FICA is an organization dedicated to serving the needs of the Asian Indian Community in Northeast Ohio. They hosted a celebration of India's Republic Day with cultural performances, awards, dancing, music and food.
Thanks to ClevelandPeople.com Ambassador Deepa Rao for the article and pictures.
FICA Republic Day Celebrations- 2025 was held at Signature of Solon Country Club on February 1st, 2025, at 6 PM. The program began with a meet and greet, followed by a Republic Day address by Dr. Naveen Uli. Mrs. Sravanthi Vallampati and Mr. Amit Jain hosted the evening. The talk was followed by American National Anthem and Indian National Anthem sung by the father-daughter duo Mr. Lalith Subramanian and Ms. Medha Lalit. They also sang Vande Mataram. Past Presidents of FICA, Executive Committee Members, and the Board of Trustees of FICA gathered at the podium during the National Anthem. Mr. Sudarshan Sathe gave an inaugural speech. Mr. Sudarshan Sathe is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Federation of India's Community Associations, FICA. Sudarshan Sathe's philanthropic activities extend to Ekal, the One Teacher Schools, Akshaya Patra the inexhaustible food bowl-lunch program in schools to end world hunger, and Medical Yatra, among others. He has been on the Project Love Values-in-Action board, which aims to end school bullying. In 2023, he was inducted into the Cleveland International Hall of Fame which permanently recognizes those individuals who have made a valuable and lasting contribution to the multicultural city of Cleveland and inspiring a new generation of leaders.
 Sudarshan Sathe
Past Presidents of FICA were honored for their service to FICA. The past Presidents of FICA are Mr.Asim Dutta, Mrs.Mona Alag, Dr. Chandra Haria, Mrs.Sujata Lakhe Barnard, Mrs.Ritu Mahna, Mr.Venky Venkatesh, Mr.Anjan Ghosh, Late Vijaya Emani, Late Surinder Kampani, Mr Lal Jagetia, Mr.Monte Ahuja, Mr.Satish Parikh, Mr.Raj Pillai, Mr.Guru Bhandari, Mr.Ajay Taneja, Mr. Sunil Chand, Mr. T L Bhargava, Mr. Bal Paranjpe, Mr. Shashi Shah.
The guests for the evening were
- Solon Mayor Mr.Ed Kraus
- Angela Shute-Woodson, Senior Advisor, Community and Government Affairs. Director of Community Relations, Office of the Mayor Justin M. Bibb
- State Rep. Tristan Rader (D-Lakewood) was sworn into the 136th Ohio General Assembly. Rep. Rader will begin his first term in the legislature, serving the people of Cleveland's West Side and Lakewood at the Ohio Statehouse. Rep. Rader is a dedicated advocate for sustainability, economic justice, and social equity. His journey into public service began with grassroots activism and a deep commitment to addressing systemic barriers faced by Ohioans. From his early work at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, where he connected thousands to critical resources and successfully lobbied for increased state funding, to his tenure on Lakewood City Council, he has always focused on meeting community needs through bold innovative strategies.
- Mr. Niraj Antani State Senator Niraj Antani is serving his first term in the Ohio Senate. Having been first elected to the Ohio House at age 23, and elected to the Ohio Senate at age 29, he was the youngest currently serving member of the Senate. He is the first Indian American State Senator in Ohio history.
Evening Entertainment - *Nritya Samarpana* presented by Aaryaa More Nandita Srikumar Smriti Anand Sneha Upadhyayula Disciples of Guru Sujatha Srinivasan Artistic Director, Shri Kalaa Mandir Center for Indian Performing Arts
- Music Concert by Raga and Rhythms
Award Ceremony:
FICA Student Award Winners
1. Radha PareekHigh School Senior: Aspiring Physician & Policy Advocate
Compassionate senior at Beachwood High School with a passion for public health and policy advocacy. National Merit Finalist for highest academic excellence.
