Bombay Keraleeya Samaj ce

Bombay Keraleeya Samaj, Mumbai’s first Malayali Samajam, is celebrating its ‘Navathi’, (90th anniversary) programmes from this Saturday, February 8, 2020 onwards. His Excellency, Maharashtra Governor, Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyeri will inaugurate the Navathi on February 8, at B.N. Vaidya Sabha Gruh, King George School Auditorium at Dadar East, Mumbai. 

Sahitya Academy award winner Subhash Chandra, and Joint Commissioner, Income Tax Department, Jyothis Mohan, IRS, Mumbai, will be the Guests of Honour. Samajam President Dr. Suresh Kumar Madhusoodanan will preside over the function. Secretary Premarajan Nambiar will deliver the welcome speech and joint secretary K. Padma Sundaran will deliver the vote of thanks. 

Veteran arts, sports, social, cultural and political leaders will participate in the conference. Well known film playback singers Sudhip Kumar and Sangeeta Sreekant Prem along with Mumbai's prestigious singers Prem Kumar, Vijay Kumar, Sebastian, Madhu Nambiar and Shruti Sudheer will present the ‘Sangeetha Sandhya’. US based Dr. Sunanda Nair will perform ‘Mohiniattam’. 

During its Navathi year the samajam will be conducting many cultural activities including art festivals, for Navathi celebration the samajam conducted a music lyrics competition . Best Music lyrics composed by Padmashree Pandit Ramesh Narayan. It was sung by state award winner Madhusree Narayan and Pandit Ramesh Narayan, Dr Sunanda Pillai will be performing Bharatanatyam in inaugural function based on Samaj Geetham. 

To make the Navathi festival a grand success, under the chairmanship of Dr. P.J. Aprem, ten committees have been formed. M. Biju Kumar (Event Management), Devadas G. Nair (Finance), Surendra Babu (Art and Culture), C. P. Krishna Kumar (Literature), S. Prasanna Chandran (Food), Madhu Nambiar (Welcome), Geetha Pillai (Food Festival), Madhu Nambiar(Job Fair), R. Premlal (Directory) are chairmen of the respective committees.

The Navathi festival will conclude on November 1, 2020 at Matunga’s Shanmukhananda Hall Chandrasekharananda Sarawathy auditorium. For more details contact Samaj secretary Premarajan Nambiar on 9820166328.

Looking Back

In 1930, few Malayalis had joined hands to form the Bombay Keraleeya Samaj to solve the problems that they were facing in Mumbai. The samajam was registered in 1934 under the Registration Act, 1860. In 1958, the then Defence Minister, Shri V.K. Krishna Menon inaugurated the samajam’s own building.

The samajam has established five Ayurveda dispensaries for providing free treatments. From 1943 onwards the samajam has been in the forefront for extending help to the needy during natural calamities, food shortage, outbreak of epidemic, etc. In 2018, during the Kerala flood, the samajam sent 14 truckloads of food and essential items and donated Rs. 51 lakhs to renovate schools. The samajam formed the Bombay Keraleeya Samaj Hostel Society to provide accommodation to economically weak Malayalis in the city. It also provides accommodation at very nominal rates to Malayalis coming to the city for treatment of cancer and other diseases.

The Bombay Keraleeya Samaj launched the Vishala Keralam magazine in 1945. It is published thrice a year during Vishu, Onam and New Year, the magazine provides good opportunities for upcoming writers. In 1960 the samajam opened kinder garden classes for poor students with fee concessions. The samajam also conducts classes in Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Yoga, etc. The Bombay Municipal Corporation allotted a sports pavilion to the samajam at Shivaji Park in 1962. Every year it conducts sports competitions and confers awards to the winners. 

During Onam festivals, Bombay Keraleeya Samajam conducts various cultural programmes such as music, dance, etc. and serves `Onam special food’. In 2019 Onam festival the Chief Guest was M. K. Anand, MD & CEO of Times Network and Guest of Honour was Murukan Kattakada.