Date:15/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/15/stories/2008121550540600.htm

Tamil Nadu

Mahaswamy darshan hall inaugurated

Staff Reporter

It houses rare pictures of Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati

KANCHEEPURAM: Sri Kanchi Mahaswami Darshan Hall, housing rare photographs of Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati, constructed by the Chennai-based Sri Sankara Bhaktha Jana Sabha Trust at Kancheepuram, was thrown open to the public on Saturday.

The trust had collected thousands of photographs from the followers of the Mahaswami. A studio owner at Meeraj in Maharashtra volunteered to donate all the photographs he had taken during the Mahaswami’s visit to Meeraj in early 1930s.

A total of 500 photographs, including those donated by The Hindu from its archives and a 12 by 10 feet Tanjore Art Painting depicting the Mahaswami performing ‘puja’ to Sri Chandramouleeswarar, have been displayed , according to trust secretary G.Vaidyanathan.

A 100-foot concrete ‘stupi’ has been constructed at the entrance to mark the Mahaswami’s existence on the earth for 100 years. The Darshan Hall, declared open by the honorary secretary, South Indian Education Society and Chairman of Shanmughananda Group of Institutions, Mumbai, V.Shankar, at 7.30 a.m. on Saturday, will remain open to the public, irrespective of caste, creed or religion, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. The trust will set up a corpus fund to take care of the maintenance of the hall.