Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – evening – May 20, 2018 – Mysore
Compiled by Archana Penukonda
Sri Maha Ganapataye Namaha
Sri Saraswatyai Namaha
Sri Padavallabha Narasimha Saraswati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya Namaha
The 19th year of Brahmotsavas is starting. There are many people here from countries around the world. I am very happy. Ramadas (Karnataka MLA) is here victorious – I am happy. I pushed his program up a couple days, so he found a different route to come to the Ashram.
Once I landed in Bengaluru (from France), I went straight to the polls because I felt I would change my mind once I enter the ashram. Everyone must exercise his/her right to vote. Do not just sit at home. It is a time of test for us. I moved up the date of return from France so I could vote. I told Prasad I had to leave France that very day. There were no flights available on our route for that day or the next day. We found another route to get to India and went to vote right after we landed.
We should not get lazy because we have a holiday. We would lose money if we simply missed our scheduled flight to take another one. I said it was okay to lose money; it was okay to not have good food or sleep on the plane. It was important to vote. I saw Ramadas stand there at the airport and I had to go and vote for him. That is why he was able to boldly state his pledge towards his constituency today.
The programs marking the 19th of year Brahmotsavas has started. We are coming to the end of the 18th year now. The entire year will be victorious. There are many good programs from tomorrow. Let us all participate in the programs. I asked that Parakala Swamy be invited to the Brahmotsavas each year. We offer our salutations to that Peetham. It is a very ancient Peetham. He is a noble soul.
It was nice to see the photos from the all the trips. (Sri H. V. Prasad did a pictorial presentation on Pujya Swamiji’s trips in the last one year). I had almost forgotten that I went to those places. All Brahmotsavas take place in the Datta Venkata temple. Pujas start early in the morning.