Karnataka Vaibhava to mark Gurudev’s Birthday
1008 Gods and Goddesses will convene for a Gram Devata utsav, as part of the 2- day ‘Karnataka Vaibhava’ being celebrated on the occasion of birthday of the Founder of The Art of Living, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. The event which will be held on May 12 will highlight the importance of Gram Devtas (village deities), a step towards reviving the ‘Grama Devata Utsav’ which is fast losing its significance.
This unique congregation that will showcase the rich splendor of Indian culture and the vibrancy of its roots will witness thousands of people from all across India and abroad. The 1008 Gram devatas will be bedecked royally and brought from their respective villages to the Art of Living Centre where they will be honored. Some of the Gram Devtas who will be part of the celebrations are Annamma Devi Nagar Devta from Bangalore; Plague-Maramma from Nagasandra ; Goruvinahalli Mahalakshmi; Choudeshwari from Shimoga Kanakadurgamma from Bellary; Kholapurada Amma from Kunigal; Marikamba from Tiptur, Gram Devatas from Mysore, Channapatna, Kolar, Malur, among many others.
"We are celebrating ' Karnataka Vaibhava' with a Grama Devata Utsav which will see a participation from 1008 deities and the conferring of 'Sri Sri Awards'. Events like these help restore the ancient traditions and bring people together. We will have deities from Mysore, Channa Patna and other places."Says Prashant Kumar organizer from the Art of Living.
On May 13, ‘Sri Sri Awards’ will be conferred upon on 25 people from the state of Karnataka for their valuable contribution in the fields of education, music, rural development, environment etc.
The event will host dignitaries like Smt. Bharati Vishnuvardhan, Cine Artist; Sri. Shiva Shanmugam, Chairman FKCCI; among others.
A noted humanitarian leader, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's programs have provided assistance to people from a wide range of backgrounds – victims of natural disasters, survivors of terror attacks and war, children from marginalized populations and communities in conflict, among others. The strength of his message has inspired a wave of service based on spirituality through a huge body of volunteers, who are driving these projects forward in critical areas around the globe.
As a spiritual teacher, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has rekindled the traditions of yoga and meditation and offered them in a form that is relevant to the 21st century. In a mere 30 years, his programs have raised the quality of life for participants in 152 countries and has touched the lives of 370 million people.