Kannada Koota was born in Kuwait in 1984. Since then the organization has conducted numerous activities and accomplished various goals. Kuwait Kannada Koota is the only Kannada association in Kuwait. Ardent love for the language and culture of Karnataka and the selfless dedication of many Kannadigas toward this task has made this dream possible.
Kannadigas started coming to Kuwait in the early 1970's. This created the need for a common platform for them to come together as one. The pioneering effort toward this was first initiated by Dr. M.S.Tarakanath, an enthusiastic socializer who invited a few like-minded Kannadigas to his house and an idea came about to form a cultural association of Kannada speaking people. They began by preparing a list of Kannadigas and registered the association with Indian Embassy. Thus, with the encouragement and support of many of the Kannada enthusiasts, the first meeting of Kannada Koota was organized on April 3, 1985. The meeting along with the celebration of Ugadi was a huge success.
However, the Koota was aspiring to do more, such as:
- Arranging for a meeting place for Kannadigas from all over the country.
- Encouraging young talents and providing a platform to display their talents.
- Maintaining a membership directory and providing link with our heritage.
- Since the beginning of Kannada Koota, 24 committees have worked hard toward organizing various activities including Rajyotsava Day, sports, dances, music, Karnataka dramas, picnics etc.
Let us hope that Kuwait Kannada Koota will continue to grow much bigger than Dr. M.S. Tarakanath's dream. |
