LEGACY AND LAND MARKS ANDHRA CULTURAL ASSOCIATION, COCHIN (Regd) I. The Organization: • The Association is 50 years old, the oldest of its kind in Kerala, with other two at Trivendrum and Calicut. • The Association was started in 1958 with a band of six people meeting on festive occasions. • Later the Association was registered on Telugu New Year day, the 4 April 1973 under Trivancore-Cochin Literary Cultural Scientific, Literary & Charitable Societies Act 1955. • The constitution was revised in 1983 to facilitate any Indian Citizen to join the Association, with its specific objectives of fostering the Andhra Culture. • The Association has celebrated its Silver Jubilee in Jun 1983 by organizing three days cultural Programs. • It has organized many dance dramas and presented the cultural elite of the Andhra Pradesh to the Cochin public on several festive occasions, over the last five decades. • The Association has worked in harmony with other cultural Organizations such as Kerala Fine Arts Society, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, and Chavara Cultural Center in the Cochin City over these five decades. This has facilitated the Organization to grow with its cultural activities in the absence of its own building till 1994.

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II. The Public and Government Patronization: • The Income Tax department has allowed the I n c o m e T a x exemption under section 80G, for the donations paid to the Association, since 1983. • The Philanthropic Public and the Corporate of Kerala & Andhra Pradesh have responded to its appeals in fund generation, over the years and contributed to its major segment, over the years. • The Government of Andhra Pradesh had provided the grants in aid of Rs 20,000 for the purchase of 2000 Telugu Books to the Association Library in 1978 and musical Instruments and Theatrical equipments in 1979. • The GCDA has allocated 8 cents of land at an institutional price, in the prime residential area of Panampilli Nagar in 1985. • The department of Culture, Government of India had provided the matching Grants of Rs 4.90 Lakhs for the building construction in 1994. • The department of Culture, Government of Andhra Pradesh had provided the special grant of Rs 1.00Lakhs for the building construction in 1994. • The M u n i c i p a l corporation of Cochin is actively considering the reduction of property tax on our building to the nominal amount against our plea of its exemption. III. The Assets Acquired: • The Foundation stone of our building was laid by Sri Jagannadha Rao, the then Hon’ble Chief Justice, Kerala High Court in Feb 1992 • The Cultural Centre Phase I, consisting of the Ground Floor was inaugurated by Sri D.J.Jagannadha Raju, the then Hon’bleJustice of the Kerala High Court in Sep 1993. • The Auditorium as Phase II of the cultural centre, first floor was inaugurated in Jun 07 by the Hon’ble Minister for Food, Civil supplies & Cultural Affairs & Devaswoms, Government of Kerala. In June 2003. The function was presided over by

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the Worshipful Mayor, Corporation of Cochin Sri C.M.Dinesh Mani. • The building plinth area of the Cultural Centre is 18, 00 Sq Feet, each in first and second floor, while the similar space is made available with covered terrace which was made operational in May 2005 with the amenities. • The Cultural Centre is re christened as “Andhra Kala Nilayam” in May 2003. • The total project cost is about 25.00 Lakhs as on date. IV. Summary Status as on April 2008: • There are about 200 and odd Telugu families in Greater Cochin and its proximity areas. • Most of them are professionals working for various central organizations, then private sector and Kerala Cadre of the central services. • The Association is professionally managed over the last five decades. • Out of the 200 Life Members and 20 Patrons, nearly 60 of them have moved out on transfer / superannuation. • The Telugu Library of the Association is presently holding 2500 Books as on date. • The premises are made available as community hall and function venue for the public and Program venue to other cultural organizations. • Most of the time over the years, the Dance and Music classes are being conducted on regular basis. • The premises is offered as the Transit Facility to Sabarimali Pilgrims in the festive season, with its full amenities • The Auditorium which is being equipped progressively is offered the local community, as our gratitude toward their support over the decades. V. The Golden Jubilee Celebrations: Sep- Oct 2008 • The Ernakulam District Collector Sri Mohammed Hannesh, IAS*** has consented to be the Patron of the Jubilee Organizing 3

Committee. The program brochure is being released shortly. (*** He is likely on official transfer, as per recent News Paper reports) • We intend to transform the Andhra Kalanilayam as the Hub of Multi Ethnic Cultures of Cosmopolitan Cochin, by enrolling the regional, ethnic Association representatives as its Honorary Members and facilitate them with the Infrastructure facilities for their activities. • Inauguration of the Multi ethnic centre by the District Collector as part of the Jubilee celebrations, and re dedicate to the Cochin Public, as our gratitude for all the support rendered to the Association over the decades. • We wish to organize the “Spiritual Discourses” in the mornings, with the participation of philanthropic agencies, with the essential expenditure met with an independent corpus fund, leading to its sustenance in the years ahead. This is conceived in the community service model being practiced in Chennai city over

the decades and regularly published in The Hindu Religion Columns. • The first floor auditorium with its capacity of 80 members will be air conditioned through corporate sponsorship and re dedicate to the Cochin Public as our gratitude to their support for over these decades. • The efforts are on to bring forward the e service booking center at Andhra Kala Nilayam for the Cochin Public, visiting TTD, Tirupati as being done in Metros in the country. • We intend to seek partnership with Event Management Agencies for professional services, World Telugu Federation, Chennai, Department of Culture, Government of AP and Potty Sriramulu Telugu University, Hyderabad in this grand occasion. • The Jubilee function is proposed to have the Chief Ministers of both Kerala and Andhra Pradesh with the release of Souvenir marking the occasion and an appropriate cultural program / Ganamela.

Updated 10 April 2008)

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PS: Any comments / queries may kindly be addressed to the following address please

R.M.R.Vishnubhatla President Andhra Cultural Association 49 /491 UA, Andhra Kala Nilayam Panampilli Nagar Cochin 682036 Phone Res: 0484 2424903, Mobile: 0944 6404 197, Association Hall: 0484 2324478 Email: [email protected]

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