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Bhakta Sammelana at SV Temple Pittsburgh

From the Bhakti List Archives

Vijay_Srinivasan • September 3, 1997 


Dear Prapatti Group Members:

This past week-end, the Bhakta Sammelana at Pittsburgh came to a very happy
conclusion.  It was well attended by the Madhwas and SriVaishnavas (mostly
local).  The sammelana was presided over by the Swamiji of Puthige Mutt,
Udipi.   It was a treat to hear Swamiji speak in simple yet sweet sanskrit.
The sammelana started with a short discourse by Swamiji and the day's
proceedings concluded with his speech as well.

Representing the Ramanuja Siddhantam, there were talks by Shri Sadagopan,
Dr. M.G. Prasad (who is doing Yeoman service to our community), Prof.
Venkatachar, a great sanskrit scholar of international repute, Prof.
Sundararajan and myself.  The central theme was Bhakti and Prapatti.  On
the Madhva Siddhantam which I found to be not very different from our own
there were talks by Prof. Hebbar, Prof. Vasudeva Murthy, and Shri Harish
Baipadithya (a priest from Washington temple). On the whole the meeting
afforded a lot of interaction between the followers of two schools who are
binded together with a common goal of reaching Lord Narayana.

Thus, the sammelana highlighted the fact that there is much we can achieve
by working together. "Balam Vishno: Pravarthathaam."

The SV temple did a great job in making wonderful arrangements.  Each of
the participants were given personal care and the volunteers took extra
ordinary effort to make sure that everything ran smoothly.  Dr. Bindhu
Madhvan, the heart and soul behind this sammelana really did a wonderful
job of putting together this program.

On our way back from Pittsburgh we also had a chance to get a glimpse of
the Ati-Rudra Homam organized by the Sringeri Mutt.  It was done in an
unprecedented scale.  The expenses $700K.  130 Ritwiks in one place.  I
think we must do something for Emperuman on that scale.  This we can
achieve only if we all work together - Madhwas, Sri Vaishnavas and anyone
else who has a love for Lord Vishnu.  I have a few projects in mind and
after giving some shape to those ideas I will post it to invite your views.

I must also mention that it was a great pleasure to meet Mrs. Nagu Satyan
and her family at the Pittsburgh temple.


Vijayaraghavan Srinivasan
Buffalo, NY