Welcome to Mandaara New England Kannada Koota
Mandaara New England Kannada Koota (NEKK) was formed in 1973 with the sole purpose of bring together families from the state of Karnataka and other parts of India. A community of people who share the culture, traditions and language of Karnataka get together to celebrate and propagate our unique heritage, and to keep it alive in our expatriate progeny.
Our goals include:
- Promote cultural events of interest to the Kannada and Indian community.
- Support and honor artists and academicians with connections to Karnataka.
- Stimulate social interaction among members.
- Advocate other charitable activities as the organization deems fit.
The organization is non-profit and is run primarily using donations and membership fees. The office bearers are democratically elected to 2 year terms and serve in a voluntary capacity. NEKK is one of the oldest Kannada Associations in the USA and caters to over 500 families in the New England area and reachable audience of more than 1000. NEKK is a founding member of nation-wide Kannada organizations, AKKA and Navika that share similar ideals at a national level.
We rejuvenate our sense of community by celebrating major festivals throughout the year as well as hosting a summer picnic. These gatherings provide a perfect springboard for Kannada families, young and old, to meet and connect. They also build a support system that helps us introduce our culture to our children. Events include entertainment provided mostly by the local talent pool and authentic Kannada food. On occasions, we invite artists from India to perform at our events. Typically we have 300 or more members attend an event. We document this in our quarterly newsletter, Darpana.
NEKK also strives to promote a healthy, balanced sense of achievement among our progeny. We celebrate Children’s Day once a year and invite talented youth form our member pool to conduct and perform cultural shows. NEKK recognize exceptional youth whose contributions to society parallel their achievements both academically and in the extra-curricular activities. Promising youngsters are endowed with a token monetary scholarship.
Over the years NEKK has contributed to many charitable causes, including originations such as the Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled (http://www.samarthanam.org), Srilakshmi Hindu Temple and the Indian Cultural Association.
NEKK and its members contribute their time and money to many charitable and cultural activities including:
- American Heart Association walk benefiting the American Heart Association
- IDRF(India Relief Development Foundation) – www.idrf.org
- Association of Kannada Kootas of America (AKKA) -- http://www.akkaonline.com/
- NAVIKA (North America Vishwa Kannada Association) -- http://www.navika.org/
- Sri Lakshmi Temple - Ashland MA- www.nehti.org
- Chinmaya Mission Andover, MA
- Next Generation Foundation (NGF) -- http://www.ngfglobal.org
Support our organization and participate in exciting cultural and charitable pursuits. We look forward to seeing you and your friends at the next NEKK event!
