Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Tuesday stated that the national capital continues to draw inspiration from India’s enduring civilisational values. He made the remarks while welcoming Shankaracharya Shri Shankara Vijayendra Saraswati Swamigal of the Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham at an India Foundation programme held at the Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre.
Significance of hosting a living spiritual tradition
Addressing an audience that included policymakers, diplomats and scholars, Sandhu described it as a privilege for the Capital to host one of India’s oldest living spiritual traditions. He also congratulated the India Foundation for bringing together participants from different fields for the programme.
Three pillars of the Peetham: Veda, Vidya, Vaidya
Calling the Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham a living civilisational institution established by Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya at Kanchipuram, Sandhu said it has preserved an unbroken lineage of 71 Acharyas for more than 2,500 years. He elaborated that the institution has carried forward its legacy through three pillars: Veda, by preserving Vedic scholarship; Vidya, through integrated Pathashalas and institutions such as the Sri Chandrashekharendra Saraswati Vishwa Mahavidyalaya; and Vaidya, through a network of charitable healthcare institutions serving communities across the country.
Efforts beyond religious traditions
Sandhu also highlighted the Peetham’s work beyond religious traditions, referring to its efforts to strengthen national integration through spiritual outreach in the North East and Jammu and Kashmir. He further noted its initiatives to preserve India’s heritage through manuscript digitisation and the revival of traditional temple architecture.
Delhi’s journey towards Viksit Bharat
Concluding his address, L-G Sandhu said Delhi, as the country’s capital and a meeting point of diverse traditions and communities, continued to draw deep inspiration from such civilisational institutions in its journey towards a Viksit Bharat. He stated that the timeless values nurtured by the Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham would continue to guide this collective journey with wisdom and harmony, before offering his respectful pranaams to Shankaracharya Shri Shankara Vijayendra Saraswati Swamigal and requesting the Shankaracharya to bless the gathering with his benedictory address.
