generation of Indians and their American friends to Indian culture and heritage." In 1977 the name was changed to the India Community Ctr. Using both India House and the First English Lutheran Church as its base until it could establish a permanent center, the India Assn. offered courses in Indian culture throughout the late 1970s. By 1978 it offered courses in the Hindi and Tamil languages, dance and music, demonstrations in Indian cooking, documentary films about India, and a speakers' bureau. In the fall of 1978, the India Assn. spent $76,000 to buy the former branch office of SUN NEWSPAPERS at 12412 Cedar in Cleveland Hts. as a permanent community center for Cleveland's 2,200-member Indian community. The center was established to serve the cultural needs of local Indians, to promote Indian culture and heritage among the young through organized educational and cultural activities, to channel the humanitarian efforts of the local community, and to foster among Americans a greater appreciation for Indian culture.

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