Mangarh (Pratapgarh), July 31 (IANS): Thousands of devotees gathered on Friday to remember and pay their respects to renowned spiritual leader Jagadguru Kripaluji Maharaj on Guru Purnima day at the Bhakti Dham ashram in this Uttar Pradesh village, which is also his birth place.

The devotees participated in a five-day Sadhna Shivir, or contemplation camp, organised on the occasion by the daughters of the late spiritual guru, Vishakha Tripathi, Krishna Tripathi and Sushri Shyama Tripathi.

The event also saw the release of "Radha Govind Geeth Granth", a collection of the devotional verses written by the spiritual leader. It was released in MP3 format by the president of JKP Vishakha Tripathi.

Senior functionary Ram Puri said that the JKP as an organisation was fulfilling the vision of the jagadguru, with guidance from its president. "Educational institutions run by JKP are giving free modern education to over 5,000 girls in the rural areas with all the amenities."

State President of Bharatiya Janata Party, Laxmi Kant Bajpai, and former Member of Parliament belonging to the Bahujan Samaj Party Brijesh Pathak also visited the premises and praised the organisation's efforts both as a spiritual and social welfare institution.