“My monthly income was Rs. 475, but the first eight months I didn’t get it. I started tutoring pupils who were behind in Sanskrit so that I could earn the Rs 30 to Rs 40 necessary to pay my bills. “At the time, all I wanted was to be happy as a teacher, stated Mattur Nandakumara. Now, he has been selected for the coveted Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), a British honorific title comparable to the Padma honors in India. For the honorary British honors presented to foreign people this year, King Charles III has given his approval.
Nandakumara’s position as an ambassador for Indian art, culture, and philosophy has earned him a spot among the top 100 Asians with influence in the United Kingdom. Sanskrit came naturally to Nandakumara since he comes from the sole hamlet in the world where it is spoken, Mattur village in Shivamogga. In his 10th grade class, he received a score of 124 out of 125. He then pursued a master’s degree in it, finishing fourth overall.
I was hired as a Sanskrit teacher at Raghavendra High School in Malleswaram, Bengaluru, since there wasn’t much competition. “There were occasions when there wasn’t enough Kannada grammar instructors, so I would teach such courses. I enjoyed the companionship of the students and teaching,” he told News18.com. In fact, when management asked students who they preferred when the school had to choose a Sanskrit instructor on the roll, they responded that his nickname was “MNN”.He was thus truly decided upon by the pupils. At the time, Mattur Krishnamurthy, Nandakumara’s uncle, was in charge of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in London and was a well-known Sanskrit scholar.
Jenine Miller, a Frenchwoman studying the Vedas under him, came to Bengaluru to get greater insight into the local way of life. She had little Nandakumara as her guide. After a very successful and enjoyable vacation, she made the young man an offer to stay with her if he ever decides to pursue further education in London. Nandakumara was inspired and motivated by this. His uncle almost simultaneously urged that he pursue his Ph.D. in London. He went to London to finish his Ph.D. there.
As John Marr recalls, Nandakumara had a significant impact on him when he was there. Later, he was appointed academic director at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in London where he taught Sanskrit. Mattur Krishnamurthy retired, and Nandakumara took over as the institution’s leader. “I am really pleased to have been chosen by the UK government for this distinguished award. But I also want to express my gratitude to everyone who has supported the Bhavan throughout the years and put their confidence in me. Many sponsors, including George Harrison of the Beatles, Priyamvada Birla, and Smt. Sudha Murthy of Infosys, have contributed significantly to the development of Bhavan, according to Nandakumara.
Sudha Murthy, commenting to News18.com, acknowledged Nandakumara’s enormous contributions to the Bhavan and stated, “For the past 45 years, Nandakumara has established a really special domestic environment for Indian art and culture in London. In several Bhavan rooms, diverse art disciplines are taught, including classical music, Kuchipudi, Bharatanatyam, and Odissi. It’s not easy to organize these sessions and to keep students and professors in sync. Nandakumara, though, gives it his all. He is a very modest poet and academic. On the weekends, he even teaches the Ramayana and Mahabharata. I’ve already informed him that I aim to study Raghuvamsha from him if I must spend more than two months in London. This praise and admiration for Nandakumara are well-deserved, she remarked.
Murthy supports “summer school,” a two-month summer workshop for kids where renowned artists instruct different artistic disciplines. She calls on benefactors to step up and give generously so that a number of these significant events may be held at the Bhavan in London, promoting Indian art and culture worldwide.