Dalai Lama participates in Kumbh mela

Sunday, April 04, 2010

Hindustan Times
By Gaurav Bisht
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India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party leader Lal Krishna Advani, sits at right as Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, centre, reacts with Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, second right, in Haridwar, India, Saturday, April 3, 2010. Other three spiritual leaders seated left are unidentified. (AP Photo)

Dharamsala-- Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, will join prominent rightist Indian leaders in Haridwar during the ongoing Maha Kumbh mela to the bless landmark publication Encyclopedia of Hinduism, which took more than 15 years for compilation.

The Dalai Lama will visit Haridwar to participate in a series of programmes organised by Parmarth Niketan in Rishikesh and Haridwar.

Tenzin Taklha, joint secretary at the Dalai Lama’s private office, confirmed of the programmes to Hindustan Times, saying the Dalai Lama will attend a ceremony to mark the launch of encyclopedia on Hinduism. The Dalai Lama will visit Haridwar and Rishikesh on the 3 and 4 April.

The Encyclopedia of Hinduism Project was started in 1987 jointly by Swami Chidanand Saraswati and Dr KL Seshagiri Rao. Swami Chidanand Sarswati, President of the Parmarth Niketan, formed a Trust — India Heritage Research Foundation (IHRF) in 1989 to sponsor the Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Dr Rao was chosen as the editor in chief of the Encyclopedia project. The trust engaged more than 500 writers to create over 10,000 articles for the encyclopedia. Encyclopedia presents comprehensive overview of the total life experience of Hinduism, covering not only textual material and oral traditions, but also the wide spectrum of regional and global variations.

The Dalai Lama who is being living in exile for the past fifty years would share stage with the prominent rightist leaders including Rashtriya Syweman Sewak Sangh, (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat, Vishav Hindu Parishad (VHP) President, Ashok Singal and Bharatiya Janta Party leader former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivaraj Chauhan and his Uttarakhand counterpart Ramesh Pokhriyal too will attend the ceremony. While leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, Hema Malini and Nejma Heptullah, would also present at congregation of leaders at the special preview of encyclopedia at Haridwar.

There is nothing political about Dalai Lama attending the blessing ceremony since he is the spiritual leader clarified Tenzin Taklha.

The Dalai Lama will visit Parmarth Niketan in Rishikesh to participate in the Hindu rituals organised by Swami Chidanand Sarswati Maharaj. He will make offerings at Yagna at the Parmarth Niketan and will also offer puran ahuti along with prominent hindu saints like Swami Ram Dev, Murari Bapu, Swami Avdeshnandjee. More than 50 prominent religious leaders are expected to participate in the two-day programme organised by IHRF.