About Us
Background
Maharashtra Mandal of Kansas City (MMKC) is a cultural organization which was founded in 1995 to enable Marathi speaking families residing in Johnson County, Kansas to get together, make new friends and organize cultural events. Since its foundation, MMKC has been very active in promoting Maharashtrian culture and traditions. MMKC members work very hard to promote, preserve, cherish, and perpetuate the socio-cultural values of Maharashtra.MMKC is proudly affiliated to the Brihan Maharashtra Mandal (BMM) of North America and is registered as a non-profit organization in state of Kansas and Johnson County since 1997.
Until 1994, there were very few Maharashtrian families in Kansas City and surrounding towns like Overland Park, Olathe, Lawrence and Shawnee (maximum 15 families). The families were celebrating our festivals like Ganapati, Diwali and occasions like Gudhi Padwa at someone's house or in club house. Since 1996, due to the improvement in the technical field in Kansas City, more and more people especially in software engineering field started coming to Kansas City (either directly from India or from other states in USA).
Due to the increase in the number of Maharashtrians, it became difficult for the host to invite everyone for celebrating festivals like Diwali. An idea about forming a Maharashtra Mandal in Kansas city started circulating.
In early 1995, at Mr. Pravin Kulkarni's house where Mr. and Mrs. Shuke were invited for dinner along with other friends, Mr. and Mrs. Shuke and Mr. Pravin Kulkarni decided to establish Maharashtra Mandal. Mr. Kulkarni immediately greeted the idea. Afterwards, Mr. Limaye, Dr. Chhatre and Mr. Sane were among others to welcome the thought of forming a mandal. They suggested that Mr. and Mrs.Shuke take leading part in organizing the mandal. Later when requested by Mrs. Shuke, Mr. Sanjiv Shelar agreed enthusiastically to join and shared the responsibility of being the treasurer for the mandal. Mr. Pravin Kulkarni worked as an active member in the committee until he left for Toronto in 1997. A working committee was formed and Maharashtra Mandal was established on a very auspicious day of Maharashtra - Gudhi Padwa in 1995.
In MMKC, there has never been a formal election. All the committee members have the equal status. They all work together and take the decisions jointly. This tradition still continues. In forming Maharashtra Mandal, Mrs. Manda Shuke played a key role. She worked hard and patiently organized the menu and refreshment in all our events especially in the years 1995, 1996 and 1997 respectively. She has been giving valuable suggestions, encouragement and advice in all our cultural programs. Her dedication is greatly appreciated by everyone.
Every member whether in committee or as a volunteer has contributed greatly in the success of the Mandal. Ladies have been organizing food groups and preparing delicious food at the various MMKC events.
Previous Committees:
2021
Nilesh Matole President
Swapnil Deshpande Vice President
Vinit Chopade Treasurer
Roopa Matole Program Coordinator
Ambar Nirgudkar Program Coordinator
Rajesh Patil Program Coordinator
Makarand Deshpande Program Coordinator
Jayant Mahure Program Coordinator
Snehal Deshpande Program Coordinator
2020
Nilesh Matole President
Deepak Thakur Vice President
Namrata Barve Secretary
Salil Kulkarni Treasurer
Roopa Matole Program Coordinator
Sheetal Takalkar Program Coordinator
Anirudhha Takalkar Program Coordinator
Makarand Deshpande Program Coordinator
Shruti Sathe Program Coordinator
Dhanashree Kale Program Coordinator
Kalyani Shankhapal Program Coordinator
2019
Namrata Barve President
Snehal Deshpande Vice President and Secretary
Madhura Apte Treasurer
Sachin Dekhane Website Manager
Rucha Joshi Program Coordinator
Rrucha Bapat Program Coordinator
Ashutosh Bapat Program Coordinator
Mangesh Ratnaparkhi Program Coordinator
Reshma Sawant Program Coordinator
2018
Jayant Mahure President
Gajanan Patil Vice President
Rajesh Patil Secretary
Mangesh Ratnaparkhi Treasurer
Vaishali Patil Website Manager
Manish Dharme Communication Coordinator
Sushma Mahure Program/Food Coordinator
Reshma Mairal Program/Food Coordinator
Chaitali Mahajan Program/Food Coordinator
Anupama Desai Program/Food Coordinator
Namrata Barve Program/Food Coordinator
2017
Jayant Mahure President
Sanjay Akangire Vice President
Sunil Kulkarni Secretary
Santosh Bhadule Treasurer
Shamala Tat-Thorat Website Manager
Preetam Chidgupkar Communication Coordinator
Archana Bhadule Program Coordinator
Ashwini Kulkarni Program Coordinator
Smita Phadnis Program Coordinator
