BIG EVENT: Women reciting `Soundarya Lahari' at the Palace Grounds in Bangalore on Sunday. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

BANGALORE: The former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani on Sunday said that the entire Hindu society should unite, transcending the identities of caste, sub-caste, language and economic status, and should feel a sense of pride in being a Hindu.

The BJP leader was speaking here after inaugurating "Soundarya Lahari Vaibhava", the mass recitation of Soundarya Lahari, organised by the Vedanta Bharathi. The Hindu society should once again begin to see the greatness of India's spiritual, cultural and intellectual heritage, the former BJP president added.

Diverse roles

Delving on Soundarya Lahari, he said that it was one of the many priceless works of poetry and philosophy left behind by Adi Shankaracharya, who played the multiple roles of a seer, poet, social reformer and national integrator, all in a short span.

Mr. Advani said, "Soundarya Lahari celebrates the beauty of the Mother of the Universe and she embodies within herself truth, divinity and beauty. It is a poetic celebration of the Mother Cult and of the Supreme Mother who is the creator of everything in this universe and we worship Universal Mother as Shakti in various forms."

He said there were countless places of Shakti worship in India.

Mr. Advani pointed out, "She is worshipped as Uma in the Himalayas, Kali in Bengal, Mahakali in Ujjain, Kamakhya in Assam, Kamakshi in Kanchi, Amba in Kashmir and Chamundeshwari in Mysore."

Soon after the inaugural function, more than 50,000 women who had congregated at the Palace Ground participated in the mass recitation of Soundarya Lahari.

`Biggest recitation'

The performance that lasted for over an hour is believed to be one of the biggest recitation of Soundarya Lahari in the country for which training had been imparted over the last three months.

M.R. Sumitra, a resident of Girinagar in Bangalore, who participated in the mass recitation said, "Reciting Soundarya Lahari provides peace of mind to me and I will continue to recite even after the programme."

Shankara Bharathi Swamiji of Yoganandeshwara Saraswathi Math of K.R. Nagar and a large number of Sanskrit scholars were present.

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