Pratyaksha Deivame --- Mahaperiyava Music Book/CD by Gayathri Girish and Rukmini Ramani released on April 15th, 2017!

A book and CD titled ‘Prathyaksha Deivame The Veritable God’ by Dr. Rukmini Ramani was released on April 15 2017 at an event held at P. S. School, Mylapore in Madras.

The music book which consists of Pancharatna Kritis on Sri Kanchi Mahaperiyava was composed on the Mela kartha ragas Todi, Simhendramandyamam, Chakravaham, Dharmavathi and Sarasangi. Smt Gayathri Girish has rendered the kritis in the CD.

The event was presided over by Sri Ganesh Sarma. Dr. K. V. S. Gopalakrishnan, secretary, P. S. Educational Society welcomed the gathering. The sale proceeds of the book and CD will be given to Sri Matha Cancer Care and veda patashala respectively.

Guru T. V. Gopalakrishnan, N. Rajeswari, sub-editor, The Hindu (Tamil), guru P. S. Narayanaswami and K. N. Ramaswamy, director, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and several others were the guests at the event.

Those interested in the Book and music CD please contact Dr Rukmani at the below address:

Dr. Rukmini Ramani, 
Shivanugraha Trust,
Flat P, Saradambal Apartments, 3rd Floor, 
36, Kripasankari Street, 
West Mambalam, Chennai-600033

Phone number: +91 98403 48638

For more details please check the below link:

https://vandeguruparamparaam.wordpress.com/2017/03/17/gayathri-girish-singing-on-mahaswamigal-for-the-cause-of-vedas/

Orissa Sankara Eye Hospital's First Annual Day on June 7th, 2017!

Shankara Eye Hospital in Odisha (Orissa) celebrates its First Annual Day on June 7th, 2017. Thanks to Kamakoti.org for sharing this with us. Those nearby the location in Orissa please do attend the event and make it a success.

Precious pictures of Pudhu Periyava taking Snanam!

Thanks to Kicha Kasi and Hariharan for these beautiful pictures of HH Jayendra Saraswati Shankaracharya Swamigal of Kanchi Matam!

A blessed Guruvaram Day to Everyone.

Shankara.

TTD begins Yagam for good rains with blessings of Pudhu Periyava!

Pudhu Periyava is seated on the left while TTD EO and his wife take the Sankalpam for rains.

Rishyasringa Mantra that is to be chanted for good rains.

A magnificent picture of Kanchi Pudhu Periyava and Lord Balaji at Tirupati!

With the benign blessings and presence of HH Pujyashri Jayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya Swamigal, Kareereshti and Varuna Japam commenced at Tirumala. Various Japas and homams are being performed to invoke almighty's blessings for rains. The pujas will last for five days and is being organised by TTD.

In the wake of dry spell in the state and various parts of the country, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) on Monday May 29th, 2017 started a five-day Kareeristhi-Varuna Japa-Parjanya Shanti Yagam, three Vedic rituals aimed at propitiating Rain God Varuna to shower his blessing for a good rain in the entire state and also in the country.

The unique yagam meant for rains began on a ceremonial note in Paruveta Mandapam here with the blessings of HH Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swami, the chief pontiff of Kanchi Mutt.  

TTD EO A K Singhal accompanied by his wife Jaya Singhal took the sankalpam for the Maha Yagam as ‘Sarvopadrastha’.  Varuna Japam, another Vedic ritual, was also observed by Ritwiks (Veda pundits who conducts such rituals) in holy temple tank (Pushkarini) located at Sri Bhu Varaha Swamy temple. 

The Vedic scholars chanted the Rishyasringa Mantram three times in the holy waters of the temple tank, following the age-old Vedic ritual to appease Rain Lord Varuna.  Speaking to media persons on the occasion, the EO said this five-day ritual would conclude on June 2.
“Apart from the Vedic scholars rendering related mantras, Amrita Varshini Raagam, which is prominently recited seeking good rains, will be rendered by renowned artistes on Naada Neerajana platform this time. We also arranged ‘Virataparva Parayanam’ in Asthana Mandapam another age-old practice seeking rains,” he added. 

TTD has been performing kareeristhi Yagaam for the past one decade seeking good rains. The significance of the yagam is that since Vedic age, the sages and Ritwiks used to perform this ritual with devotion for blessing from Lord Varuna (Rain God). 

The uniqueness of this ritual is that the every item used in this yagam is in Krishna Varna (black colour), including the dresses of Ritwiks who are performing the yagam. In this ritual, the rice cooked in bamboo bowl, the horse and ram and every object will be black in colour as the Homa  invokes praying for black clouds to shower good rains.

Source: thehansindia.com and Kamakoti.org

Sama Vedam chant by Melattur Veda Patashala students!

Thanks to Shri Halasya Sundaram Iyer for this precious Sama Veda chant by the Veda Patashala Students in Melattur.

Adi Shankaracharya’s statue work to commence from August 26, 2017 in Madhya Pradesh!

Metal collection campaign for the massive statue of Adiguru Shankaracharya will begin from August 26 on Rishi Panchami. Collection yatras will begin from Adiguru Smriti Sthals of Madhya Pradesh. All the yatras will culminate at Omkareshwar. This unanimous decision was taken on Thursday at a Vimarsh Sabha of seers in the presence of Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

The ‘Vimarsh Sabha’ was organised at the Tribal Museum’s community hall. Swami Prabodhanand Saraswati, Swami Vishnudutt Bourasi, Swami Raghavendradutt Maharaj of Chinmayanand Mission, Public Works Minister Rampal Singh and Minister of State for Culture Surendra Patwa were also present on the occasion.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that State Government is making efforts to reach out Adiguru Shankaracharya darshan to the masses and to inspire people to follow his path by setting up his huge statue. Adiguru Shankaracharya has done the work of uniting India culturally. Adiguru connected the country from all four directions in such a manner that the country cannot break up or scatter. He said that the country is indebted to Adiguru for its form today. He said that Adiguru Shankarachaya’s darshan will give a feeling of peace to the humanity soaked in the fire of materialism. Adiguru gave human beings a feeling of perfection. If everyone accepts that there is the same chetna in all, all enmity, hatred will end. All conflict and upheavals will end. The whole world will become one family.

