Sri Sankara Jayanti Celebrations 2008

Sri Sankara Jayanti was celebrated under the auspices of the Veda Rakshana Samithi, the Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham Sree Sankaracharya Seva Samithi Trust and the Sri Visalakshi-sameta Sri Viswanatha Swamy Kumbhabhisheka Committee, in a befitting manner, on the 9th May, 2008. Yajur-veda parayana and Upanishad-bhashya-parayana by Yajur-veda teachers and ex-vidyarthis of the Pathasala were conducted from 06.05.2008 to 08.05.2008. On the Sri Sankara Jayanthi day (09.05.2008) Mahanyasa-sahitha-ekadasa-vara-rudra-abhisheka was performed in the morning at the prayer hall where all the teachers and students took part. Sri Adi Sankara Ashtothara Archana was done thereafter with anga-puja, etc. ending with Deeparadhana, chanting of the Totaka Ashtaka and distribution of Naivedya.

In the evening a decorated portrait of Sri Sankara was taken in procession along with vadya-ghosha and Hara-hara-sankara-ghosha from Sri Prasanna Maha Ganapathi Temple, Chathapuram through all the streets of Kalpathi, Govindarajapuram, New Kalpathi, etc. and ending at the Sri Viswanatha Swamy Temple pandal where a public meeting was organised. Sri M. N. Krishnan, Honourable Justice of the Kerala High Court was the Chief Guest along with Sri Vaidyalinga Sarma, a famous upanyasaka.

The public meeting commenced with Vedic Prayers by the Acharyas and a few students of the Pathasala. Sri. V. S. Muthuswamy, President of the Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Sankaracharya Seva Samithi, Palakkad welcomed the guests and gathering. Sri. T. V. Srikrishnan, Vice President, Veda Rakshana Samithi briefed the audience about the activities of the Veda Rakshana Samithi. He also mentioned that the Samithi is planning to commence adhyapana of the Atharva-veda Saunaka-sakha from this year. Thereafter, Justice Sri. M. N. Krishnan gave an eloquent address on the relevance of the Veda in the present times and the wisdom of our forefathers on the method of teaching and learning with humility which aspect is lacking in the present system of teaching. He also presented the “Veda Vibhushan” title conferred by the Maharshi Sandipani Rashtriya Veda Vidya Pratishthan, Ujjain and distributed cash awards to the five senior students of the Veda Pathasala on behalf of the Samithi. Sri. Vaidyalinga Sarma gave a pravachana on Sri Sankara Vijayam and pointed out that had it not been for Sri Sankara’s avatara in our country, sanatana-dharma would have been lost in the flood of the seventy-two avaidika-darsanas and heterodox teachings. Sri. K. N. Lakshminarayanan of Kumbhabhisheka Commitee stressed the importance of setting up a research library and institute for research in the Vedas as part of the Veda Rakshana Samithi’s programmes and proposed a vote of thanks. The entire programme was ably anchored by Sri. K. V. Ganesan of New Kalpathi.

There was a huge gathering throughout and the programme concluded at 08.30 p.m. The local press covered the news item in detail in the next day’s news-papers.

Please see Photo-gallery.

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