Mysore/Mysuru: The ten-day-long 80th birthday celebrations of Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji, which were held with great enthusiasm at Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Ashram’s Nada Mantapa on Nanjangud Road, concluded last evening.

On May 22, the inauguration of various programmes organised as part of Swamiji’s 80th birthday, Swamiji’s mother Jayalakshmi Mata’s 100th birth anniversary and 24th anniversary of Nada Mantapa were held.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a virtual address, greeted the Swamiji on that day and hailed Swamiji’s contributions to mankind. On the same day, a 63 feet Hanuma Dwara (Main Entrance) was also inaugurated.

For the next 10 days, many special programmes were held at Nada Mantapa from morning till evening. On most of the days, ‘Chaitanya Aradhana’ programmes were held where scholars and achievers were honoured by conferring various awards by the Avadootha Datta Peetham.

Scholars and achievers from Mysuru as well as across the country and globe were honoured with the prestigious Datta Peetham Awards.

Cultural programmes like music and dance were held at Nada Mantapa on every evening.

Free health camps were organised on all the 10 days helping thousands of people. Free eye check-up camps were also held and surgeries arranged for the needy by the Datta Peetham and spectacles were distributed. Thousands were given clothes to mark the occasion.

Mass feeding (Annadana) was organised on all the 10 days of the celebrations. In addition, equipment worth Rs.12 lakh were distributed to the specially disabled and economically backward persons. Thousands of devotees from across the world came to the Ashram to greet the Swamiji and sought his blessings.

Various religious heads also visited the Ashram to greet Sri Ganapathy Swamiji.

Religious activities and felicitation to scholars and achievers were held daily at the Ashram.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi,  Goa CM Pramod Sawant, Governors of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana Anandiben Patel and Bandaru Dattatreya, Karnataka Assembly Speaker Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri, many political leaders including Mysuru District Minister S.T. Somashekar, MP Pratap Simha, various community leaders visited the Ashram to greet the Swamiji and sought his blessings.

A procession of Sri Ganapathy Swamiji in a 750 kg-palanquin was taken around the Ashram as per the wishes of his devotees.

As a prelude to the birthday celebrations, Junior Pontiff of the Ashram Sri Datta Vijayananda Theertha Swamiji had embarked on a “Vishwashanti Padayatra” from May 13 to 18 from Swamiji’s birth place at Mekedatu to Mysuru Ashram.

In all, the 80th birthday celebrations of the Sri Swamiji were held in a meaningful manner.