Five Lakh People visited the 5th Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair at Chennai

The Hindu Spiritual and Service Foundation, affiliated to the GFCH (India) has organized its Fifth Hindu Fair from February 19-24th, 2013 at A M Jain College Grounds, Meenambakkam, Chennai. The object of the Fair is to showcase the service activities of diverse Hindu spiritual organizations and exemplifies the Hindu Philosophy of ‘Atmano Mokshartham Jagat Hitaya Cha’ that is one can attain salvation through service.


Sri L K Advani addressing the gathering

The fair was inaugurated by the Former Deputy Prime Minister Sri L K Advani in the presence of Swami Ashutoshananda of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, Swami Omkarananda of Chidbhavananda Ashram, Theni, Sri N Gopalswami (Retd IAS, Former Chief Election Commissioner and Sri S.Gurumurthy, Chartered Accountant and Columnist and other organizing members. Smt. Sudha Raghunathan, carnatic singer rendered her invocation song. Sri L K Advani in his speech revealed that a suggestion had been made to the President Pranab Mukherjee that he approaches the United States Government to hold a special function in Chicago (where Swami Ji gave his stirring speech at the World of Parliament of Religions in 1893) and jointly along with US President Barack Obama to address the function and speak about Swami Ji’s life and philosophy.

Around 200 Hindu and Spiritual Organizations including Ramakrishna Mission, Sri Sathya Sai Baba Ashram, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Sringeri Math, Art of Living Movement, Swaminarayan Movement, All World Gayathri Parivar, Arutperunjothi Vallalar Charitable Trust, and service organizations like Seva Bharathi, Samskrita Bharati, Rashtra Sevika Samithi, ABGP etc. participated in the fair. Hindu Religious Boards of other States of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala namely Travancore Devasthanam Board, Andhra Pradesh Hindu Religious Endowments Board, Karnataka Hindu Religious Endowment Board, Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam Board of Tamilnadu, Singhvi Jain, Sourashtra Gujarati Mandal, etc. participated in the Hindu Fair. Various organizations served pamphlets describing about the services rendered by them.

Prasadams were distributed at the stalls of Sri Chamundeshwari Temple Board, Sri Kanteshwara Temple Board of Nanjangud, Sri Mookambika Devi Temple Board of Kollur, Kukke Sri Subramanya Temple, Sri Niminshambadevi Temple Board, Ganjam, Sri Balashankari Temple Board, Bangalore, Sri Yoga Narasimhaswamy Temple Board, Melukote.

Various Prachara Rathams from Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy Ratham of Kurnool, Sri Kalahastiswamy Ratham of Kalahasti, Sri Kanipakka Varasiddha Vinayaka Swamy Ratham of Chittoor, Sri Kanakadurga Temple Ratham, Vijayawada, Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy koil Ratham, Vizag and Viveka Ratham of Vijayabharatham attracted large visitors of the Fair.


Communities of;


 REDDY ELAINGAR PERAVAI


 MUDALIYAR


 TAMIL NADU NAIR SERVICE SOCIETY


 DEVENDRAR THANNARVA ARAKKATTALAI


 VANNIYAR VARALATRU AYIVU MAYIAM


 KONGU VELLALA GOUNDER PERAVAI


 TAMBRAS


 VISWAKARMA PEDAM


 TAMIL NADU SAIVA VELLALAR SANGAM


 SOURASHTRA SAMOOGA NALA PERAVAI


 NAGARATHAR NATTUKOTTAI CHETTIYAR


 HINDU NADAR MAGAMAICAL


participated in the Hindu Fair.

Competitions were held on various subjects including Rangoli wherein 1000 students from 66 schools participated enthusiastically. Free Medical and eye camps by notable hospitals like Hindu Mission Hospital, Chettinad Hospital, Sankara Eye Hospital, Isha Foundation were organized in the fair.

Spiritual Fair witnessed Kadri Gopinath’ Saxophone, Namasankeerthanam of Sri Muralidhara Swamigal, Srinivasa Kalyana Utsavam by Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam, Yaksha Gaanam by Kumara Vijaya Prasanna, Kuchipudi Dance, Dance Drama by various school children, recitation of Veda Parayanam, Tiruarutpa, Thevaram, Thiruppavai, Divya Prabandam, bhajans, harikathas, skits, Jalatharagam, various traditional arts like therukoothu enthralled the visitors. ‘SMILE’ organized a dance-drama by blind children. Gayathri Parivar organized Gayathri homam and japam. A seminar on ‘how to protect cows’ at Go-shalas were also organized.

Sanatana Dharma tree – a tree depicting the civilization and culture, eternal and timeless, - that inspires and witnesses the institutions by the vedic saying ‘Atmano Mokshartham Jagat Hitaya Cha’ in the spirit of ‘together we serve’ attracted huge visitors.

Sri La.Ganesan of BJP, Sri Pon Radhakrishnan of BJP, Sri Kumari Ananthan Ex-Congress MP, Princess Gopika Verma of Travancore Samasthanam and Sri Muralidhara Swamigal are some of the notable visitors to the Fair.

Sri RBVS Manian VHP at Rashtra Sevika Samiti stall

Sri Ramagopalan Ji at ABGP Stall

It is reported that on an average 5 lakh people have visited the Spiritual Fair. Visitors appreciated the efforts taken in organizing the stalls and felt great satisfaction in visiting the fair.

For more photos:

"Fifth Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair, Chennai"

Click here to view Hindu Spiritual Fair