THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Putting the controversy over BJP’s alleged lack of co-operation in bringing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Sivagiri pilgrimage later this month on the back burner, the Sivagiri Mutt has galvanised its machinery to make the visit of Prime Minister a memorable event on December 15.
The Prime Minister, who will be landing at the Varkala Cliff helipad by 4.5 pm on Tuesday, is expected to reach the Sivagiri Mutt by 4.15 pm. He will directly go to the Mahasamadhi, the final resting place of Sree Narayana Guru where he will be received by the Sivagiri Sanyasins led by Sivagiri Dharma Sangham Trust president Swami Prakashananda. He will offer floral tribute at the Samadhi and participate in the pooja to be performed on the occasion. From the Mahasamadhi, he will leave for the Vadika mutt, where Sree Narayana Guru had met Rabindranath Tagore 90 years ago. Marking the occasion, Modi will plant a tree sapling. Swami Sachidananda, general coordinator of the Prime Minister’s visit, told ‘Express’ that they had not finalised on which tree sapling should be planted on the occasion. “We are looking for a sandal wood sapling. If it is not available, we will opt for other saplings,” he said.After the planting of the sapling, the Prime Minister will move to the spot where Sree Narayana Guru had met Mahatma Gandhi and unveil a large plaque of Daiva Dasakam inscribed in Malayalam along with its English translation made by Guru Nitya Chaitanya Yati. It is to mark the centenary of the composition of Daiva Dasakam by Guru that the plaque is being unveiled.
Swami Sachithananda said the Mutt would give a memorandum to the Prime Minister to accept the ‘Daiva dasakam’ as one of the National prayer songs. Now, Daiva Dasakam is sung during the auspicious occasions and at the functions like wedding and funerals by the followers of Sree Narayana Guru. Earlier in 2009, the Mutt had requested the Centre to accept Daiva Dasakam as National prayer song. But no follow-up was made later in this regard.
Following the unveiling of the plaque, Modi will interact with the Mutt sanyasins and inmates of the Sivagiri Mutt. Later, he would proceed to the Saradamutt, also on the Sivagiri Mutt campus, where he will spend a few minutes and address the public for a few minutes. Sivari Mutt Trust general secretary Swami Rithambarananda told ‘Express’ that a memento would be presented to the Prime Minister and he would be requested to write in the visitors’ diary.
The Mutt had given certain projects connecting Sivagiri-Janardhana Swami temple, Kanvashram and Anchuthengu Fort to place Varkala-Sivagiri also in the heritage township circuit of the Central Government. The PM’s attention may be brought into the request. By 4.50 pm, he will leave for Shanghumukham by helicopter and reach the technical area of the T’Puram airport here by 5.10 pm. By 5.15 pm, he will leave for New Delhi by a special aircraft of the Indian Air force.