Sri Shankara Jayanti celebrations 2007
Sri Adi Shankara Bhagavatpada at the
Sabha in Bangalore Shankara Math
Sri Shankara Jayanti Celebrations began at Sringeri and in all main branches of the Math from Vaishaka Shukla Prathipat (18th April 2007) and were conducted till Vaishaka Shukla Panchami – the Shankara Jayanti day (observed as Philosophers’ day in Karanataka and Kerala). The city of Bangalore and the Sri Sringeri Shankara Math, Chamarajpet where the celebrations took place for the 99th year in succession was fortunate to be permeated with the Divine presence of Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamigal. The fervour with which the celebrations took place could only have been witnessed in person.
The five day celebrations
|At Bangalore, where the Jagadguru is camping to participate in the Centenary of the Math, the celebrations began with the arrival of about 150 scholars including 50 Ghanapathis in Rig, Krishna Yajur, Shukla Yajur, Sama and Atharva Vedas.
Devotees throng the shrine of Sri Adi Shankara
Bhagavatpada at the Bangalore Shankara Math
Mahanyasa, Ekadasha Rudra Abhisheka and Sahasranama Archana was performed in the mornings to the Moorti of Sri Adi Shankara while the Vedic scholars performed Parayana. The worship was culminated with the Mangala Arati in the Jagadguru’s presence. In the evenings, the All India Vedic Conference was held inside a huge Sabha put up beside the main hall of the Math with Ghanapathis chanting the Vedas. Following this, Madhaviya Shankara Vijayam, the account of Sri Adi Shankara Bhagavatpada’s life written by the 12th Jagadguru of the Peetham, Sri Vidyaranya Swami was read in the presence of the Jagadguru. Eminent scholars also gave discourses on Sri Adi Shankara Bhagavatpada’s life and teachings.
Adi Shankara Jnana Jyoti
On the morning of the 18th, Sri Adi Shankara Jnana Jyoti was lighted by the Jagadguru and placed in a chariot. Thirty-six different temples and religious institutions spread across Bangalore were designated as kendras (centres) with each kendra being named after a Jagadguru of the illustrious Guru Parampara of the Peetham. Sri Adi Shankara Jnana Jyoti was taken in a procession to each of these 36 kendras during the Shankara Jayanti celebrations.
Competitions for children
Kishore Bharati a unit setup by the Peetham for the Shankara Jayanti celebrations at Bangalore, conducted various competitions for children from 1st to 5th standard and for those from 6th to 10th standard. In this event, hundreds of children chanted Sri Adi Shankara’s Soundarya Lahari, the Bhagavad Gita as well as took part in drawing competitions outlining Sri Shankara’s life and in essay writing contests.
Sri Shankara Jayanti – Puja and Procession
Jagadguru performing Maha Mangala Arati
to Sri Adi Shankara
On Shankara Jayanti day, Jagadguru Mahaswamigal Sri Sri Sannidhanam performed Puja at the shrine of Sri Adi Shankara Bhagavatpada. With thousands of people pouring in, screens and TVs were put across the entire campus of the Math to enable devotees to watch the Puja.
At 4:30 pm, there was a huge procession in Shankarapuram and Basavanagudi with the Jagadguru leading the chariot containing the Utsava moorthi of Sri Adi Shankara. Children of various age groups had put forth a number of tableaus depicting Sri Shankara’s life and the history of Sringeri Sharada Peetham. It was indeed a great sight to watch the tableaus followed by the decorated vehicle on which the Jagadguru was seated followed by the Sri Shankara Utsava moorthi seated on the Chariot – all amidst Vedic chants led by the scholars and bhajans led by various groups of devotees.
Sri Shankara Jayanti – The evening Sabha
Members of Sri Shankara Jayanti Sabha, Bangalore receive
the Sharada Peetham award from the Jagadguru
In the evening Sabha, the prestigious Sharada Peetham Award (instituted a few years back for recognising the endeavours of any organization or individual for service to the cause of Sanatana Dharma) was awarded by the Jagadguru to Sri Shankara Jayanti Sabha located in Bangalore. The Sabha has been doing yeoman service to the cause of Sanatana Dharma over the past 50 years celebrating Sri Shankara Jayanti on a grand scale and conducting a number of Dharmic activities.
3 gold rings were awarded for excellence in the study and propagation of Vedas to Vedabrahmasri G. Suryanarayana Sharma of Srisailam (Rig Veda), Vedabrahmasri Samavedam Venkataramanamoorthi of Sriramapuram, Andhra Pradesh (Krishna Yajur Veda), Vedabrahmasri Krishnamoorthi Shrowthi of Chennai (Sama Veda).
Jagadguru blessing a meritorious young Ghanapathi
In the Vedic examinations conducted by the Peetham, 5 Ghanapathis and 22 Kramapathis emerged successful. The meritorious Vidyarthis were greatly appreciated and felicitated with shawls, certificates and cash awards up to Rs. 15,000/- each. The 150 Vedic scholars were also felicitated.
In the 56th Vardhanti, the Gita Jnana Yagna was launched under which anyone who mermorises and chants the 18 chapters of Srimad Bhagavad Gita would be awarded Rs. 11,000. Later it was decided to grant Rs. 5,000 for anyone chanting at least six chapters (either 1-6 or 7-12 or 13-18) and Rs. 21,000 for anyone who chants all the 18 chapters. Since the inception of the Yagna, 76 persons have successfully chanted all the 18 chapters. The most recent participant who successfully recited all the 18 chapters of the Gita was feliciateted at the Sabha. Smt. Madhura Mahesh Rekhe of Pune was awarded Rs. 21,000.
A successful participant of Gita Jnana Yagna with the Jagadguru
Students who shone in the competitions conducted by Kishore Bharati were also awarded prizes in the Sabha.
The Jagadguru released the following books and DVD on the occasion:
The second edition of Madhaviya Shankara Digvijaya in 2 volumes containing the Sanskrit verses in Kannada script with Kannada translation by Vidwan N. Ranganatha Sharma. The first edition of the book had been released at Sringeri during the 1996 Shankara Jayanti celebrations. Rashtra Dharma Drashtaaraa Sri Shankara – a monograph on Sri Shankara in Kannada by Sri HLN Sastry, Mysore.
Jagadguru releasing the Anugraha Bhashana DVD
Sri Adi Shankara Bhagavatpada and His Teachings – A DVD containing Anugraha Bhashana of the Jagadguru on Sri Shankara’s life, philosophy and teachings, along with the Shankara Jayanti Puja performed by the Jagadguru in Siddhapura during the 2006 Shankara Jayanti celebrations and the Anugraha Bhashana delivered by the Jagadguru on that occasion. The Anugraha Bhashanas in Kannada are supplemented with subtitles in four languages (English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu) in the same DVD.
“Rudrakramapathaadi” containing Laghunyasa, Namaka and Chamaka kramapatha, rudra trishati, rudra swahaakaara.
The entire evening Sabha was transmitted live to Sringeri Bharati Vidyashram, Chennai and Tattvaloka Auditorium, Chennai and was watched by hundreds of devotees who were unable to come to Bangalore.