Hindus urged to accommodate sants, sadhus during Udupi Dharma Sansad

Udupi, Nov 8: Around 2,500 sants and sadhus are expected to participate in the Dharma Sansad to be held here from November 24 to 26, according to M.B. Puranik, general secretary of the Reception Committee of the three day meet.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Puranik said that besides attending the Dharma Sansad, the sants and sadhus were expected to turn out in large numbers because this was the historic fifth Paryaya of Vishwesha Tirtha of Pejawar Mutt.

But accommodating such a large number of sants and sadhus was a challenge. Already, the reception committee had made arrangements for accommodation of about 1,200 sants and sadhus in houses.

But another 800 sants and sadhus had to be accommodated. Members of the Hindu community in the city should voluntarily come forward to accommodate these holy men.

This was not the first time that such an appeal was being made. He recalled that when the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) held a convention here in 1968, such an appeal was made to people to host the sadhus and sants. The people of the temple town had voluntarily come forward and accommodated them, Mr. Puranik said.

P. Vilas Nayak, president of district unit of the VHP, said that ideally such houses should be located within a 15-km radius of the city so that the sants and sadhus could be brought to the venue of the Dharma Sansad daily during the three days of the convention. It would be the responsibility of the house owners who hosted the sants and sadhus to bring them to the venue and take them back on the three days.

Those interested in hosting the sants and sadhus, may call the following phone numbers: 0820-2524641, 9060526477 or 9945363495, he said.