A large number of people participated in the voluntary blood donation camp organised by the Pejawar Blood Donating team and Udupi District Muslim Paryaya Souharda Samiti on the SMSP Sanskrit College premises here on Sunday.

The camp had been organised as a mark of respect to Vishwesha Tirtha Swami of Pejawar Mutt, who will be ascending the Paryayat Peetha for a record fifth time on Monday.

Inaugurating the camp, Vishwesha Tirtha Swami of Pejawar Mutt said that the bonds between the Hindu and Muslim communities should become stronger.

The Muslim community had fully co-operated in the run up to his fifth Paryaya, he said.

Members of the District Muslim Paryaya Souharda Samiti had supplied buttermilk to his devotees on his “Pura Pravesha” (entry to the city) on January 4.

The samiti had also donated foodgrains and vegetables as “horekanike” a few days ago.

Now, they had organised a blood donation camp on the eve of Paryaya. This showed their harmonious nature.

“The spirit of cooperation between Hindus and Muslims should increase. This should become a model to the country” he said.

He recalled that his preceptor’s guru, that is his guru’s guru, Vishwajna Tirtha, had accepted ‘horekanike’ from the philanthropist Haji Abdullah Saheb, also the founder of Corporation Bank, during his Paryaya in 1904.

Haji Abubakar Parkala, president of the samiti, Mohammed Arif, secretary, and others were present.

source:  http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Udupi – January 18th, 2016