The story of the House of India began with the dream of a young girl.
In 2005, a fifth grader named Anisha Mudaliar attended her parents’ Naturalization Ceremony at San Diego City Hall. During the celebration, she watched children from the International Cottages in Balboa Park perform their national and folk dances. As a budding dancer herself, Anisha was excited and wanted to represent India. To her surprise, she learned that there was no House of India in Balboa Park at that time.
Determined to change that, Anisha wrote a letter to Carolyn Flor, the President of the House of Pacific Relations (HPR), the organization that oversees the International Cottages. Carolyn responded warmly and guided Anisha and her parent through the process of establishing a House of India.
Soon after, the first community meeting was held in Carmel Valley. Around 40 members of the Indian community attended, and there was a shared sense that the growing Indian population in San Diego deserved a cultural home in the iconic Balboa Park.
In 2005, the House of India was accepted into HPR as an affiliate member, and after fulfilling participation requirements, it was later welcomed as a full member.
For many years, the House of India community worked closely with the City of San Diego to advocate for the expansion of the International Cottages. In 2016, the city approved plans to build nine additional cottages—three in the north and six in the south of the existing complex.
While the approval was exciting, it also came with a significant challenge. The House of India Board needed to raise approximately half a million dollars in a short time to fund the construction of India’s cottage. What initially seemed daunting quickly became a testament to the generosity of the community. Individuals came forward with remarkable enthusiasm and support, helping raise the required funds. Construction began in 2019.
A design team was formed to bring the vision of the cottage to life. Deepa Prahlad, a renowned design and innovation strategist, generously offered her expertise pro bono to lead the interior design. The team also included Vijay Navani and Rajshree Mudaliar.
On March 20, 2020, the world was brought to a halt by the COVID-19 pandemic. While many activities paused, construction continued. Deepa, Vijay, and Rajshree continued visiting the construction site—often before vaccines were available—to oversee the project and ensure the vision was realized.
Deepa’s creative design soon began taking shape. The team partnered with Copper Crush in Ludhiana, India, to craft the cottage’s iconic displays, including the striking copper banyan tree, media wall, the Dandi March installation, and illuminated pedestals. Anuradha and Naren Prabakar, founders of Copper Crush, executed the designs beautifully.
The soft opening of the nine new cottages took place in August 2021, and the House of India officially opened its doors to visitors in April 2022.
Today, the House of India stands as a vibrant cultural home celebrating India’s rich heritage, traditions, and diversity.
This achievement would not have been possible without the dedication of an extraordinary group of volunteers—many of whom have been part of the journey since 2005. Their passion, commitment, and countless hours of service transformed a young girl’s dream into a lasting legacy for the community.