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People Behind The Institution - Patrons and Sponsors |
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Sri B.V.S.S Mani - Sri Bulusu Venkata Surya Subramanian, otherwise known as B.V.S.S Mani, was born on 25th October 1927 and
was brought up by his maternal grandfather Kottha Suryanarayana Rao.
He belonged to a zamindari, yet orthodox brahmin family, with
profound faith in Vedic lore and adherence to Vedic values. Sri Mani
had his initial training in commerce and mechanical engineering and
passed out of the Madras Polytechnic and the Sanskrit College. In
keeping with the legacy of the family, he emerged as a healthy
amalgam of commerce,culture,tradition and modernity. Sri Mani was
the President of Sri Krishna Gana Sabha for about 2 decades and was
the Managing Trustee of SKGS Trust until his demise. During his
presidency, he played a significant role in purchasing a large
portion of the present Sabha premises, thus creating a valuable
asset for the organization. Right from its inception, he has co-sponsored the
Sabha's Natya Kala Conference and his spouse, Smt. Lalitha Ratnam,
continues to provide sponsorship to the Conference to this day. Sri
B.V.S.S Mani was a great lover of arts and was particularly fond of
compositions of Saint Thayagaraja,Annamacharya and Badrachala
Ramadoss for the bhakthi content of the lyrics and their poetic
elegance. Sri P. Obul Reddy - Well-known industrialist and avowed patron of the Indian Classical Fine Arts, has been a supporter of Sri Krishna Gana Sabha in its endeavors for decades. He has been instrumental in establishing the annual "Mumoorthigal Festival" at SKGS through his Gnanambika P. Obul Reddy trust. He is also the sponsor of the annual Nritya Choodamani cash award. Sri 'CUB' Narayanan - Illustrious banker, unfortunately no more with us, had been a great patron and devout lover of arts, especially the Bhajana Sampradayam. A regular patron to the Sabha during its festivals, he offered strong support and guidance, and was the principal sponsor of the Namasankeerthanam festival. This noble mantle has now fallen on the able shoulders of his son, Sri N. Kamakoti who is a member of the Sabha's managing committee. Sri Appaswamy - Business tycoon, and head of Appaswamy Real Estates and Hotels has been a valued supporter of cultural activities of SKGS. He is a major sponsor of a block of the SKGS trust, named the Appaswamy block, that houses the Kamakoti Gana Mandir Mini A/C Hall. Sri G. Rajendran - Jeweller non-pareil, hotelier, educationalist, and philanthropist has been a staunch patron of Sri Krishna Gana Sabha in its activities. He has sponsored a block of the SKGS trust housing the Sangeetha Vidyalaya at SKGS. He also sponsors the annual Nritya Choodamani award gold medallion. Sri T.S. Sridhar (Marina)- Great playwright, cartoonist, author, former associate-editor of Ananda Vikatan and a pioneer in documenting the heritage value of numerous great temples of South India (under the pen name of "Bharanidharan"). This devout baktha of Kanchi Mahaswamigal is a good friend and well-wisher of SKGS. The nucleus of the concept for Chitirai Nataka Vizha at the Sabha was derived from a discussion with Sri Marina. He had been a committee member of the Sabha till recently. Bhramara Trust - Sponsored by Sri YT (Y.T. Thathachari), the great bio-scientist and patron of fine arts who pioneered the US university concert circuit concept, and Mrs. Madhuri Thathachari, this trust lends generous support to the sciences and the fine arts. It also sponsors the annual Sangeetha Choodmani gold medallion at SKGS. Lalgudi Trust - Instituted by the violin maestro, Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman, this body identifies young talents in the field of Carnatic music and provides encouragement and impetus for their musical endeavors. It co-sponsors the Talent promotion concerts during the annual SKGS Gokulashtami festival. Vashihstadvaita trust - This trust has been rendering great service to the preservation of cultural and heritage values. It co-sponsors the religious/literary discourses conducted by SKGS annually. |
