A National Seminar on the Bhagavad Gita
- Akshara Puja - was held on 31 st December
2006 at the University Senate Hall,
Trivandrum
, under the auspices
of the
School
of
Bhagavad Gita
. This event
marked the occasion of the foundation stone
laying ceremony of Salagramam, on the following
day, 1st January 2007. Seminar
was inaugurated by H.H Marthanda Varma Maharaja
of Travancore. Speakers of national repute
like Padma Bhushan Prof. N.S. Ramaswamy,
Swami Nirmamanda Giri, C. Radhakrishnan
and Anujan Bhattathiripad, presented their
views on the various aspects of the Gita,
before a packed audience of over 1500.
A
unique feature of the function was the prayer
offered by all 1500 of the audience at the
seminar. At the opening message, Swami Sandeepananda Giri explained that devotion to Jnanam
or knowledge occupied pride of place in
Salagramam, the Temple of Knowledge. Knowledge
is symbolised by the ‘sphadikam’ or crystal with
its qualities of clarity and purity. Beads
of ‘sphadikam’ were handed out to the audience
and Swamiji requested their prayers and
goodwill for the building up of the Temple
of
Knowledge
to be dedicated to the world at large. In
an atmosphere of sanctity, people holding
beads of sphadikam in their hands silently
offered their prayers, goodwill, support
and participation towards this noble endeavour.
The beads were deposited in front of the
lighted lamp and this will later be installed
in Salagramam.
The
foundation stone of Salagramam was laid
by the reputed scholar, Prof. G. Balakrishnan
Nair on the morning of 1st January
2007, in the land acquired for the ashram
at Kundamankadavu. Both events were widely
covered by the media. |
