Mahaperiyava Jayanthi celebrated in Kanchi

NT Bureau | Wed, 21 May, 2008,03:54 PM

It is rare for people irrespective of their caste, creed or any other differences to come together for a single cause. Such an occasion was witnessed at Kanchipuram yesterday when the temple town was busy celebrating the 115th Jayanthi of the Sri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati Swamigal, the omniscient saint of the prestigious Kanchi Kamakoti mutt.

.

With the benign blessings of Sri Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal and the unswerving co-operation of the disciples and devotees of the the mutt, a Bhagavatha Mela has been arranged for 10 days. Eminent bhagavathars of Tamilnadu are participating in the fete.Abishekams were performed at the sanctum of the Mahaperiyava. Ghee, milk, honey and other materials were used. In fact, around 100 litres of milk were used. The sanctum of the the 68th pontiff of the mutt was bedecked with flowers of all varieties and kinds. The devotees and disciples left no stone unturned for the event. Annadhanam went on from 7 am till 8 pm. Around 5000 people from nearby villages and other parts of the State and country partook of the prasadam. The devotees were served with 25 items maintaining utmost hygiene. Vedic pandits from many parts had come to take part in the grand celebrations of the Seer whose ken of knowledge knew no limits. K Ramanathan, a devotee, said ‘Mahaperiyava, an incarnation of Lord Shiva, always stood for unity among the different sects. He had a heart which reached out to all the sections of society without any differences’. Music concert by Radha Viswanathan, daughter of M Subbulakshmi, and a dance performance by Sindhuja, were also witnessed by the devotees. In the evening, there was a mandolin concert by U Srinivas and U Rajesh. Around 10,000 people had totally taken part in the festival. At around 9.30 pm, a magnificent palanquin which was 25 feet wide and around 15 feet tall housing Mahaperiyava went around the Kamakshi Amman temple. Speaking on the occasion, Sri Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal referred to sudden burst of rains and strong winds (also in other parts of the State) and said that ‘Mahaperiyavah has blessed all of us and has once again pledged his continuous support to all those striving for the cause of dharma’. The presence of such a huge gathering at the Kanchi mutt stood testimony to the faith and love the devotees reposed on the 2,500-year-old mutt and on its gurus.