Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Nov 18: Various religious and cultural programmes being held on November 20 and 22 will mark the diamond jubilee celebrations of Ballal Bagh Gurji Deepotsava in the city. This was stated by M Sureshchandra Shetty, president of Gurji Deepotsava Samiti, addressing a press conference in the city on Thursday November 17.

Gurji Deepotsava had been started by Angara Poojary with the support of locals in 1951. Till 2002, it was held by Kodialbail Youth Club in association with locals. The Deepotsava Samiti was formed in 2002 to take charge of the celebrations, he recalled.

Satyanarayana puja and community feast will be arranged from 9.30 am onwards at the ground near Ballal Bagh Circle on November 20. At the religious meeting being held at 7 pm on that day, K S Nityananda Swamiji of Veda Vijnana Mandir Chikmagalur, will deliver benedictory address, Shetty informed.

After Deepotsava at Ballal Bagh Circle on November 22 evening, a religious  meeting will be held, in which a souvenir titled ‘Vajradeepa’ will be released by Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister, Krishna J Palemar. On this occasion, achievers from Ballal Bagh region will be felicitated. Special felicitation will be accorded to Dhanya S Rao, who won gold medal in skating at the Special Olympics organized at Athens, Greece, he added.

Cultural programme in the form of ‘Rashtra Devobhava’ will be presented on November 20 by the disciples of Sharada Manishekhar and Vidushi Lata Nagaraj. On November 22, a musical programme will be held, he explained.

Samiti honorary president, M Sundar Shetty, K Suresh Ballal, vice-president, M Ganesh Shetty, general secretary, Prakash B Salian, and others were present.