GUNTUR: Students walked 33 km for national integration and prayed in a dargah, church and temple under dargah to durga walkathon from Guntur to Vijayawada. The unique national integration walk started at Hazrath Kalesha Masthan dargah in Guntur on Friday. As many as 3,000 students, teaching and non-teaching staff of VVIT Nambur joined the national integration walk on the occasion of the 155th birth anniversary of Swamy Vivekananda reflecting unity in diversity.
Guntur ASP Y.T. Naidu flagged off the walk at 6.30 am after offering floral tributes and conducting special prayers in the dargah. He appreciated VVIT for conducting the walk without a break for the past nine years. He reminisced his participation in the walkathon when he was served the city as a DSP. He also reminded the importance of national integrity and the role of youth in achieving the same. The ASP emphasised that Swamy Vivekananda enlightened the Universe through his preachings and we, as Indians, should always be proud to have had such a legendary personality. He also advised all youngsters to get inspired by Swamy Vivekananda and get the power to produce the desired effect in their professional and social life.
VVIT chairman V. Vidya Sagar said that this walk is taken out by VVIT on the January 12 every year in commemoration of Swamy Vivekanada’s birth anniversary, which is also observed as International youth day. He said that this is the 10 year of dargah to durga walkathon for national integrity honouring and respecting all religions of the society. He reiterated the divine statements of Swami Vivekananda about the commitment and righteousness and added that the institute is committed to produce socially conscious, patriotic and emotionally strong engineers for nation building.
The walk started at Masthan Dargah, passed through the Jain Temple near Acharya Nagarjuna University, a Church in dolas nagar and culminated at the Durga temple atop the Indrakeeladri hill in Vijayawada in the evening. A VVIT employee Mr Mani Kumar who dressed up as Swamy Vivekanada stood out during the walk.
