Last Updated: April 28, 2023, 01:15 IST
The honorary MBE has been conferred to Dr M.N. Nandakumara “for services to the teaching, performance and accessibility of Indian classical arts in the UK”. (Image: The Bhavan/Twitter)
Dr M.N. Nandakumara, who hails from the village of Mattur in Karnataka, has been related to the Bhavan for 46 years
A widely known UK-based Sanskrit scholar and the Executive Director of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan centre in London has been conferred an honorary MBE by King Charles III for providers to Indian classical arts in Britain.
Dr M.N. Nandakumara, who hails from the village of Mattur in Karnataka, has been related to the Bhavan for 46 years and has welcomed Charles – the then Prince of Wales – to the favored Indian cultural hub on a number of events.
The honorary award, accredited by the British monarch for overseas nationals for his or her contribution to public life, was confirmed by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) earlier this month and can be formally awarded at a ceremony at a later date.
We are thrilled that The Bhavan’s Executive Director Dr M N Nandakumara has now turn into an Honorary MBE for providers to the educating, efficiency and accessibility of Indian classical arts within the UK. pic.twitter.com/RLwEvZl3si— The Bhavan (@BhavanLondon) April 14, 2023
The honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) has been conferred “for services to the teaching, performance and accessibility of Indian classical arts in the UK”.
“I feel truly honoured and humbled; I am happiest because this award is in recognition of the work and service of the Bhavan in the field of Indian arts and culture and it comes as we are celebrating our 50th anniversary this year,” stated Dr Nandakumara.
“The King himself has visited the Bhavan four times and has always shown immense interest in the classes we conduct. On one occasion, the then Prince of Wales even sat with our tabla player on the carpet and tried his hand at the tabla,” he shared.
Charles first visited the Bhavan when its predominant auditorium was named after his beloved uncle, Lord Mountbatten – the final Viceroy of India.
The centre, registered because the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan with the Charity Commission in England, operates a collection of courses together with Yoga, Indian languages, dance and music.
Before the COVID pandemic it had 900 college students enrolled for its courses and whereas that quantity has since dipped considerably on account of a swap to on-line courses, its chief is assured of a lift within the coming months as he sees a rising curiosity among the many youth in studying about Indian arts and tradition.
“Our centre is not just for Indians or the Indian diaspora but anyone and everyone because we operate on Gandhian principles. In fact, our Yoga class has 95 per cent European students and all other classes also have a similarly mixed appeal,” stated Dr Nandakumara – recognized to his pupils as Nandaji.
His affiliation with the Bhavan dates again to the Seventies, when he joined as a Sanskrit instructor whereas finishing his PhD on the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, and has been its Executive Director since 1995.
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