PM to inaugurate meeting through video conferencing
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the New Year’s eve, will inaugurate the Sivagiri pilgrimage meeting being organised as part of the 85th anniversary of the event and the 50th anniversary of the installation of the Sree Narayana Guru statue. Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukthar Abbas Naqwi will be the chief guest while SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan, Vishudhananda Swamikal and Swami Sivaswaroopananda will be among those attending.Sivagiri Dharma Sangham Trust general secretary Swami Sandrananda and Sivagiri Mutt secretary Swami Sivaswaroopananda told reporters the pilgrimage will commence on December 30 and this time its conduct will have certain differences compared to previous years.
Seminars to hold sway
The major difference is the limiting of various meetings. Instead, there will be four seminars on four topics based on Guru’s instructions. As part of promoting Guru’s concept of cleanliness, Green Protocol will be followed during the pilgrimage. Union Labour Ministry’s service centre, in association with the Sivagiri Mutt, will hold a ‘Mega job fair’. Sivagiri Fest 2017 will be an exhibition of pet animals and birds. “Neraamvazhi” is a seminar on education, agriculture, industry and banking.
CM to inaugurate pilgrimage
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the pilgrimage on December 30. Swami Vishudhananda will preside over the function. Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Aahir will be the chief guest. Swami Sandrananda, Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala, N K Premachandran MP, KC Venugopal MP and others will attend.Education Minister C Ravindranath will inaugurate the education seminar, with Central University of Kerala vice chancellor G Gopakumar being the moderator.
On December 31, Union Minister for Ayush Sreepad Y Naik, Karnataka Food Minister U T Khader, Lulu Group MD M A Yusuff Ali, Richard Hay MP and others will attend the pilgrimage meeting.
On January 1, at 3 am, special pooja will be offered at the Maha Samadhi Mandapam . A seminar on agriculture and industry will be held at 10 am, with Agriculture Minister V S Sunil Kumar scheduled to inaugurate it. A Ajith Kumar, secretary, Local Self-government, Rural, will be the moderator. At 1 pm, a literary meeting will be inaugurated by poet Prabha Varma, with Subash Chandran presiding over it.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is slated to inaugurate the valedictory function at 4 pm.
Ports Minister Kadannappally Ramachandran will be the chief guest. Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, A Sampath MP, Kodikunnil Suresh MP and Kummanam Rajasekharan, among others, will speak.