BENGALURU: Dr Mattur Nandakumara, who hails from Sanskrit-speaking Mattur village in Shivamogga district, will be honoured with the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) under the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (Civil Division). This is one of the honorary British awards given to foreign nationals.
A prolific Sanskrit scholar and teacher, Dr Nandakumara is currently heading the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in London. According to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Dr Nandakumara has been chosen for the award for his contribution to teaching, accessibility and performance of Indian classical arts in the UK.
Dr Nandakumara started his career as a teacher in a local high school, following which he pursued his Ph D at the University of London. Before this, he obtained a master’s degree in Sanskrit from the University of Mysore.
Dr Nandakumara has been working towards encouraging Indian culture and arts in the UK for the last 40 years, especially through the efforts of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, which is the largest Indian organisation towards the promotion of arts outside of India.