Special Correspondent
Panaji: Shreemad Vidyadheesh Teerth Shreepad Wader Swami of Partagali Math on Friday bestowed the prestigious ‘Vidyadhiraj Award’ on well-known Goan industrialist and philanthropist, Shrinivas Dempo, on the occasion of the Math’s Foundation Day, at the Math premises.
The Swamiji also presented other awards to followers and devotees of the Partagali Math, including the Jeevottam Puraskar to Amarnath Kamath (Bengaluru), Shrinivas Bhat (Mumbai) and Anil Pai (Goa), and the Purushottam Puraskar to Vedmurthy Shridhar Bhat (Gokarn).
Minister for Public Works Digambar Kamat and noted industrialist Audhut Timblo were also present on the occasion.
Delivering his ‘ashirvachan’ – the words of blessings – the Swamiji said that the Math honours its community members with awards, for their contributions of various types including philanthropy towards Math or temples. “We want to recognise these Math followers and encourage them through these awards,” he added.
“The Math has been expressing its admiration towards community members through awards however my predecessor Shrimad Vidyadhiraj Teerth Swamiji had given me a very prominent award in the form of the seat of the head of this monastery,” he said.
The Swamiji said that Shrinivas Dempo, who has been serving the Partagali Math for 25 years as the president of the Math committee, has displayed exemplary loyalty towards the monastery. “I may have vision, ideas or strategies for the Math, but the financial reference is important in order to implement them,” he said, adding, “Shrinivas Dempo has been a trouble shooter for the Math by providing funds for its enhancement and growth.”
Digambar Kamat, speaking on the occasion, recalled that the Math is also involved in many social works such as the Vidyadhiraj Charitable Trust offering education for the rural children at Panvel, in Maharashtra. He added that the biggest achievement of the previous Swamiji of the Partagali Math is the choice of the present Swamiji, who has remodelled the entire Math as also its working, without compromising on its past glory.
Dempo, in his award acceptance speech, said that the award is a ‘kaul-prasad’, the holy blessing from the Math and its deities namely Shree Ramdev and Shree Veer Vitthal. “Swamiji is a visionary in the real sense of the word, and by focussing his vision on the era of globalisation, he is leading the society ahead,” he said, adding, “The Swamiji is also running the Math activities by keeping the glorious traditions of the Math intact, on one hand, while accepting the changes brought about by the new age, on the other.”
Kamath said that whatever little he could achieve and contribute for the Partagali Math was due to the guidance of his elders and encouragement of his friends.
Pai said that he received the award as a reward for his devotion and service towards the Partagali Math. He also recalled that he was introduced to the Math and the past head of the monastery by the noted journalist and Konkani protagonist, Chandrakant Keni, after which he dedicated himself to the work and activities of the Math.
Earlier, Dempo and the vice-president of the Math committee, R R Naik performed Padyapuja of Swamiji.
The Swamiji also released a Bhajan – Swami Stuti – by Kiran Naik, while executive director, Dempo Industries Pallavi Dempo presented copies of special supplements brought out by ‘The Navhind Times’ and ‘Navprabha’ on the occasion of 551st Foundation Day of the Partagali Math.
Anil Pai compered the award ceremony, which was followed by a palanquin procession of the Math deity.
