For Ganesha devotees

Special buses for Swanandashrama

For ardent devotees of Ganesha, all roads lead to Swananda Ganapathi Ashram. Sunday, Sep 16, thousands of devotees are expected to take part in the Kalamahotsava. Sri Mahesh Joshi, Director, Doordarshan, will be present as the chief guest. S. Shadakshri, MD, Ramanashree Group of Hotels, actor Shivaram and film producer Chinne Gowda will preside. A special Swananda magazine will be released on the occasion, and annual Swananda Kalashri Awards for 2007 presented. This year's awardees are Vidwan HV Krishnamurthy (music); MR Seshadri (dance), Seshachala Sharma (painting), Layalahari (taalavaidya concert). A special gana homa and ranga puja followed by immersion of Ganesha idol, will be part of the main ceremonies.

The organizers have organized special buses for devotees every hour from Jayanagar 5th Block (Satya Sai office) starting from 8 am on Sunday.

According to officials at the ashram, the devotees have a unique opportunity here of worshipping Ganesha in one of his original form.

The ashram is taking up several projects of social significance. One such under consideration is the construction of a Maha Ganapathi Panchayatana Temple, in the Hoysala style of architecture, that is prevalent in Belur and Halebid temples. In the Panchayatana concept, the idol of Ganesha is placed at the centre, and is surrounded by the idols of Sri Devi, Surya, Shiva and Vishnu. A Bala Ganapathi temple complex will house 32 different manifestations of Ganesha as conceived in the Mudgala Purana. A rest house for Sri Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Gangadharendra Saraswati and a multi-purpose auditorium cum library will also come up in the ashram premises.