Vice President Hamid Ansari visits Sivagiri Mutt in Kerala

VARKALA: Vice President Hamid Ansari today visited Sivagiri Mutt, a revered spiritual centre established here by 20th century saint-social reformer Sree Narayana Guru.

A group of sanyasins of the mutt led by Swami Prakashananda, president of Sree Narayana Dharma Sangam Trust, received Ansari at the hillock mutt, located around 50 kms away from the state capital.

After paying respects at the 'maha samadhi mandapam', the final resting place of the legendary Guru, the Vice President opened to public the renovated stairway leading to the samadhi.

Ansari, who spent over 30 minutes at the mutt campus, offered obeisance at the Vaidika Mutt, a more than 100-year-old building where Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore had met the Guru.

The Vice President later inaugurated the centenary celebration of two books--'Darshanamala' written by Guru and 'Gurustavam', authored and dedicated to Guru by Malayalam poet Kumaranashan.

Besides launching the centenary celebrations of Guru's famous declaration "Namukku Jatiyilla" (We do not have caste), Ansari also opened the new block of Sree Narayana Senior Secondary School here.

The Vice President planted a tree sapling at the campus to mark his visit to the revered mutt.

Established by Narayana Guru who propagated the message of One Caste, One Religion and One God for Mankind, Sivagiri Mutt is a major spiritual-cum-pilgrim centre of the backward Ezhava community in Kerala.