ASHLAND, MA–People from all over Karnataka and beyond in the New England area are looking forward to a once in a lifetime 2-day extravaganza next weekend on 29th and 30th April at Ashland High School.
The Mandaara New England Kannada Koota (NEKK) is set to celebrate its 50th anniversary “Suvarna Mahotsava”. NEKK was established in 1973 and is focused on charity and cultural purposes. It represents a large group of people from the state of Karnataka, India and other Kannada loving individuals in the New England area, and their rich culture, heritage and regional language.
This event will be a gala event with music and dance troupes coming in from India. The flagship musical performance will be from the dashing music director and singer from Karnataka, Gurukiran, of Upendra, Jogi and “A” fame. He will be accompanied by stars, Anuradha Bhat, Santosh Venki and New England’s own star Sowmya Shri.
A mega dance program with a dance drama star from Karnataka, Dr. Sanjay Shantaram and troupe, are coming to the area along with 30 local children and adult dancers. This troupe will present “Karnataka Kshetra Vaibhava”, a dance drama that showcases Karnataka’s cultural heritage and rich diversity.
Young adult dancers from New England are going to present a scintillating potpourri of elaborately choreographed folk and rural dances in a program called Janapada Sampada. This promises to be a very colorful performance with a focus on authentic folk costumes from various regions from Karnataka.
Two enjoyable dramas from local dance groups RangaTaranga – Boston and Nataloka will be presented, as well as a children’s drama Gajendra Moksha. This would add a theatrical twist in the midst of all the other cultural activities. Other interesting events planned are musical ensembles, a dance drama from Chinmaya Mission Boston children, performances from local dance groups and “Sobagu’ a uniquely presented Fashion Show from local groups.
Color and festive atmosphere will be enhanced by vendors showcasing their wares and there will be several of these at the venue.
Karnataka is famous for its exclusive cuisine. Food from various parts of Karnataka is planned for the 2 days and an elaborate spread of cuisine will be presented, including delicacies like Holige, Bisi Belebath, Peda, Mandakki mixture, ladoo and plenty more.
The event has the blessings of many luminaries from Karnataka such as the serial entrepreneur Desh Deshpande, philanthropist and educator Mrs. Sudha Murthy, acclaimed writer Mysore Nataraja, and Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey.
Corporate sponsors for the event include the famed The Brigade Group, Trigent Software and Fillum App.
An elaborate, rich collection of articles and content with literature, history and a variety of fun content will be published in a Souvenir to be released at the Suvarna Mahotsava.
Suvarna Mahotsava, NEKK’s 50th anniversary is a ticketed event. Tickets include admission and food for the 2 days. There are options for attending for one of the days, Saturday or Sunday, also.
Murali Kudlugi, President of Mandaara NEKK said “Mandaara NEKK invites everyone to attend this event and enjoy the vibrant culture, food and programs from Karnataka. We promise you will see and experience the richness of tradition, culture and enjoy a variety of entertainment from India and local talents. Book your tickets today.”
Tickets are available at https://mandaara-sm.raisely.com/about . No tickets for attending or food will be available at the event. Tickets have to be purchased online beforehand.