Pallavi Apte Program Coordinator
Sushma Mahure Food Coordinator
Manish Dharme Sound and Decoration Coordinator
2016
Shaktiprasad Shimpi President
Sunil Kulkarni Vice President
Vaishali Shimpi Website Manager
Ashwini Kulkarni Communication Coordinator
Arvind Shuke Strategy Coordinator
Manasi Bhanushali Strategy Coordinator
Ketaki Ghanekar Program Coordinator
Abhinandan Shah Treasurer(First Half)
Prajakta Shah Food Coordinator(First Half)
Trupti Deshpande Program Coordinator(First Half)
2015
Deepak Thakur President
Abhaya Kulkarni Treasurer
Smita Desai Secretary
Vaishali Shimpi Website Manager
Prasad Saraf Program Coordinator
Poonam Chhatre Food Coordinator
2014
Vaishali Patil President
Shaktiprasad Shimpi Vice President
Anand Rajendra Treasurer
Rohit Malgaonkar Secretary
Vaishali Shimpi Website Manager
Milind Dabli Program Coordinator
Rrucha Bapat Program Coordinator (Cultural)
Ketaki Ghanekar Program Coordinator (Cultural)
Sampada Nagarkar Food Coordinator
Vinita Teleng Food Coordinator
Madhurima Dabli Food Coordinator
Atul Nagarkar Sound Coordinator
Gajanan Patil Strategy Coordinator
2013
Shweta Sawarkar President
Swapnil Deshpande Vice-President
Sheetal Takalkar Treasurer
Sanil Prabhakar Secretary
Ambar Nirgudkar
Anirudha Takalkar
Ashvini Deshpande
Jayant Mahure
Makarand Deshpande
Mandatai Shuke Food coordinator
Manish Kadam
Nilesh Matole
Rita Kandalkar
Sharad Sawarkar
Shilpa Kamat
Nitin Kandalkar Website Manager
2012
Mahesh Desai President
Anagha Deole Vice-President / Program Coordinator
Preetam Panditrao Program Coordinator
Atul Kulkarni Music System and Hall Arrangements
Anupama Desai Communication
Manjushree Kshirsagar Food Coordinator
Prabha Sakaray Food Coordinator
Vaishali Patil Food Coordinator
Sandhya Rao Treasurer
Amol Dhakappa Website Manager
2011
Amita Thakur President
Anita Date Vice President
Shekhar Kulkarni Treasurer
Abhaya Kulkarni
Maya Dhakappa
Shweta Savarkar
Deepti Kadam
Sushma Mahure
Sandhya Rao
2010
Udayan Apte President
Anita Date Vice-President
Shekhar Kulkarni Treasurer
Deepti Barve Secretary
Jayashree Pandit
Amita Thakur
Ruchir Joshi
Shishir Joshi
Sheetal Takalkar
Ashvini Prabhakar
Sanket Jayade
Sonali Joshi
Nitin Kadam
2009
Anagha Deole President
Udayan Apte Vice-President
Trupti Kulkarni Treasurer
Seema Lokre
Amita Thankur
Mahesh Desai
Nirupama Madhwesh
Ruchir Joshi
Shishir Joshi
Nitin Kadam Website Manager
Rutvik Date Website Manager
2008
Deepak Thakur President
Sumedha Joshi
Deepali Mahabaleshwarkar
Nitin Kadam
Girish Kshirsagar
Rutvik Date Website Manager
2007
Girish Pednekar President
Charuta Mainkar Treasurer
Anita Date Food Co-ordinator
Sumedha Joshi Program Co-ordinator
Ramesh Shinde Logistics / Hall Bookings
Deepali
Mahabaleshwarkar Communication
Ameet Phadnis Website Manager
2006
Kedar Deo President
Anita Date
Sumedha Joshi
Vijay Apte
Vaishali Shrouti
Smita Desai
Neeraj Hardikar
Harshvardhan Barve
Bhushan Deshpande Website Manager
2005
Arvind Shuke President
Pramod Surve Treasurer
Milind Mainkar
Deepak Thakur
Unmesh Vartak
Bhushan Deshpande Website Manager
Dr. Madhukar Chhatre Trustees
Dr. Sunil Abhayankar Trustees
Jayant Limaye Trustees
2004
Kalpana Nimkar President
Abhijit Apte Secretary
Milind Mainkar Treasurer
Ashwini Pathak
Deepak Pathak
Prasanna Joglekar
Radha Deshpande
2003
Sandeep Rao President
Abhaya Kulkarni Treasurer
Girish Pednekar Hall Booking
Kalpana Nimkar Program Coordinator
Miti Pandit Kitchen Coordination
Nitin Kadam Music System
Prasanna Joglekar BMM Coordinator
Sadhana Palnitkar Patrak
Seema Lokre Communication
Sonali Joshi Website Manager
2002
Sandeep Rao President
Purnima Deo
Anita Date
Girish Pednekar
Nitin Kadam
Smita Phadnis
Prasanna Joglekar
Abhaya Kulkarni
Seema Lokre
2001
Priya Sane President
Sumedha Joshi
Purnima Deo
Anita Date
Poonam Chattre
Girish Pednekar
Nitin Kadam
Sandeep Rao
Prasanna Joglekar
Parag Sohoni
2000
Sanjeev Shelar President
Shailesh Potnis
Patrick Correia
Uday Jadhav
Girish Joshi
Parag Sohoni
Padmaja Limaye
Priya Sane
Sandhya Rao
Sujata Halarnkar
1999
Sanjeev Shelar President
Kalpana Nimkar
Patrick Correia
Shailesh Potnis
Shashank Date
Uday Jadhav
Girish Joshi
Parag Sohoni
Padmaja Limaye
Priya Sane
1998
Arvind Shuke President
Mahesh Bhave
Kalpana Nimkar
Shekhar Kulkarni
Sanjiv Jadhav
Nanda Vaidya
Punam Chhatre
Shashank Date
Jayashree Pandit
1997
Arvind Shuke President
Manda Shuke
Shekhar Kulkarni
Abhya Kulkarni
Shirish Pandit
Jayashree Pandit
Kalpana Nimkar
Dipak Phadke
Rohini Phadke
Pravin Kulkarni
1996
Arvind Shuke President
Sanjiv Shelar
Manda Shuke
Nanda Vaidya
Deepali Mahabaleshwarkar
Anand Mahabaleshwarkar
Jayashree Pandit
Pravin Kulkarni
Premjit Halarnkar
Dipak Thakur