Mysuru:  Marking the 164th Jayanti of Brahmasri Narayana Guru, the District Administration and the Department of Kannada and Culture had organised a function at Kalamandira here yesterday.

Inaugurating the programme after showering flowers to the portrait of Narayana Guru, Additional DC T. Yogesh opined that good thoughts and principles of any person coming from any community or place should be emulated.

He said that Narayana Guru though not hailing from Karnataka was a great human being who was able to define the true personality needed of a human. He added that the principles of Narayana Guru should be followed eternally.

Delivering a special lecture on Narayana Guru, Gangavathi-based Advocate Nagaraj S. Guttedar recalled that Narayana Guru, born in an untouchable-listed family in a tiny village in Kerala, renounced material comforts at the age of 26 and went on to become a great social reformer.

He said that Narayana Guru established more than 70 temples with free access to all communities and thus became a great social reformer. He added that Narayana Guru also revolutionised the education system in Kerala with the State being reckoned as the top most in literacy rate in the country.

Continuing, Nagaraj said that there was a connection between Narayana Guru and Mysuru. Elaborating on that, he said that Dr. Palpu, former Vice-President of Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP), established in Kerala by Narayana Guru, was earlier the Chief Medical Officer of Mysuru Maharaja. When Swami Vivekananda visited Mysuru, Dr. Palpu met the Swami and asked for a solution to the rampant inequality problem in Kerala. The Swami told Dr. Paplu that one young man (Narayana Guru) was working hard on the subject and hence suggested Dr. Palpu to join the mission of the young man.

MCC Commissioner K.H. Jagadeesha, MUDA Commissioner P.S. Kantharaj, Tahsildar Ramesh Babu, Department of Kannada and Culture Assistant Director H. Channappa, MUDA Superintending Engineer Suresh Babu, District Idigara Sangha President M.K. Pothraj, Hon. President J.P. Pujari, Women’s Wing President Sarojamma Papegowda and others were present during the programme.