OUR STORY - 2013 TO TODAY
Our Journey
From a Music School to a Cultural Collective
Manollasini Inc. is the evolution of more than a decade of artistic work, cultural engagement, and expanding performance opportunities led by Founder Manasa Khandrika.
The journey began in 2013 with Saraswathi Sangeetha Kalakshetra (SSK), an independent Carnatic music school founded by Manasa in the Millburn–Short Hills community of New Jersey.
As students grew in confidence and experience, the vision began to extend beyond instruction. Recitals opened into community showcases. Showcases evolved into collaborative productions. Over time, students, gurus, artists, partner schools, families, and cultural organizations came together through shared artistic experiences.
On August 8, 2025, that evolving vision entered a new chapter with the establishment of Manollasini Inc.—a nonprofit cultural collective dedicated to performance, artistic collaboration, cultural preservation, inclusive participation, and community engagement.
THE EVOLUTION OF ONE VISION
MUSIC
SCHOOL
Structured instruction and artistic preparation through Saraswathi Sangeetha Kalakshetra. (SSK)
CULTURAL PLATFORM
Community showcases, performances, artistic partnerships, and collaborative productions.
NONPROFIT COLLECTIVE
Inclusive performance platforms, cultural preservation, artistic collaboration, and community engagement.
Manasa Khandrika founded Saraswathi Sangeetha Kalakshetra, or SSK, to provide structured Carnatic music instruction rooted in discipline, devotion, and the guru-shishya tradition.
Its early Navaratri recitals gave students intimate opportunities to share their learning with families and community members.
SSK remains an independent educational foundation within the broader Manollasini story. Instruction is provided through SSK and by independent gurus and partner schools—not by Manollasini Inc.
GROWING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
Manollasini Cultural Club
When in-person gatherings became difficult, Manollasini developed as a virtual performance platform.
Online concerts and digital presentations allowed students and artists to remain connected with audiences and continue sharing music across geographic boundaries.
These experiences demonstrated that performance could sustain confidence, community, and cultural connection even when participants could not gather physically.
2021–2024
COLLABORATIONS &
PRODUCTIONS
Expanding Artistic Possibilities
2013
THE FOUNDATION
Saraswathi Sangeetha Kalakshetra
As the SSK community expanded, Manollasini Cultural Club emerged as a platform for students, families, invited artists, and community members to present Indian classical arts and participate in cultural celebrations.
Home concerts, temple performances, devotional presentations, competitions, and community events helped performers build stage confidence while bringing families together through the arts.
The purpose was no longer limited to one classroom. It was becoming a shared cultural platform.
2019–2021
KEEPING THE ARTS CONNECTED
A Virtual Performance Platform
The platform expanded into recorded productions, devotional presentations, multidisciplinary ensembles, and collaborations across artistic traditions.
Manollasini Productions introduced structured creative experiences involving performance, costume planning, décor, recording, photography, videography, editing, and digital presentation.
Initiatives including Bhakti Ranjani, Bharat Ke Geet, the Bolly-Tolly-Knolly-Woods concept, and Raga Ragini Vaditra connected Carnatic and film music, Indian and Western instruments, classical and folk dance, and artists from different backgrounds.
These projects established Manollasini as a space for artistic presentation and collaboration—not as a provider of instruction.
AUGUST 8TH, 2025
MANOLLASINI INC.
More than a decade of community performances, productions, partnerships, and artistic experimentation culminated in the launch of Manollasini Inc. as a nonprofit cultural collective.
This new chapter created an organizational home for:
• Inclusive performance platforms
• Multidisciplinary productions
• Cultural partnerships
• Artist participation
• Cultural preservation
• Community engagement
Manollasini works alongside independent gurus and partner schools, providing opportunities where prepared students can present their training, collaborate with other performers, and connect with wider audiences.
TODAY - BUILDING FOR GENERATIONS
AN INCLUSIVE CULTURAL ECOSYSTEM
STAGE EXPERIENCE
Students gain meaningful opportunities to present their training before audiences.
ARTIST COLLABORATION
Artists connect, perform, and collaborate across disciplines and traditions.
LIVING TRADITIONS
Indian classical arts remain vibrant while engaging with contemporary and global expressions.
COMMUNITY CONNECTION
Families, volunteers, partners, and audiences come together through shared experiences.
INCLUSIVE BELONGING
Individuals of all abilities find opportunities to participate, perform, and belong.
CULTURAL POSSIBILITIES
Tradition is preserved while insiring new ideas, partnerships, and artistic possibilities.