Sankara Jayanti was celebrated with fervour and zest at Jyeshta Mata Mandir, Shankaracharya Hills, Srinagar, Kashmir, recently.
The events from May 3-9, included singing of bhajans, Seetha Kalyanam, Radha Kalyanam and Lalithamba Kalyanam. It was particularly beautiful to see the Pandits of Kashmir performing Suvasini Puja. Kashmir, the abode of Saraswati and Maharishi Kashyap, has been a centre of Vedic tradition and culture for centuries and Adi Sankara went up to Kashmir during his Padayatra two milleniums ago.
On the instructions of the Kanchi Acharyas, Sankara Jayanti is being celebrated on Shankaracharya Hills since 2012. This year, a 150-member team left with the blessings of the Kanchi Kamakoti Pitam, to conduct Acharya’s Jayanti. With the support of the Army and civil administration, rituals, pujas and chanting took place on a grand scale.
Tribute to Pulwama martyrs
Dr. Ganesh, Carnatic musician, writes:
As part of Sankara Jayanti organised by the Kanchi Kamakoti Pitam in Srinagar, a special programme by a team of musicians from Tamil Nadu, was organised to pay tribute to the Pulwama martyrs and for the welfare of soldiers. The venue was the CRPF 79 Battalion, Amar Singh Club. I got to perform devotional music. The 80-minute concert included bhajans and namavalis, mostly in Hindi and Marathi on Sathguru, Ganesha, Siva, Rama, Krishna and Vittal and ended with ‘Maithreem Bhajatha.’
The jawans, who otherwise are always engaged in the line of duty, seemed to enjoy every moment. They danced and sang in divine ecstasy. Kamlesh Singh, Commandant and E. Sreedhar, Asstant Commandant honoured the artistes. Coordinator of the trip, S. A. Balasubramanian thanked D.S. Maan, DIG, Commandant of 79 battalion and the gathering on behalf of the Kanchi Math. Sweets and prasadams were also offered to the jawans.