{"id":119,"date":"2026-11-03T12:53:45","date_gmt":"2026-11-03T12:53:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/vpa-convention-2027\/?page_id=119"},"modified":"2026-11-03T12:55:54","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T12:55:54","slug":"presidents-message","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/myvpa.org\/2027\/presidents-message\/","title":{"rendered":"President&#8217;s Message"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"119\" class=\"elementor elementor-119\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-680c8c7 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"680c8c7\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c6c88f9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"c6c88f9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t  <section class=\"page-hero\">\r\n    <div class=\"wrap\">\r\n      <div>\r\n        <p class=\"breadcrumb\"><a href=\"index.html\">Home<\/a><span>\/<\/span>About<span>\/<\/span>President's Message<\/p>\r\n        <p class=\"eyebrow\">From the President<\/p>\r\n        <h1>An Invitation from Our <em>President<\/em><\/h1>\r\n        <p class=\"lead\">A personal invitation to every Vokkaliga family \u2014 in the USA and back home in Karnataka \u2014 to the 19th Vishwa Vokkaligara Sammelana.<\/p>\r\n        <div class=\"hero-chips\"><span><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><rect x=\"3\" y=\"5\" width=\"18\" height=\"16\" rx=\"2\"\/><path d=\"M3 10h18M8 3v4M16 3v4\"\/><\/svg> July 2, 3 &amp; 4, 2027<\/span><span><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M12 22s7-6.5 7-12a7 7 0 1 0-14 0c0 5.5 7 12 7 12z\"\/><circle cx=\"12\" cy=\"10\" r=\"2.5\"\/><\/svg> Embassy Suites \u00b7 Denton, TX<\/span><\/div>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"emblem-stage sm\"><span class=\"em-rays\"><\/span><span class=\"em-halo\"><\/span><span class=\"em-orbit\"><i><\/i><i><\/i><i><\/i><\/span><div class=\"em-float\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"em-img\" src=\"assets\/img\/emblem-2027.png\" alt=\"19th VPA Vishwa Vokkaligara Sammelana, Dallas Texas 2027 emblem\"><span class=\"em-shine\"><\/span><\/div><\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/section>\r\n<section class=\"content-section\"><div class=\"wrap\"><div class=\"letter\">\r\n  <aside class=\"letter-card\">\r\n    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"portrait\" src=\"assets\/img\/team\/amarnath-laxminarayan.jpg\" alt=\"Dr. Amarnath Laxminarayan\" width=\"160\" height=\"160\">\r\n    <h3>Dr. Amarnath Laxminarayan<\/h3>\r\n    <p>National President, VPA 2026\u201327<br>Texas \u00b7 VPA South<\/p>\r\n    <p class=\"kn\" lang=\"kn\">\u0cad\u0cc2\u0cae\u0cbf \u0ca4\u0cbe\u0caf\u0cbf\u0caf \u0cae\u0c95\u0ccd\u0c95\u0cb3\u0cc1;<br>\u0c9c\u0c97\u0ca6 \u0ca4\u0cc1\u0c82\u0cac \u0c92\u0c95\u0ccd\u0c95\u0cb2\u0cc1<\/p>\r\n    <p class=\"lc-conv\"><b>19th VPA &ndash; Vishwa Vokkaligara Sammelana<\/b><br>July 2, 3 &amp; 4, 2027 \u00b7 Denton, TX<\/p>\r\n    <div class=\"btn-row\" style=\"justify-content:center\"><a class=\"btn-page\" href=\"mailto:president@myvpa.org\">Write to the President<\/a><\/div>\r\n  <\/aside>\r\n  <article class=\"letter-body\">\r\n    <p class=\"salute\">Namaskara! Nanna preetiya Vokkaliga bandhugale,<br><span class=\"salute-sub\">(My dear Vokkaliga family,)<\/span><\/p>\r\n    <p>It is my joy and privilege to invite you &mdash; and everyone you love &mdash; to the <b>19th VPA &ndash; Vishwa Vokkaligara Sammelana<\/b>, our National Convention, on <b>July 2, 3 &amp; 4, 2027<\/b> at the Embassy Suites Denton Convention Center in Denton, Texas. To every Vokkaliga family across the United States, and to our brothers and sisters travelling from our homeland Karnataka &mdash; <i>banni, swagata<\/i> (come, welcome). Our motto says it best: <span class=\"kn\" lang=\"kn\">\u0cad\u0cc2\u0cae\u0cbf \u0ca4\u0cbe\u0caf\u0cbf\u0caf \u0cae\u0c95\u0ccd\u0c95\u0cb3\u0cc1; \u0c9c\u0c97\u0ca6 \u0ca4\u0cc1\u0c82\u0cac \u0c92\u0c95\u0ccd\u0c95\u0cb2\u0cc1<\/span> &mdash; children of Mother Earth, farmers spread across the world. Wherever we live, we remain <i>ondu kutumba<\/i> &mdash; one family.<\/p>\r\n    <p><b>Bring your parents. Bring your elders.<\/b> This is my most heartfelt request. For our <i>amma&ndash;appa<\/i> and <i>ajja&ndash;ajji<\/i>, these three days are a homecoming &mdash; to hear Kannada in every corner, to meet friends they have not seen in years, and to feel the warmth of Karnataka far from home. Make this <em>their<\/em> trip. Watching our elders light up is the sweetest part of any Sammelana.