News: Shodhan Prasad
Dubai, Nov 9: Former students of the well-known Sri Bhuvanendra College, Karkala came together at a reunion in Dubai recently. The college re-union provided a unique opportunity for old friends to relive some of the fun of college days. The reunion at a foreign destination, along with family members was exciting for all.
The BCom batch of 1983-84 of Sri Bhuvanendra College, Karkala (SBC, Karkala) got together at City of Gold, Dubai along with their families between November 1 and 5. Prabhakar Kamath, managing director, KPI - Global, Dubai, a business advisory and accounting firm and Ravi Karkala, group finance and admin manager of Gorica Industries LLC, Dubai were the key persons who organized the five-day event in Dubai. Whereas back in India, Gurudutt Shanbhouge, a Bengaluru based businessperson, Ashok Shetty, Bengaluru based chartered accountant, Jnaneshwari, lecturer at Karnataka Polytechnic, Mangaluru and Prashant Karkala, a career banker provided the logistic support for the travel and other arrangements.
The reunion programme started with prayers rendered by Shilpa and Shetal followed by the inauguration. Dr M P Hrishikesh, director, CMR Institute for Business Studies, Bengaluru and Prof Nagaraj Nayak, head of the department of Commerce, Vijaya College, Mulky inaugurated the reunion at Hotel Raviz, Bank Street, Bur Dubai. In their speech, the two professors, reminisced their teaching days with the batch. They expressed their happiness over the professional success of their students and also the bond getting stronger among themselves and with their alma mater even after a gap of more than three decades.
Prof K Damodar Kini, founder principal of SBC, Karkala was fondly remembered .The guests released the souvenirs brought out on the occasion. Prabhakar Kamath welcomed the invitees from India. Ravi Karkala, Dubai outlined the programmes lined up during the stay in Dubai.
During their five-day stay in Dubai, the group had an extensive tour of the historic places of the City of Gold and also the neighboring Abu Dhabi. Besides, the group had a firsthand experience of the Arab culture, especially, dhow cruise, desert safari and traditional Arab dance and music.
The tour concluded with a fun-filled evening and dinner at Hotel Holiday Inn, Bur Dubai. As many as 47 persons, their families included, gathered for the reunion. The participants shared happy and sad moments in pursuit of their professional success and also their experience about the Dubai trip. Teachers and students dug out old memories with a new perspective.
The 1983-84 Commerce batch of SBC, Karkala has been holding such re-unions for quite some time. The first such re-union was officially held at Pilikula in Mangaluru in the year 2005. The then principal of SBC, Karkala, Prof Padmanabha Gowda, and Prof M Ramachandra had presided over the programme. Since then, the 1983-84 batch has been gathering at regular intervals at different places in India, albeit informally. The Dubai event is the sixth formal event and the first one overseas.