Mangaluru : A ‘shobha yatra’ will be held from Jyothi to programme venue, with tableaux, chende vadana, bhajan teams, cultural teams and many other artistes. At 4 pm the formal ceremony will start. Sri Vishweshateertha Swamiji of Pejawar Math will bless the occasion. Dr Veerendra Heggade will preside over the ceremony. Sadhwi Balika Saraswati will address the gathering. By 5:30 pm said M.B. Puranik, regional working president, Vishwa Hindu Parishad here on Thursday, Feb 26.

As many as one lakh people are expected to attend the Hindu Samajotsava at the Nehru Maidan on March 1, he said

Addressing presspersons here on Thursday, he said that the convention would be organised to celebrate the golden jubilee of the parishad and not to exhibit the might and strength of Hindus. It was also to unite Hindus to face “future challenges” which he did not elaborate.

Admitting that there were some “internal issues” within Hinduism, he said that they would be addressed through unity. He said that Hinduism respected those who did not believe in God. A classic example would be giving Charvaka, a non-believer in God, giving the status of ‘muni’ (sage).

He said that a procession would be taken out from Ambedkar Circle to the maidan at 2 p.m. The stage function would start at 4 p.m. and end at 5.30 p.m. Pejawar Mutt seer Vishvesha Tirtha, Dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala D. Veerendra Heggade and Sadhwi Balika Saraswati from Madhya Pradesh will address the gathering.

Vijaya Vittalanatha Shetty, president, Swarna Mahotsava Utsava Samiti, alleged that some forces were attempting to destabilise organising the utsava.

Jagadeesh Shenava, district president, VHP, said that private bus owners have agreed to spare 500 buses for free to bring people to the convention. He said that though some attempts to provoke the organisers had been made, the VHP has exhibited tolerance.