CHIKKAMAGALURU: The new Sansad Bhavan in New Delhi appears to have a cosmic connection with Sringeri in Karnataka. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed the bhoomi pujan rituals on Thursday to lay the foundation for the new Sansad Bhavan, it was under the guidance of Sringeri seer Sri Bharathi Theertha Swami and in the presence of Sringeri’s Veda pundits.
Modi entrusted the responsibility of rituals to Union parliamentary minister Pralhad Joshi, who contacted Sringeri Jagadguru Sri Bharathi Theertha Swami. The seer agreed to send four Veda pundits of the mutt to Delhi to carry out the pujas. Mutt priests TV Shivakumara Sharma, KS Lakshminarayana Somayaji, KS Ganesh Somayaji and C Nagaraj Adiga left for Delhi, and were joined by Raghavendra Bhat and Rishyasringa, pundits of the Delhi branch of Sringeri mutt.
It is a matter of pride for Kannadigas, the priests say. Sharing his experience, Raghavendra Bhat said it was a rare lifetime opportunity to conduct the rituals in the presence of the PM. “The new parliament house is believed to be a temple for the people and elected representatives,” he said.
Shanku made of wood and navaratna peeta blessed by the Sringeri seer were installed, and a silver brick resembling shilanyas was placed by PM Modi. After the shilanyas programme, he referred to Anubhava Mantapa, the religious parliament set up by 12th century social reformer Sri Basaveshawara at Kalyan in Karnataka, and also spoke in Kannada, expressing the wish that the new Sansad Bhavan is like the Anubhava Mantapa.