57th Birthday Celebrations of Sri Swamiji, 20 Jun 1999
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Pujya Sri Swamiji performed Sri Chakra Puja and offered Purnahuti for Ganapati Homa in the morning at Nada Mantapam.
Thousands had gathered at Garuda Mantapa for the morning function. At 11 am in the 57th Birthday celebrations of Pujya Sri Swamiji was inaugurated by His Holiness Sri Tridandi Chinna Srimannarayana Ramanuja Jeeyar Swamiji (Andhra Pradesh). Sri Viswesha Teertha Sri Padangalavaru, Pejawar Math, Udupi inaugurated the Venkateswara Agama Vidya Kendra by unveiling a stone plaque. This institution will train priests in offering temple services and services to the householder.
The Pejavara Swamiji in his powerful and moving speech said that Man should not be duped by the temporary nature of the pleasure the material world offers. He likened it to that of a shadow offered by the hood of a cobra for a frog. The frog was duped by the shadow and was eaten by the cobra. Similarly worldly and material pleasures are temporary and can consume you - warned the Swamiji.
Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji praised the varied activities of the Datta Peetham and lauded the dynamic role Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Swamiji played in its activities. He continued to say that the Lord Venkateswara in Tirupati was given no rest as the teeming crowds kept the temple open for long hours. Hence Datta has made Venkateswara to come to the abode of Datta Peetham to have rest.
Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Swamiji said that the Venkateswara temple would full fill the Bhakti aspect where as the Agama Vidya Kendra will fulfil the Jnana aspect.
At 6 pm Pancha Gavya Adhivasa (immersion of idols in five sacred materials). Later during the Bhajan session, Sri Swamiji sang Bhajans on Venkateswara. The first one was "Srinivasa Govinda Sri Venkatesa Govinda", the first Bhajan Sri Swamiji composed on Lord Venkateswara at Mysore Ashrama.
After the Bhajans, there was a grand folk art performance by a troupe from Tamil Nadu.
