Note from the President
Dear ICON Family, As we enter the final weeks of the year, I want to extend my warmest holiday wishes to you and your families. The strength, warmth, and spirit of the ICON community continue to inspire me every day. I am deeply grateful for the enthusiasm, support, and sense of belonging that each of you brings. Our Diwali celebrations this year were truly special. Diwali Cultural Night was filled with joy, fun, and exceptional performances—from our youngest participants (some under six!) to our longtime community members. We had an incredible 81 performers who dedicated their time and talent to making the evening shine. The energy in the room was a reminder of why ICON exists: to celebrate culture, build meaningful connections, and bring people together. My heartfelt thanks to our volunteers, performers, and attendees for making this cherished tradition so memorable. The ICON Board is committed to continuously enriching our events and bringing fresh ideas based on your feedback. This year’s post-event feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and we truly appreciate your thoughtful suggestions regarding venue capacity, logistics, food, and program flow. Please know that we are incorporating these insights as we plan for the year ahead.
Looking Ahead to 2026
This spring, we introduced a new members-only social event featuring a live music band composed of our very own Needhamites—a wonderful highlight of the year! We are delighted to share that we will be bringing this social event back in 2026. Stay tuned for details about our upcoming Spring Social. As we head into the holiday season and look forward to a bright new year, I wish you and your families joy, peace, and good health. Here's to building an even stronger and more vibrant ICON community together in 2026! Warm regards, Sujata Sarda President, Indian Community of Needham sujata.sarda@iconeedham.org
Link to more photos!
Key Note from Membership Chair
Hello ICON Friends, After two decades in Needham, I’ve realized that joining ICON is basically like signing up for a lifetime family subscription — laughter included, drama optional. My journey in the community began with cricket, which taught me strategic skills like sneaking out at 7 AM on weekends before anyone at home noticed. Teaching at the Hindi school added to the joy — nothing beats hearing kids laugh, grow, and occasionally negotiate with me like seasoned diplomats. Together, we’ve created memories that feel straight out of a sitcom: · ICON dance practices where no one remembers the steps, but everyone remembers the fun · Restaurant which one is best, debates that somehow get more intense than election discussions · Smiles around social clubs and battle over card games · Taste-testing each other’s “special drinks,” while I somehow became the designated Real estate guy Somewhere along the way, you all even taught me how to make proper chai and gave me the title Chai wala. ICON is not just a name, the soul of this community is you — the people who show up, laugh together, support one another, and make this town truly feel like home. With love and lots of chai, Sanjeev
Members Corner: Special Note from DiwaliEvent Choreographers
Navya Chowdhary Hi! My name is Navya Chowdhary, and I’m 13 years old. For me, choreographing is truly a magical experience. I’ve been doing it for the past three years, and every moment still feels like a blessing. There’s something so special about expressing your passion through the kids—watching them have fun, grow in confidence, and light up with real joy as they dance. That feeling you get when you see their genuine smiles is unforgettable. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to teach these kids. Honestly, most of the time they end up teaching me—about patience, creativity, and the power of working together. Every practice feels like a little family coming together, sharing laughs, challenges, and new memories. And when it all finally comes together on stage, seeing their hard work shine makes me so proud of each and every one of them. It’s moments like those that remind me why I love choreographing so much. Vasundhara Sharma I had the privilege of serving as an ICON Board Member for two years before stepping back due to family and work commitments. While I am no longer on the board, I strongly believe that each of us can contribute to the community in meaningful ways. For this year’s much-anticipated ICON Diwali celebration, my friend Mansi and I took the initiative to include our youngest members—children aged five and under—in the stage performances. Admittedly, the idea began as a personal one since both of us have children in that age group, but we were thrilled by the enthusiastic response from parents. In total, 12 children (and their parents!) expressed interest in participating. The weekly dance practices were a joyful experience for both kids and parents, and we are especially grateful to Mausami for generously providing her space for rehearsals. These sessions not only helped the children prepare but also created a wonderful opportunity for families to connect. The performance itself was truly memorable. Our little dancers opened the stage with infectious smiles, captivating the audience and setting a lively tone for the evening. The thoughtful gesture by the ICON Board to present trophies to these young performers made the moment even more special. A heartfelt thank you to ICON for creating this platform that allows children to express themselves, build confidence, and experience the joy of performing. We look forward to continuing this tradition for many years to come!
ICON TownSquare!
Dear All (Active and Prospective) ICONians! The need for more efficient and direct communication among members and the board channel was felt for some time, for important ICON announcements, ticket sales, and to make it a 2-way street. Towards that end, we started a WhatsApp Group called “ICON-TownSquare” last November. Here is its overall framework. Main Objectives To provide an efficient 2-way communication among ICON members, prospects, and board members To enhance ideation, inclusivity, diversity, feedback, and participation Guiding Principle Helping ICON achieve its below-core mission is the overarching principle: ICON is a secular, non-profit organization aimed at celebrating and preserving the culture and heritage of India and surrounding South Asian countries; fostering friendships and unity among community members; advancing the educational, cultural, and charitable interests of the community; and representing the community to the people of Needham, MA, USA, and beyond. Working Framework Mostly used for ICON announcements, event ideation and planning No forwards of any kind at all, and no good mornings, good nights! Highest respect for each other is utmost expected Moderated by a few ICON Board Members, with windows for 2-way communication at times ICON Board reserves the right to tweak this working framework as needed Everyone is cordially invited to please join using the link or the QR code below.
Join ICON TownSquare here
ICON's valued sponsors! We thank all our sponsors for their continued support! ICON's 2024 & 2025 Silver-Level Sponsor Leena Agnihotri (leena.agnihotri@compass.com; M: 617-331-2647) ICON's Strong Supporter in 2023, 2024 & 2025
