Our Story
A group of Kannada-speaking families in Montreal, initiated by Prema and Shamiah Setty, Shantha and Thukaram Khoday, Usha and Kuchela, and Girija and Narahari, began gathering to celebrate traditional festivities of Karnataka.
Other newcomers, such as Leela and Srikant Swamy, Usha and Kuchela, Saroja and Shankar Rao, Kamala and Ramachandran, and others joined the gatherings. Festivals like Navaratri, Deepavali, Sankranthi, and Ugadi became annual events.
Parvathamma Sarma, mother of Vijayakumar, participated in a Navaratri celebration, marking a notable event in the Koota’s early days.
In March, S. RamMurthy and Shankar Pappur screened the Kannada movie Belli Moda at John Abbott College Auditorium, a milestone for KKM.
In November, Deepavali was celebrated in Ville St. Laurent. A separate group later formed Bharathiya Sangeetha Sangham for house concerts.
Kannada screen legend RajKumar and his family were hosted in Montreal. He performed a musical interlude at Cegep John Abbott College, marking an important cultural event.
1980s and Beyond, KKM hosted numerous Kannada personalities, including Raj Kumar, Bharathi, Girish Karnad, and several renowned singers and musicians, fostering a deep cultural connection.
A general meeting was held to establish the association formally, with Dr. M.N. Srikant Swamy presiding.
A formal committee was formed, and the organization was officially named Kannada Koota of Montreal (KKM). The first newsletter, Sharavathi, was released during Vijayadashmi, with Vijayakumar and Janardhan Iyengar as editors.
November 8, 1980, The first KKM election was held at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, marking the official start of the Koota’s structured activities.
December 25, 2018, Kasturi Kannada Shaale began informally with 13 children, teaching Kannada through home-based classes.
With the collaboration of Kannada Academy (KA), Kasturi Kannada Shaale became part of a global initiative to teach Kannada to children worldwide.