New Delhi, Feb 20 (IANS): President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday said that various religious traditions and practices are prevalent across the country but there is only one belief and that is to work for the welfare of all considering the entire humanity as one family.
President Kovind was speaking on the occasion of inauguration of the three-year long celebrations of the 150th birth anniversary of Srimad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupad, the founder of Gaudiya Math and Mission in Puri, Odisha.
"God is worshiped in all its forms. But the tradition of worshiping God with Bhakti-Bhav (devotion) has been significant in India. Here many great saints have practiced selfless worship. Even among such great saints, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has a special place. Inspired by his extraordinary devotion, a large number of people chose the path of Bhakti," he said.The President said that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to say that people should remember God with a humble attitude considering themselves to be smaller than grass. One must be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of any sense of ego and must give respect to others. One should always be remembering God.
The President mentioned that the Bhakti-Marg's speciality of complete devotion to God is witnessed not only in the spiritual side of life but also in the day-to-day life of every individual.
"Serving the needy has been given a top priority in our culture. Our doctors, nurses and health workers displayed this spirit of service during the Covid pandemic. They were also infected with the coronavirus, but even in such extreme circumstances, they did not lose courage and were engaged in the treatment of people," the President said.
He further mentioned that many of the corona warriors sacrificed their lives but the dedication of their co-workers remained unwavering. "The whole country would always be indebted to such warriors," President Kovind added.
The President expressed confidence that the Gaudiya Mission would be successful in its resolve of spreading the message of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to the world, keeping its objective of human welfare as paramount.