KOLLAM: The 87th Mahasamadhi of Sree Vidyadhiraja Chattampi Swamikal, 42nd death anniversary of Kumbalathu Sanku Pillai, the founder of Panmana ashram, 15th annual pooja in connection with the installation of the Mahathripurasundari Devi and the pilgrimage to the Panmana ashram will be held from May 1 to 4.
Arrangements have been completed for the mahasamadhi programmes and pilgrimage, according to a release from the ashram.
On May 1, the Kumbalathu Sanku Pillai remembrance meeting will be held. Madhavikuttyamma will light the lamp marking the beginning of the function. Union Minister of State for Power K C Venugopal will inaugurate the remembrance meeting at 9.30 a.m. Water Resources Minister N K Premachandran will preside over the meeting. Pannian Raveendran, Shibu Baby John, A N Radhakrishnan and Bindu Krishna will attend the function.
A ganamela led by Idea Star Singer winner Thushar will be held at 8 p.m. There will be discourses by Prajnananda Theerthapadar of Vazhoor Theerthapada ahramam and Nirmalanandagiri Maharaj on May 2 and 3 respectively. Swami Sankarananda of Karimpinpuzha ashram will light the ceremonial lamp marking the beginning of the observance of the mahasamadhi on May 4 morning.
Vivekananda Vedic Mission Foundation director Dr. N Lakshmikumari will inaugurate the mahasamadhi meeting at 10 a.m. Swami Pranavananda Theerthapadar, former Union Minister O Rajagopal, Dr. R Ramachandran Nair, Dr. L Sulochana Devi, A R Girishkumar and Panmana Manjesh will speak. Mahasamadhi jyothi yathra, major set Kathakali are the other programmes on May 4.
Pilgrimages to the ashram will be held by Cherukolpuzha Hindu Mahamandalam, Kannammoola Chattampi Swami Janmasthana Samithi, Vidyadhiraja Dharma Sabha, Chennai, Vidyadhiraja Society, Mumbai, Chattampi Swami Sevasamithi, Delhi, and various other organisations.
The samadhi observance committee held a meeting on the preparations for the observance the other day.
Committee chairman Ashtamudi Venunath, Sreerangam Radhakrishna Pillai, V N Ramachandran Pillai, Panmana Manjesh, M C Govindankutty, P B Lalji, Sreekumar, S R K Pillai and Aravindakshan Pilla attended.