Dear Friend:
Greetings.
On behalf of all our fellow devotees, SVBF offers their anantakoti namaskarams at the lotus feet of His Holiness Sri Sri Bharati Teertha Mahaswamigal.
The Foundation very successfully conducted the first Veda Sammelanam, North America on Saturday, the 14th of April, 2012, at Stourdsburg PA.
Sringeri Mutt, India, has been organizing Veda Sammelans in various parts of India, such as Maharashtra, Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andra Pradesh, Delhi, Calcutta and Varanasi every year, since 2000. The Vedas being the root of Sanatana Dharma, the present Jagadguru of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham, Sri Sri Bharati Teertha Mahaswamiji conducts these programs with a view to encourage vedic pundits and others to pursue and foster vedic education, recognize the pundits and conduct veda parayanams for the common good of all communities. Even though our Sharada Temple in PA is the first overseas affiliate of the ancient Sringeri Mutt, we never got the opportunity to organize such a Sammelan to honor the vedic scholars of North America till now. Incidentally, this is the 100th year of ascension to the Spiritual Throne of the 34th Pontiff of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham, Jagadguru Sri Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati Mahaswamiji. Hence the present Jagadguru blessed us with the divine opportunity to conduct this program in the Poconos of PA, on April 14, 2012.
The program included a Ceremonious procession of the Scriptural-texts, Veda Parayanam of all four Vedas, special pujas, a lecture-cum-demonstration of various recitation practices which the Rishis have brought forth to preserve the intricate veda mantras in an oral tradition, and honoring of the vedic pundits.
Registration for the Sammelanam was free, and Vedic Scholars, Priests, Agama/Sastra Pundits, Gurukkals, and Bhattacharyas participated from all across the United States and Canada. The entire program was webcast. The program started with a blessing message from His Holiness in Sanskrit. The highlight of the program was the attendance by Padmasri Dr. V.R. Gowrishankar, CEO of Sringeri Mutt, India, who brought the message of His Holiness and facilitated the scholars. A DVD of the program will be brought out shortly.
Please visit our website for current information and updates.
May the grace of Sri Sharadamba and the blessings of His Holiness be with us always and guide us in the right direction.
S. Yegnasubramanian
