Sivagiri pilgrimage to begin today

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The 90th Sivagiri pilgrimage, sanctioned by Sree Narayana Guru, with the aim of reformation and social progress, will begin today. The significance of this year’s Sivagiri pilgrimage is the confluence of the Golden Jubilee of the Sivagiri Brahma Vidyalaya and the centenary of the poet Rabindranath Tagore's visit to Sivagiri.

Swami Satchidananda, President of Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham Trust, will hoist the flag of dharma at 7.30 am. Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the function at 9.30 am. V Muraleedharan, Minister of state for External and Parliamentary Affairs, will be the chief guest. Swami Satchidananda will preside over the function. Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham Trust Board Member Swami Sookshmananda and General Secretary Swami Subhangananda will deliver the blessing speech. Former Ministers Kadakampally Surendran and K Babu, Pravasi Samman Awardee and Chairman of QEL and OPCC Holdings KG Baburaj, Sree Gokulam Group Chairman Gokulam Gopalan, Kerala Kaumudi Chief Editor Deepu Ravi and Yoganandam News Chairman South Indian R Vinod will also speak at the function. Swami Vishalananda, Secretary of Pilgrimage Committee, will deliver the welcome speech and Swami Saradananda, Treasurer of Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham Trust, will say the vote of thanks.

Minister V Sivankutty will inaugurate the conference on Education, Science and Technology to be held at 11 am. Minister R Bindu will preside over the function. IMG Director Dr. K. Jayakumar, VSSC Director Dr. Unnikrishnan Nair, Principal Secretary of General Education APM Muhammad Haneesh, Agriculture Department Secretary Dr. B. Ashok, Vice-Chancellors Dr. Sabu Thomas, Dr. KN Madhusudhanan, Keltron CMD N. Narayana Murthy will deliver the lecture.

Pilgrims from various districts reached Sivagiri yesterday evening. The Sivagiri pilgrimage is taking place in its former glory after a gap of three years. There is an unprecedented flow of Gurudeva devotees to Sivagiri.