HISTORY During late 1980s and early 1990s there were very few kannada families in and around Austin. In early 1990s, kannada speaking families from Karnataka came to know each other and started getting together in houses. They started cultural programs during festival times like Ugadi, Deepavali etc. Later on, kannada population increased as people moved to Austin to work in Semiconductor industry for companies like IBM, Motorola, AMD and many more. More and more families came to know each other and started a Kannada Koota, regularly meeting at Shady Hollow Community Center in South Austin. There were about 20-40 people from Karnataka as kannada koota members during its nascent stage. The growth in Semiconductor and Information Technology during late 1990s and early 2000s propelled growth of the Kannada speaking community to 400 families in Austin and surrounding areas. Formal gatherings to celebrate Ugadi, Deepavali/Rajyotsava and picnic grew as a result of this. This events are being held in local middle and high school buildings to accommodate large crowd. Looking at the future with increased Kannadigas in Austin and surrounding areas, couple of visionaries laid the foundation for what is known today as “Austin Kannada Sangha”. It was officially formed as a voluntary non-profit organization and registered under 501(C) in the year 2001. AKS today is strong, energetic and healthy organization with well over 400 members including some students studying and five faculty members teaching at UT. With solid financial status and infrastructure in place, AKS has established itself as one of the most active local organizations in central Texas. AKS has excelled in providing services to its members by offering cultural as well as other programs which benefits the community. The annual Deepavali/Rajyotsava and Ugadi celebrations with gourmet feast are major attractions. The support of AKS members and other Indian communities has proved the popularity of AKS within Indian social circles. Sports activities for children, annual picnic and kannada movie showings at local theatre are some of the additional activities of AKS. AKS has changed the web site name from www.austinkannadasangha.com to www.austinkannadasangha.org and a new web site is being created with enhanced features.