Sumadhura Sneha Sammilana .... nammie   b r i n d a v a n a

President's Welcome Note
(Kannada Version)

Aaatmiya Kannadigarige namaskara, True to the saying 'elladaru iru, entaadaru iru, endendigu nee Kannadavaagiru', we in Brindavana aspire to recreate that magic of 'Kannadatana' right here in New Jersey. It is a huge honor and privilege to serve Brindavana and its members and I humbly accept the responsibility as the President of our beloved organization which is already 4 years old.      There are varying unofficial counts of the number of kannadigas in New Jersey. Some have put the number as high as 10,000 although a lack of proper census makes it almost impossible to verify it. Nevertheless, we are quite many of us here who all pine for a whiff of that sweet smell of Jasmine or Sandalwood or immerse ourselves in some 'kaada harate' about some nostalgic moments back home.  In addition to adhering to the core objectives of Brindavana, we have set some benchmarks for the next 2 years. Here are a few that we are seriously considering: Adopting Kannada compulsorily in all our activities (speeches, Cultural events etc.) Encouraging our youth and children to involve actively in planning, organizing and participating of all our events Double our membership and expand our Brindavana family Supporting pro-Kannada activities in our region like "Kannada Kali" classes, promoting viewership of kannada movies, kannada book reading club etc. Provide a forum for members to express their ideas and share their thoughts with other members The inspiration behind all this is a very enthusiastic team which we have aptly named 'Spoorthi'. It is my great pleasure to introduce:  Dr. Ram Bangalore - Vice President   Mr. Madhu Rangaiah - Secretary   Mrs. Seema Murthy - Treasurer   Mr. Ben Kantharaju - Director, Fund raising   Mr. Simhadri Santebennur - Director, Cultural Affairs   Mrs. Sadhana Shankar - Director, Hospitality   Mrs. Merlin Mendonza - Honorary Director   Mr. Santosh Kumar Kadlebele - Honorary Director   Mr. Raghavendra Murthy - Honorary Director   We welcome your suggestions and thank all of you who have reached out to me and my team in the last few days offering help. With your continued support and encouragement, my team and I hope to achieve all the goals that we have set.      With warm regards, Usha Prasannakumar President - Karnataka Cultural Organization , Brindavana     Sumadhura Sneha Sammilana Nammie Brindavana