The Akhila Bharata Shivanubhava Mantap, in association with Poojya Dr Sharnbaswappa Appaji Family Trust and the Sharanabasaveshwar Samsthan, has drawn up plans to hold 40-day special socio-religious discourses during the holy month of Shravana to commemorate the 200th death anniversary of 18th century Saint Sharanabasaveshwar and the 40th anniversary of the ascendency of Mahadasoha Peeta of the Sharanabasaveshwar Samsthan by the eighth peetathipathi Dr Sharnbaswappa Appaji, at the Sharanbasaveshwar Shrine Complex here between July 28 and September 5.
Addressing a press conference along with chairperson of the Sharanabasaveshwar Vidya Vardak Sangha Dr Dakshayini Avvaji at the shrine here on Tuesday, Dr Sharnbaswappa Appaji said that a special eight-day programme of discourses and cultural events will be organised to commemorate the 39th punyathithi of the seventh peetathipathi of the samsthan Doddappa Appaji, starting on the inaugural day.
Dr Appaji said that a month-long Purana Pravachana of Lord Sharanabasaveshwar will be held from July 28 to August 27 by Sri Shivalinga Shastri Garur. This programme will be conducted by Sri Brahmachari Mahesh Guruji.
All these special programmes to mark the beginning of the holy Shravana month will be inaugurated by chief of the Sarangadara Mutt and Sulpul Math, Kalaburagi, Jagadguru Dr Sarangadara Desikendra Mahaswami.
And, the chief guest for the inaugural day function will be Dr Rajasekhar Shivarcharya of the Chowdapuri Hiremath, Kalaburagi. Dr Appaji, Dr Avvaji, Chiranjivi Doddappa Appaji and secretary of the Sharanabasaveshwar Vidya Vardak Sangha Basavaraj Deshmukh will be present.
Dr Appaji said that the programme will begin every day with music and cultural programmes for one hour at 5.30 p.m., followed by a socio-religious discourse. “One of the features of this year’s Shravana programme is rendering of devotional songs by the ninth peetathipathi of the samsthan Chiranjivi Doddappa Appa and his sisters Shivani S. Appa, Bhavani S. Appa and Maheshwari S. Appa,” he said.
On the inaugural day, a book written by Shivaraj Shastri Herur on the life and times of the seventh peetathipathi of the samsthan Doddappa Appaji will be released.
The socio-religious discourses on the holy deeds and miracles of Lord Sharanabasaveshwar will begin with a discourse by Vice-Chancellor of the Sharnbasva University Niranjan V. Nisty, on the first day. And, on the second day, the daughters of Dr Appaji, Shivani Appa and Bhavani Appa, accompanied by Prof. Shivaraj Shastri Herur, will give a special discourse.
This will be followed by lectures and discourses by learned persons and educators from different universities, centres of higher education and educational institutions till September 5.
During the holy month of Shravana, special padapuja by the eighth peetathipathi Dr Sharnbaswappa Appaji and the ninth peetathipathi Chiranjivi Doddappa Appaji will be held every day. The Maha Pallakki Utsav will be conducted every day by Doddappa Appaji. On the second and fourth Monday of the holy month of Shravana, special bhajans by devotees from far and near visiting the shrine will be held.
On all the 40 days, special yoga programmes will be held at the shrine complex from 6.30 a.m. to 7.30 a.m. and this will be conducted by S.R. Patil of the Department of Diploma in Yoga at the Sharnbasva University.
