Al Ain, United Arab Emirates: Al Ain Kannada Sangha, a prominent Kannada organization in the UAE, celebrated its 21st annual Snehotsava under the theme “Unity in Diversity” with great fanfare.
The event took place on May 5, at the Ballroom of Blue Radisson Hotel Al Ain. The chief guests were Mr. Joseph Mathias, entrepreneur, singer, actor and MD of Merit Freight; Mr. Harish Sherigar, entrepreneur, singer, and MD of Acme Enterprises; Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim; and Mr. John Lance D’Souza.
The program began with a grand welcome to the chief guests, followed by the lighting of the lamp by the chief guests and Mr. U. P. Harish, the President of Al Ain Kannada Sangha, the Executive Committee, and the women members.
Mr. Joseph Mathias, Mr. Harish Sherigar, Mr. Arshad Sharif, and Mr. John Lance D’Souza were felicitated and honored by Al Ain Kannada Sangha. Other dignitaries present on the occasion included Mr. B. K. Ganesh, former President of Karnataka Sangha Sharjah; Mr. Manohar Thonse, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Karnataka Sangha; Mr. Shashidhar Nagarajah, President of Karnataka Sangha Dubai; Mr. Satish Poojary, President of Sharjah Karnataka Sangha; Mr. Novel D’Almeida; Mr. Mallikarjuna Gowda; Mr. Manohar Hegde; and representatives of India Social Center, Indian People Forum, and other language organizations.
The annual Deva Sadhaka and Deva Sadhini awards were presented to Mrs. Shyamala Ganapathy, Mr. Vikash Shetty, and Dr. Pradeep Chandra for their outstanding contributions to the community.
Nischal Nityanand Shetty and Mithul Vasant Kumar were awarded the Adarsh Vidyaarthi Puraskara for their academic excellence.
Students of Al Ain Junior High School Kannada teacher Mrs. Rubina and eighteen teachers of Kannada Pathshala Dubai were honored by the students after a pada puja.
All the sponsors who supported the event were invited to the stage and felicitated.
The event showcased the talents of the members and children of Al Ain Kannada Sangha. The cultural program, choreographed by Sharav and Arya, presented a comprehensive panorama of Karnataka through dance and music. The program also featured a group dance by little girls, a Baila dance by the members of the organization, and various other performances.
A sumptuous lunch was arranged for all the guests. The entire program was ably compered by Mrs. Shyama, Mrs. Aisha, Mrs. Savitha Nayak, and Mr. Umar Farooq.
The 21st anniversary celebrations, organized with meticulous planning by the chief organizers Mr. Harish Y. P., and Mr. Ramesh K. B., and all the members of the Executive Committee, was a resounding success.
