Scholar's birth anniversary organized

DHARWAD: A week-long celebrations of the 91st birth anniversary of renowned Sanskrit scholar Pandit Bhalachandra Shastri will be held at Vidyaranya High School premises in Dharwad from Monday. The celebrations will include religious ceremonies, symposia on vedic aspects and cultural programmes.
Seers of Kudali Shringeri mutt, Sacchidanand Valukeshwar Bharati swamy and VidyabhinavaVidyaranya Bharati swamy, pontiff of Avicchinna Parampara mutt Shankar Bharati swamy, president of Akhila Karnataka Brahmana Mahasabha C V L Shastri, police commissioner R H Auradker among others, will be the chief guests on the inaugural day.Pontiff of Jnaneshwari Mahasansthan Sacchidananda Jnaneshwara Bharati swamy, Krishnananda Teertha swamy of Teerthahalli mutt, head of Swarnavalli mutt Gangadharendra swamy and Pejawar seer Vishwesha Teertha swamy will bless the ceremonies.
Justice N Kumar will release the souvenir Brahmashri on Saturday. Senior IAS officer A Ramaswamy will preside over the programme. On Sunday, Pandit Bhalachandra Shastri will be felicitated in the presence of Kanchi Seer Jayendra Saraswati swamy.
Known as Pandit Prakand, Balachandra Shastri is an authority on Vyakarana, Meemansa and Vedanata. He has striven to uplift the century-old Shrimajjagadguru Shankaracharya Sanskrit Pathashala in Dharwad for seven decades. Several scholars and saints who are now pontiffs of various mutts have studied under Bhalachandra Shastri at Dharwad. He has been honoured by the President's Award. A recipient of several prestigious awards and titles Bhalachandra Shastri continues to guide the disciples even at this age.