Indian Community Wants New Cultural Center

Jul 03, 2008 by Eric Ray

(KCPW News) Utah's Indian population, now estimated at more than 5,000 families, continues to grow. Now, the Indian community wants to expand its reach by building a new cultural center next to the Sri Ganesha Temple in South Jordan.

"The cultural center is first of all a secular organization, so it's not really tied to any particular religion," says Sneha Kasera, Vice President of the India Cultural Center. "The facility is going to be organized differently so you have an auditorium; you have classrooms for classes tied to Indian culture. We expect a much broader use of the facility."

In addition to showcasing Indian heritage, Kasera says the facility will be used for other purposes, like prepping Indian students for S-A-T testing.

Speaking on KCPW's Public Square, Rohit Patel, a trustee for the India Cultural Center, says children of Indian descent born in the United States could also benefit from classes taught about the Indian culture.

"Kids absolutely enjoy it. They participate in it, particularly early stage children from about 5 or 6 years to about 12 years. After they become teenagers their lives get to busy, they get involved in other things and interest drops off. Otherwise it's a lot of fun," say Patel.

The India Cultural Center still needs to raise about $500,000 toward the estimated $1.1 million cost of building the cultural center.

Click here for information about donating to the project, and a longer interview about Utah's Indian community.

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2008 KCPW