Thursday, December 6, 2007

75th sarva dharma sammelan at Dharmastala










Sonala Mansingh inagurated Amruthavarshini building at dharmastala.
Mangalore; "Let noble thoughts flow from this land of Lord Manjunatha to the hearts and minds of millions of people who come here," said danser and Sangeeth Natak Academy former president Sonal Mansingh.
Inaugurating ‘Amruthavarshini’ hall built in commemoration of 75th year of Sarva Dharma Sammelana at Dharmasthala on Wednesday Ms Mansingh said that the way river Ganga washed off the sins of people who immerse in her, every individual must become a Ganga in themselves by responding to the pains, pangs and disappointments of others. Everyone must try to take away others pain and spread the beauty of happiness and love.

She said that Ganga stands for eternal flow and the life of human beings is similar to this flow. “Our life is a eternal flow or cycle of life, death and rebirth. This eternal cycle is the only truth in the world. We resort to killing our external enemies with violence but the intrinsic enemies can be killed by light of spirituality,” she added.
She said that she had visited Dharmasthala in 1961 for the ‘Brahmopadesha’ ceremony of Dr Veerendra Heggade.

“I had visited the place in 1961 as the grand daughter of the then Governor of Mysore Province Mangaladas Pakwas. The same year my arengatum took place in Rajabhavan. After that I gave several programmes here in this pious land. My relation with Dharmasthala and the memories connected to this land is relived today in the form of this visit,” she added.
Later delivering the presidential address, Dr D Veerendra Heggade said that his father Rathnaverma Heggade had a wish that the Governor of Mysore Province should attend the Brahmopadesham ceremony.

“It was very difficult to invite the Governor for such programmes those days. Hence, my father organised inauguration of Ganga guest house and the Brahmopadesham on the same day. Then Ms Mansingh was only 17 years old,” Dr Heggade recalled stating that it was his personal wish that ‘Amruthavarshini’ must be inaugurated by Ms Sonal Mansingh, which was fulfiled.

He said that Manjaiah and Rathnaverma Heggade during their lifetime propagated not only to Dharmasthala but to all religious centres the lesson as to how a religious centre must be, how the pains and problems of the devotees can be addressed and what works these religious centres must take up.

Dr Heggade said that over 5,000 people can sit and watch programmes at a time in Amruthavarshini hall, which has been built in a record time of 60 days. “It feels as though ‘Vishwakarma’ himself has built this,” Dr Heggade said.