16 July, Sunday - Varanasi

The 3-day - Harikeertan by Sri Raghunathdas as part of the Chaturmasya Sangeeta Samarpan programme culminated this evening in a session held at the Chet Singh fort on the banks of the river ganga in the benign presence of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetadhipati Pujyashri Shankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya Swamiji. Sri Raghunathdas and team were given prasadams and honoured with shawls. Members of the Kashi Maharashtra Seva samiti and other members of Maharashtra community of Varanasi attended the programme in large numbers, and presented abhinandan patra to His Holiness. In the Anugraha Bhashanam given to the gathering, Pujya Shankaracharya Swamiji mentioned that languages are for forming bridges, and not for forming barriers among people. He recalled the past chaturmasyas performed by Acharyas of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam in Maharashtra at various places including Paithan and Pune( Punya Pathan), and about the rich culture, bhakti and devotion of the people of Maharashtra. Thereafter, Pujya Shankaracharya Swamiji proceeded to the Shivala ghat to perform snanam in river Ganga during the commencement of the Dakshinayana Punya kaalam.