Varanasi: Top Adheenam, Lingayat & Veerashaiva priests to join PM Modi at KVD opening

VARANASI: Not only top spiritual gurus like Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Awadheshanand Giri, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev and Swami Rambhadracharya, but top names from Tamil Nadu’s Adheenams, Karnataka’s Lingayat and Veerashaiva sects will join Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he opens the Kashi Vishwanath (Dham) corridor project at a grand function amid chanting of Vedic mantras in Varanasi on December 13.
In an ambitious move, the administration is also arranging for the live telecast of the ceremony in Hindu temples, maths and other centres across the globe as well as in India.
The list of spiritual invitees continues to increase as their consent for participation after receiving invitations for the occasion have started reaching the officials handling preparations for hosting the opening ceremony of KVD.
Divisional commissioner and chairman of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Special Area Development Board Deepak Agrawal on Thursday admitted that invitations have been sent to prominent seers, spiritual and Yoga gurus as well as top authorities of Tamil Nadu’s Adheenams, Karnataka’s Lingayat and Veerashaiva sects to grace the opening ceremony of KVD on December 13.
“We have started receiving consent of participation from invited seers, religious and spiritual authorities,” said Agrawal.
Officials engaged in hosting the big band of special guests said that confirmation for participation of prominent figures, including spiritual Guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Swami Awadheshanand Giri, Swami Ramdev, Swami Rambhadracharya and purohits (priests) from the centres of Adheenams, Lingayat and Veerashaiva and other parts of countries have already been received.
The religious authorities from ashrams, maths and temples of Kashi have also been invited in this event, they added.
The opening ceremony of KVD will be hosted at the Mandir Chowk, which has come up between the expanded premises of Kashi Vishwanath temple and the river Ganga, said the officials, who are also preparing for the screening of this ceremony in Hindu temples, maths and other centres across the globe live. Similar live screening of the event will be available in temples of Lord Shiva in UP, they added.