Kannada Bhavana Bahrain set to be inaugurated

TDT | Manama           

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Staff Reporter

Kannada Sangha Bahrain’s ambitious Kannada Bhavana (Home of Kannada) building in Manama will be inaugurated on Friday, September 23 by the Chief Minister of Indian state of Karnataka, Mr S R Bommai. Mr Bommai and a high-level delegation of senior officials and state leaders will arrive from the capital city of Karnataka, Bengaluru, for the inaugural ceremony of the first Kannada Bhavana outside of India. It has been built at a cost of BD 500,000, aided by the Karnataka State government. The inauguration of the building will be held at 9 am at an event open to only invitees and Sangha members due to limited availability of space.

A felicitation ceremony and cultural events will be held from 4.30 pm at the Kingdom Hall, New Millennium School, Zinj. Piyush Srivastava, Ambassador of India to Bahrain, will be the Chief Guest at the event and Former Chief Minister of Karnataka, Mr B S Yeddyurappa will be present on the occasion. Kannada Sangha President Pradeep Shetty will preside over the function and Kiran Upadhyaya, General Secretary of the Sangha, will conduct the event.

“This is a proud moment for all Kannadigas of Bahrain as our long-cherished dream is being fulfilled,” said Mr Pradeep Shetty.  The Kannada Bhavana is a prestigious project for the community that numbers more than 25,000 in the Kingdom and the facilities we have built will help meet the aspirations of the community and serve them better, said Mr Shetty. “Apart from the Karnataka government, several organisations and individuals from Bahrain and India have supported the construction of the project financially and otherwise. “On this momentous occasion, we thank all those who helped to make our dream come true,” said Mr Shetty.

With the opening of the Kannada Bhavana, the Sangha aims to provide enhanced facilities for its members and the Kannada community in Bahrain, a statement issued by the Sangha said.   It also aims to be a hub of cultural, heritage, educational, sports and entertainment activities for the community and a centre of cultural relations between Bahrain and Karnataka, the statement added.