Sonia Gandhi to open Sivagiri pilgrimage

 

Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham Trust president Swamy Prakashananda will preside at the function to be attended by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, CPI general secretary Sudhakar Reddy and KPCC president V. M. Sudheeran, among others. Vice-President Hamid Ansari  will inaugurate the next day’s programme and Anna Hazare  the concluding function on January 1.

 

The programme schedule was given to reporters by  Sangham Trust president Swamy Prakashananda, general secretary Swami Rithambarananda and Guru Dharma Pracharana Sabha secretary Guru Prasad here on Thursday.  

 

After the inaugural function, a health seminar to be held at 1 p.m.  will be inaugurated by Sri Lankan Minister for National Dialogue, Mano Ganesan, who is also a prominent trade union leader.

 

“An agriculture seminar will be inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Tourism, Dr. Mahesh Sharma, at 3 p.m. on December 30.  Meghalaya Governor V. Shanmuganthan will inaugurate the spiritual seminar at 5 p.m. Vice-President Hamid Ansari will inaugurate the session at 11 a.m. on December 31 and Karnataka Home Minister Dr G. Parameshwara an industrial meet,”  said Swami Rithambarananda.

 

Social activist Anna Hazare will inaugurate the concluding day’s session at 9 a.m. A  literary summit will be inaugurated by C. Radhakrishnan and the  valedictory function  by Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala. CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury will preside.  Over three lakh pilgrims are expected to visit Sivagiri this year.