3 days ago
Mathru Mandali to celebrate 90th anniv on Aug 9
Mysuru: Mathru Mandali, a pioneer institution for girls' education and
women empowerment
, will celebrate its 90th anniversary on Aug 9.
Former minister and Congress MLC Umashree will launch the event.
IPS officer and writer Dharanidevi Malagatti will release a souvenir.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Mathru Mandali secretary Vani Prasad said the organisation began its journey in 1935 in VV Mohalla, where there were no exclusive schools for girls at the time. It was founded by four visionary women—Kameshwaramma Kuppuswamy, Soundaryamma Venkatesan, Sunandamma, and Kaballi Nagarathnamma— with the goal of empowering women through education and skill-building.
The institution started with kindergarten, tailoring, and dance classes, laying a strong foundation for both academic and cultural development.
In 1939, under the able leadership of Soundaryamma, the school moved to a rented space on Adipampa Road and later acquired land for its permanent campus.
The school gradually expanded to offer education in both Kannada and English mediums and now serves over 250 students.
A pre-university college offering arts and commerce streams was added in 1968, now catering to 200 students.
In 1995, as part of its diamond jubilee, Mathru Mandali opened a special school for intellectually challenged children in Gokulam. "We are proud to be a cradle of dreams for underprivileged students. With committed staff and community support, we aim to continue this legacy of empowerment," said Vani Prasad.
Due to a lack of teachers to teach special schoolchildren, Mathru Mandali is also planning to start a one-year Diploma in Special Education and a six-month teachers training for kindergarten.
Rameshwari Verma, honorary president, Vijayalakshmi Urs, president, Hema Balachandran, assistant secretary, and Vijayalakshmi Muralidhar, treasurer, were also present.
