Worcester witnessed a huge mela recently! NAVIKA - A grassroots organization focused on preserving and passing on the rich Kannada culture and heritage to the next generation Kannadigas, held a 3-day extravaganza right in our backyard! Over the Labor Day weekend, close to two thousand people from all over the world gathered in DCU Center in Worcester, MA.

NAVIKA's 2nd World Kannada Summit was attended by artists, dignitaries, celebrities, government leaders and many more. Members of 8 Kannada Kootas (regional associations) from U.S. and Canada and also Kannada Balaga of U.K. attended the summit. Conveners Sharanabasava Rajur and Krupa Rajur are happy with the outcome. "Hundreds of volunteers worked for more than a year, it was a great team effort. We are happy and thankful that all summit attendees had a great time", they said. Keshava Babu, president of NAVIKA said "it is a grand festival that brought Kannadigas together and inspired the next generation!" Cultural programs, various forums, contests, great food, a procession and a lot of other activities in multiple venues ensured a busy schedule all through the summit!

Business forum was the prime attraction on the first afternoon. Desh Deshpande and other business leaders spoke at the forum. This forum was completely sponsored by IT/ BT department of government of Karnataka. The evening's cultural attractions included Prof. Mallanna and team's light music program followed by Pallavi Arun's scintillating music show.

On the second day, a colorful procession from Worcester City Hall to the DCU Center was a big hit. Summit attendees presented dances, and wore costumes depicting various royal and mythological characters! Kannada film actors Yash and Radhika Pandit added a touch of glamour by taking part in the procession.

This was followed by the formal inaugural event. Ramalinga Reddy, Karnataka’s Transportation minister, Mukhyamantri Chandru, Chairman of Kannada Development Authority, Desh Deshpande and Jaishree Deshpande of Deshpande Foundation, Ganesh Karnik, M.L.C., representatives of the office Mayor of Worcester city, several NAVIKA and local Kannada Koota leaders were on the stage for the occasion. Veeranna Rajur, a noted Kannada writer, released the souvenir named “Sourabha”. Noted playwright and actor Girish Karnad wished the summit all the success in this video message. It was a moment of pride that Aug. 31, 2013 was declared as “Kannada Day” in the city of Worcester.  Ramalinga Reddy conveyed his wishes and read out a message from Siddaramayya, chief minister of Karnataka. Mukhyamantri Chandru delivered the keynote address and asked for preservation of Kannada and culture even as Kannadigas continue to thrive in various parts of the world.

Rest of that afternoon brought several parallel events such as Nakshatra talent contest, Apsara beauty contest, Shrungaara pageant, Kubera quiz contest, Jeevana Sangaati for singles, Education forum, Yoga forum, etc.  Several cultural programs were presented by members of various Kannada organizations. The evening’s primetime attraction was a great flute rendition by Pravin Godkindi, who impressed the crowd a lot! This was followed by a graceful dance performance by Kathak maestros Nirupama and Rajendra.

The concluding day of the summit was packed with a variety of programs. CME forum was well attended by eminent medicos. It brought out several ideas on bridging care and medical research between Karnataka and several U.S. medical institutes. Several breakaway sessions focused on Kannada literature, memories of immigrant experience, documentary shows, celebrity sports, and other topics of relevance. In the afternoon, Sunita Jogi and team presented evergreen Kannada numbers in their light music program. Some of the events were held at the nearby Mechanics Hall that added a lot of color to the events. The concluding day’s primetime event was a film hits based program by popular Kannada playback singers Vijay Prakash and Shamita Malnad. They provided non-stop entertainment that saw audience dance the evening away well past midnight!

The 3-day gala brought together Kannadigas of different generations from various parts of the world. Organizers are happy that they realized their dream of showcasing Kannada and culture to Bostonians and pass it on to the next generation Kannadigas!

|