The Chief Minister expressed his gratitude to the Acharya Sabha for acceptance of the responsibility of the campaign by the seers. He said that the campaign will be such an amazing event in the hands of the seers community that it will fill the entire state with creativity and spirituality. He informed the seers about the programme in which 6 crore saplings will be planted on coming July 2 and invited them in it.

He told them that development, construction works and environment protection is government’s responsibility. State Government is working with this feeling. Rivers in the state will not be exploited for sand anymore. After adequate discussion, arrangement for scientific mining will be made. 
The mining model will be changed after bidding. Mining will be done by women and youth self-help groups through human labour. Government will control sale of sand. The profit from sand trade which untill now was going to a few coffers will now reach the poor man’s hut. He said that state is leading in the implementation of Prime Minister’s programmes. First two clean cities of the country are from the state. Out of total 100 clean cities of the country, 22 are from Madhya Pradesh. The state is moving ahead of Punjab, Haryana in filling up food storages in the country.

Good work is being done in rural development. Mahamandeleshwar Jagadguru Swami Avdheshanand Giri said that Adiguru has spoken about Atma not Dehdharma. It is the soil of Madhya Pradesh that has turned boy Shankar into Adiguru Shankaracharya. He said that Omkareshwar should become the centre of Vedic education. Workshops and Lecture series should be organized here. Arrangements to teach Mathanamayaha and Vyavasthayen should be made. He said that Neer se hi Narayan hai (Where there is Water, there is God). No campaign or venture like Narmada Seva Yatra has been initiated for the last 100 years for river conservation. He said that other states should also follow the initiative of the state government. The state’s spiritual vibes, energy and vigour should be for the welfare of the whole country.

Acharya Sabha co-ordinator Swami Parmanand Saraswati said that Adi Guru has done the work of bringing religious culture and spiritualism to the fore. In accordance with this Omkareshwar should be accorded a new identity. It should become a centre of research based knowledge which can remove the myths of Hinduism. Save religion. Acharya Sabha is eveready to develop organized Hindu Chetna. Swami Hariharanand said that he is overwhelmed with the efforts of the state government to revive Indian culture. Narmada Seva Yatra is an exemplary effort of the fulfillment of satya-kartavya. Swami Akhileshwaranand stressed on the need to co-ordinate the organisational structure at the district, division and state level for implementation of the campaign. He said that a guidance team be formed at the state level. Principal Secretary Culture Manoj Shrivastava informed about the project.

The campaign is a public movement of cultural unity. He said that the construction of Adiguru Shankaracharya’s statue with public participation is a unique work of its kind in the world. No such statue of any philosopher has ever been constructed with public support in the world. He said that memories of Adiguru Shankaracharya is associated to the state. Public awareness yatras will be started at these places under the campaign. Chief Minister Chouhan and the guests dedicated the CD of the campaign song and Chaturmath game during the Vimarsh. Dr. Sanjay Dwivedi sang Adiguru’s creation Gurupadashtam. There was a group performance of the campaign song written by Mahesh Shrivastava.

Making of Sri Sankara Vibhuthi (Holy Ash)!

Vibuthi being made at a Karaikal unit. 

Cow is seen as a goddess of wealth. So ‘goshalas’ are set up in temples but the ‘goshala’ at Sri Kasi Viswanathaswamy Devasthanam at Melavanjur, established in 1892 by the Sri Sankara Mutt in Kancheepuram, has taken up a series of activities.

Production of ‘vibuthi’ Holy Ash using cow dung, got at Goshala, has been a major activity. The gosala has about 50 animals - 10 calves, 10 bulls and 30 cows. About 10 kg of dung is got from each animal every day and it is converted into two kg of ‘vibuthi’, says its administrator, B. Ganapathy Subramanian, who is an auditor.

The cow dung, rolled into balls, is collected and dried up. The balls get heated up when the purest form of ‘vibuthi’ is got. It is filtered before being packed as ‘Sri Sankara Vibuthi.’ There has been a growing demand for this quality vibuthi and the returns have been so encouraging that the Sri Sankara Mutt does not receive any donation for maintenance of this gosala, says Mr. Ganapathy Subramanian.

On an average, he could market 800 kg of ‘vibuthi’ to its customers - mostly religious institutions and temples such as Sri Gnaananda Ashramam at Thapovanam near Tirukoilur and other temples in Hyderabad and Kasi.

He says that value-addition in cow dung would fetch attractive returns and he has been imparting training on making ‘vibuthi’ to a number of unemployed youth in the nearby area. The product is free from any adulteration and is in its purest form. It is sold through the Sri Sankara Mutt’s branches all over the country.

His wife, Bharathi, who has been coordinating the programme, says that there has been a growing demand for the quality ‘vibuthi’ and the cow dung should be utilised optimally.

The returns from the sale of ‘vibuthi’ has been quite adequate to meet the expenditure for maintenance of the gosala, wages for workers and other overheads, he said, indicating that the cows could be best utilised as a means for promoting rural economy.

The Devasthanam, in its another service, has been exchanging old cows from farmers in the vicinity and gives them healthy and lactating ones. “Under this programme, we ensure that the farmer gets an assured income. The farmer should give calves of his new cow to the Devasthanam,” he adds.

There has been a strong case for raising fodders.

*****

Source: The Hindu