<\/p>\r\n    <p>And bring the little ones too. We have planned the 19th for <b>every generation<\/b> &mdash; supervised kids&rsquo; activities and daycare, youth leadership sessions, and a lively singles&rsquo; meet and networking for young adults. Grandparents, parents, children, friends &mdash; there is a place here for each of you.<\/p>\r\n    <p><b>What makes this one special?<\/b> Everything happens under one roof. The Embassy Suites gives us 318 suites and a 2,500-seat Grand Ballroom, so the stage, the <i>oota<\/i>, the exhibitor booths and your own room are all a few steps apart &mdash; no driving, no rushing. And here is the secret every veteran of our conventions knows: the real magic begins <b>after<\/b> the programs end. Late into the evening, families gather in the lobbies and suites over <i>filter kaapi<\/i>, the children run from room to room, and the <i>adda<\/i> &mdash; our easy, unhurried conversation &mdash; turns acquaintances into lifelong friends and new partnerships. <em>That<\/em> is a VPA Sammelana.<\/p>\r\n    <p>Of course, we will feast. Our <b>Naati Oota<\/b> brings a hearty, non-vegetarian Karnataka spread to your plate &mdash; <i>ragi mudde, naati koli saaru, donne biryani<\/i> and coastal and military-hotel favourites, served fresh across all three days. Come hungry; this is the taste of home.<\/p>\r\n    <p>And we will celebrate in colour. Join our daily <b>&ldquo;Wear Your Colours&rdquo;<\/b> dress themes in traditional attire, cheer the <b>Meravanige<\/b> procession, and enjoy folk arts, dance and performances by celebrated artists. For those who wish to grow and give back, our business forum, women&rsquo;s forum and health sessions bring our community&rsquo;s finest minds together. Three days that feel like a Karnataka <i>habba<\/i> &mdash; right here in Texas.<\/p>\r\n    <p>Friends, a convention is never built by a committee alone &mdash; it is made by <b>you<\/b>, by the families who show up, break bread together and carry our culture forward. So I ask you personally: register early, pack your brightest clothes, and bring your parents, your children and your friends. <i>Baruttira alla?<\/i> &mdash; you will come, won&rsquo;t you?<\/p>\r\n    <p>On behalf of our Executive Team and Board of Trustees, I warmly welcome you to Denton. Together, let us make the 19th the largest and most joyful gathering of our people outside Karnataka.<\/p>\r\n    <p class=\"kn letter-kn\" lang=\"kn\">\u0cac\u0ca8\u0ccd\u0ca8\u0cbf, \u0c92\u0c9f\u0ccd\u0c9f\u0cbf\u0c97\u0cc6 \u0cb8\u0cc7\u0cb0\u0ccb\u0ca3.<\/p>\r\n    <div class=\"btn-row\"><a class=\"btn-page gold\" href=\"register.html\">Register for the convention<\/a><a class=\"btn-page ghost\" href=\"individual-sponsorship.html\">See packages &amp; pricing<\/a><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"sign\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"assets\/img\/team\/amarnath-laxminarayan.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"64\" height=\"64\"><div><span class=\"sign-script\">Amarnath Laxminarayan<\/span><b>Dr. Amarnath Laxminarayan<\/b>National President, VPA 2026\u201327<\/div><\/div>\r\n  <\/article>\r\n<\/div><\/div><\/section>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home\/About\/President&#8217;s Message From the President An Invitation from Our President A personal invitation to every Vokkaliga family \u2014 in the USA and back home in Karnataka \u2014 to the 19th Vishwa Vokkaligara Sammelana. July 2, 3 &amp; 4, 2027 Embassy Suites \u00b7 Denton, TX Dr. Amarnath Laxminarayan National President, VPA 2026\u201327Texas \u00b7 VPA South \u0cad\u0cc2\u0cae\u0cbf [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-119","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/myvpa.org\/2027\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/119","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/myvpa.org\/2027\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/myvpa.org\/2027\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myvpa.org\/2027\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myvpa.org\/2027\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/myvpa.org\/2027\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/119\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":124,"href":"https:\/\/myvpa.org\/2027\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/119\/revisions\/124"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/myvpa.org\/2027\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}