2. Karina Krishnan Beachwood High School
She conducts research in biomedical engineering at Case Western Reserve University on statistical models for rectal cancer treatment, utilizing advanced coding and data analysis techniques.
3. Shreya Dharaiya Twinsburg High School
Class of 2025 Member of National Honors Society. Member of Spanish National Honors Society
4. All-Rounder FICA Award Aarya More, A junior at Solon High School, who is an exceptional and well-rounded student deserving of the prestigious FICA Student Award for extraordinary performance across fields. Aaryaa is an outstanding individual with a diverse range of talents, achievements, and qualities that set her apart from her peers. Her intellectual abilities, combined with her kindness, leadership, and empathy, make her an ideal candidate for this recognition. Below are the key aspects of her remarkable journey. Unsung Hero Awards
Each of our awardees tonight has not only showcased their immense talents as individuals and teachers, but they have dedicated their energies to bringing communities together through music and dance and rising to give back on every occasion. Having earned credentials from celebrated universities, and learned under the tutelage of renowned gurus, they continue to brighten our cultural scene in Cleveland and beyond making us all ever so proud of our rich heritage.
First Awardee: Mrs.Antara Datta
Antara Datta is a visionary artist, educator, and cultural leader. As founder and artistic director of Anga Kala Kathak Academy, she has spearheaded the preservation and popularization of Kathak, a traditional Indian classical dance form, since 2010. With branches in Ohio, Washington, and Pennsylvania, the academy upholds the rich legacy of the Lucknow Gharana style.
As President of Arts Without Borders, a 501(c)(3) organization, Antara champions diversity, inclusivity, and social impact through the arts. The organization fosters cross-cultural collaborations, hosts events featuring renowned artists, and promotes community outreach and awareness about social issues through the powerful medium of dance.
Second Awardee: Mr.Lalit Subramanian
Lalit Subramanian is an accomplished vocalist and percussionist in Carnatic and Hindustani music. A Sangeet Visharad, Lalit has been a Yuvavani artist with AIR. A soloist and a collaborator with eminent artists of other genres such as Indian Classical Dance, Jazz etc., and as a performer and composer, Lalit has performed at notable venues like the Kennedy Center, American Dance Festival, Krannert Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana, and Sabhas in India.
Lalit has been propagating all these art forms at his music school Madhuralaya by teaching aspiring students in Northeast Ohio and other cities and showcasing them on several prestigious stages.
Third Awardee: Mrs.Sujatha Srinivasan
Sujatha Srinivasan is a globally renowned Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer, and educator, celebrated for her expertise and innovation in North America. Sujatha's contributions have been recognized with the Cleveland Arts Prize Martha Joseph Award in 2022 and the 2024 Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award for Choreography, along with the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Ohio Heritage Fellowship Award. She also holds titles such as Nrithya Seva Mani, Nritya Ratnakara, and Sambrama Puraskar.
Founder of Shree Kalaa Mandir, Guru Sujatha strives to balance presenting traditional repertoire and offering new choreography with concepts and themes infused with relevance and originality thus preserving and perpetuating Bharatanatyam in all its classical rigor whilst steering it to nurture cultural conversation through dance.
Fourth Awardee: Mrs.Sudha Totapally
Smt. Sudha Kiranmayi Totapally is an accomplished classical dancer, teacher, and choreographer in the Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam dance forms. Guru Sudha is the founder of Nartanam Dance Academy which offers young enthusiasts a place to cultivate their passion for the arts, refine skills, and blossom into elegant, imaginative dancers. Every year, several of her students undertake diploma examinations administered by Silicon Andhra University, consistently achieving distinctions and high honors. Mrs. Totapally, regards dance as a profound medium for expressing the depths of human emotion, akin to the language of the soul.
The award ceremony was followed by a sumptuous dinner and Dance to the tunes of DJ.
Enjoy these images courtesy of Ambassador Deepa Rao.
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