Mahamastakabhisheka off to a colourful start at Venur Karnataka

       
   Mangalore, January 29,2012: The nine-day anointment (Mahamastakabhisheka celebrations) of the 35-foot monolith Venoor Bhagwan Shri Bahubali Swamy celebrations in Venur began on a colourful note on Saturday. Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda inaugurated the celebrations.
  Mahamastakabhisheka is held once in every 12 years in a grand manner. Streets leading up to Akkangala Basadi, which is behind the statue of Bahubali, were decorated. The rituals leading up to Mahamastakabhisheka began with a procession led by a decorated elephant. The procession went in circumambulation around the site of Bahubali's statue. Several women dressed in identical saris walked behind the elephant in two lines holding kalashas. The kalashas contained water that would be used in the Mahamastakabhisheka rituals.
  Head of the Ajila princely family, Padmaprasad Ajila, poured the first kalasha of water, followed by his family members. A total of 108 kalashas of water were poured on the first day, besides many other items, including sandalwood paste and milk. The devotees poured water over the statue of Bahubali from a specially constructed platform and paid obeisance. A large number of devotees watched the proceedings. 
  The Ajila princely family is credited to have taken pains to install the statue – known as Naguva Gommata (the smiling Gommata) – in 1609 on the banks of the Phalguni river. The Heggade family was present. Before the formal inauguration, religious leaders, including Acharya 108 Gunadharanandi Maharaj, addressed the devotees. The acharya said that Gandhi and Anna Hazare followed the concepts of ahimsa which were propounded by Mahaveera. Devotees frequently raised slogans of “Bahubali ki jai” and “Parshwanath swamy ki jai”. 
  By the end of the formal programme, the number of people swelled. Several book stalls selling books related to the Jain history and religion were set up near the venue. Hundreds of people visited the basadi of Chandranatha Swami which is behind the statue of Bahubali. 
  Earlier, Mr. Gowda said that a Jain Adhyayana Peetha would be set up in Mangalore University and allocations would be made in the next budget. The peetha would help spread the Jain philosophy among the people. Mr. Gowda requested the Special Representative of the Karnataka Government in Delhi, Dhananjay Kumar, to ensure that funds meant for minorities also reached the Jain community. He was responding to Acharya 108 Gunadharanandi Maharaja's remark that although the government released Rs. 400 crore for minorities every year, only Rs. 2 crore had reached the Jain community. He said that he would look into the demand for providing reservation to the Jain community. Source: The Hindu

  Jain Eye Charitable hospital to provide quality service to poor patients
  New Delhi, January 25, 2012 : A city-based NGO has inaugurated a state-of the-art super-specialty eye hospital at Saket area to provide quality healthcare facilities to the underprivileged sections of the society at nominal price. Mahavir International, a not-for-profit social organisation working for the uplift of downtrodden people since 1975, aims to cater eye patients especially those suffering from cataract.
  Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Vice-President of the NGO Anil Jain said that with the initiative, Mahavir International will try to carry forward the legacy of its nearly three-decade-old selfless service to the masses. Jain said the new hospital, namely Lala Aman Singh Jain Charitable Eye Research and Medical Centre, will serve as an extension to the organisation's already running 'Doctors at Doorstep' program. It will be equipped with all modern eyecare facilities including state-of-the-art operation theatre, surgical operating microscope and
auto refractometer. He added that despite not receiving any kind of government aid, the organisation, under its different hospitals, is successfully operating more than 200 cataract cases on a monthly basis. It also organises weekly eye camps at different far-flung areas of the city. (PTI)  
 PIL seeks declaration of Tirumalai hill as ancient monument 
  Madurai, January 11, 2012 (PTI): A PIL seeking declaration of Tirumalai hill in Sivaganga district as an ancient monument was filed in the Madras High Court bench here today. Admitting the PIL, Justices Chitra Venkatraman and Karuppiah ordered issue of notice to the Central and State Archaeological Department heads, among others, returnable within 15 days.
  The petitioner contended that the hill in Tirumalai Konneripatti village in Sivaganga district had rock paintings, Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions, Jain beds and also a rock cut temple of Kluntheerswarar and Bagampiriya Ammai temple, dating back to the eighth century AD. He said all Jain abodes throughout India had been declared as monuments. This particular one was unique as both Jain inscriptions and temples were found in the same place.
  There were also 30 Tamil inscriptions of 13th Century. Similar rock paintings are not found anywhere in Tamil Nadu and only in another place in Madhya Pradesh, he said. Though he had made representations to the government on various occasions last year to protect the monument and declare it as an archaeological site, no action had been taken, he said. The petitioner also alleged that anti-socials are vandalising and defacing the monument.
   Assistant Advocate General Chellapandian submitted that Superintendent of Police had been asked to provide protection for the temple. The Judges then ordered notice to officials of the archaeological department of the state and centre.