Uttamchand Shastri popularised Sanskrit language in Jammu and Kashmir:Shankaracharya
Sanskrit lumanaries and Dignitaries including Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha accorded warm welcome to Shankaracharya Adokshajanand ji at Jammu. Poorvamnaya Govardhan Puri Peethadheeshwar Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Shri Adhokshajanand Dev Tirtha Ji Maharaj’s five-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir concluded amid great religious fervour and enthisiasm among devotees .
A grand procession of Lord Shankaracharya was taken out in the state, besides many religious meetings and other programs were organized to mark the occasion.
Jagadguru Shankaracharya was accorded a warm welcome by all the dignitaries, including the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha.
On his arrival in Jammu and Kashmir, revered Hindu seer Shankaracharya Adhokshajanand Devtirtha paid visit visit to holy Cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi nestled in Trikuta mountains and paid his obesiance to holy deity and prayed for peace and harmony.
On behalf of the state government, SDM Satish Bali, DySP Nikhil Sharma, Additional CEO of Shrine Board Ajay accorded a warm welcome to Shankaracharya. Clerics at Vaishnava Mata presented him with special prasad in shape of mother’s chunari and Prasad.
Therafter, holy seer visited Vishwasthali Basohli, a hilly area Kathua district of the state where a grand procession was taken out to celebrate the auspiciou occasion.
The disciples of Vishwasthali gurukul participated in the yatra and created a spiritual ambinece by reciting hymns from Vedas and religious scriptures.
Among thousands of devotees prominent include senior state BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, his wife, chairman of Basauli Nagar, president of Vishwasthali, office bearers of many religious, social and political organizations of the state participated in the Shobha Yatra.
The religious seer was worhsiped and garlanded propfousely by his devotees during the city tour during the procession.
Another special programme to mark the visit of holy seer was organized under the supervision of Vice Chancelor SKUAST-Jammu Prof J P Sharma at Baba Jitto Auditorium Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Science and Technology (SKUAST), Jammu.
Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha was the chief guest on the occasion
Apart from head of Vice-Chancellors of different universities of the Union Territory (UT), top government officials, social worker Vinod Bagrodia and a large number distinguished citizens and laumanaries were present in the this programme.
Thereafter the holy seer Shankaracharya ji blessed everyone and also deliveried a sermon during his visit to University Randhir Campus, Jammu.
Speaking on the occasion, Jagadguru emphasized on the propagation of Sanskrit language.
Earlier the veteran politician and former minister and vice-president of the state BJP, Shamlal Sharma welcomed Shankaracharya ji.
It may be mentioned here that all these programmes were held as a series of programmes to commemorate the birth centenary of late Dr Uttamchand Shastri Pathak.
Showering a lot of praise upon late soul for his selfless service to society and propogation of Sanskrit language, revered Jagadguru in his address said that Shastri ji was a great scholar of the century, who continued the propagation of Sanskrit language even in difficult circumstances in the erstwhile state like Jammu and Kashmir and established Chudamani Sanskrit Vidyalaya Gurukul in Basholi for popularising the ancient language.
On the occasion a free medical camp was also oprganized where prothestic limbs and others aids ( including spectales) were distributed to the handicapped by the Abha Bagrodia Charitable Trust, Calcutta.
Yet another impressive religious meeting was also organized at Ramlila Maidan in Basholi to mark birth centenary of Bramhalin Dr Uttamchand Shastri Pathak.
Director Special Security Governor Jammu Kashmir Shakti Pathak welcomed Shankaracharya while students of Chudamani Sanskriti Vidyalaya Gurukul presented a spectacular recreation of the debate between Adi Shankaracharya and Mandan Mishra 2500 years ago as mentiuoned in scriptures.
Later Shankaracharya ji addressed the gathering and blessed the gathering.
There was a lot of enthusiasm among the people about the arrival of Shankaracharya and people welcomed Jagadguru during his visit at many places in Hiranagar, Mahanpur and Kathua-Romesh Kotwal SSP Kathua and other devotees greeted and offered obesiance to Shankaracharya .