80th b'day celebrations: Advani to fete Udupi seer on Dec 11

The celebrations will be held from December 9 to 12 near Rajangana.

Addressing media persons here on Wednesday, MLA Raghupathy Bhat informed that former Deputy Prime Minster Lal Krishna Advani will inaugurate the public felicitation ceremony on December 11.

Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa will preside. Celebrations will be informally inaugurated by Paryaya Shiroor mutt seer Sri Laxmivaratheertha Sripada by performing ‘Koti Tulasi Archane’ and reciting ‘Sri Vishnu Sahasranama’ on December 9.

‘Astotthara Shatha Mahayaga’ will also be preformed. VHP President Ashok Singhal will inaugurate ‘Santha Samavesha-Vishwashanthi Sandesha’ on December 10, he added.

Lal Krishna Advani will perform foundation stone laying ceremony for ‘Sarovar’ (stream) and Lord Krishna temple at Neelavar Goshala on December 11.

Madhya Pradesh former Chief Minister Uma Bharathi, State Higher Education Minister Dr V S Acharya, Rajya Sabha Member Justice Rama Jois, Udupi-Chikmagalur MP D V Sadanand Gowda will be present, he added.

Rs 2 crore as gift

Arrangements are on full swing. The Samithi has plans to present a sum of Rs 2 crore to the pontiff on the occasion, of which 50 per cent fund will be for ‘Goshaala’ project.
The total cost for the entire programme is estimated to be Rs 40 lakh. However, the committee has decided to cut down on expenses so that the saved amount could be added to the sum that will be presented to the seer. 

The four-day programme includes religious, cultural and social oriented programmes. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamath, Union Law and Justice Minister M Veerappa Moily, Union Railway Minister for State K H Muniyappa and other state and central leaders from various political parties besides industrialists will participate in the ‘Veerat Abhinandana Samarambha’ to be held on December 12, he said.

He said that as part of the four-day programme, Koti Thulasi Archana to the presiding deity Lord Sri Krishna with the congregation of more than 2,000 members reciting Vishnu Sahasranama will take place on the occasion.

This is followed by performing of ‘108 Mahayagas’ simultaneously in ‘108 Yagnakundas,’ Bhat said.

Procession

The Seer will be taken in a colourful ‘Shobhayatre’ procession on a ‘Sarot’ specially brought from Mumbai from Jodukatte, the traditional entrance point of the city to the temple.

As many as 3,000 people of Bhajan troupes from Tirupati Dasa Sahitya Project, Tirupati besides over 200 Bhajan troupes from undivided Dakshina Kannada district will be part of the procession.