Two-day religious event to feature mass wedding, Kesari Sangama and Annadana
Puttur, 28 September 2026: Preparatory meeting for the Girija Kalyanotsava, organised by the Puthila Parivara Seva Trust as part of the fourth-year celebrations of its Srinivasa Kalyanotsava, was held at Subhadra Kala Mandira, Mukrampady, on September 27.
Two-day Girija Kalyanotsava will be held on December 12 and 13 at Devara Marugadde of the Sri Mahalingeshwara Temple in Puttur. Providing details of the programme, Trust convener Arun Kumar Puthila said the organisation has been involved in both social and religious activities and has been conducting the Srinivasa Kalyanotsava for the past three years.
He said the earlier programmes had provided devotees who were unable to travel to Tirupati an opportunity to participate in the Srinivasa Kalyanotsava and seek the blessings of Lord Venkateshwara in Puttur.
According to Arun Kumar Puthila, devotees had expressed their desire for a Girija Kalyanotsava during the previous programme. He also said that astrologers had suggested during a traditional Prashna Chintana at the Sri Mahalingeshwara Temple that conducting a Girija Kalyanotsava in front of the temple would be beneficial for the welfare of the community.
“Following the wishes of devotees and what we consider divine inspiration, the Girija Kalyanotsava is being organised this year,” he said. He added that a Laksha Bilvarchane will be offered to Lord Mahalingeshwara on December 12 as part of the programme.
Mass wedding to be held again
A mass wedding was organised during last year's Srinivasa Kalyanotsava as part of the centenary celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and to commemorate the third-year celebrations of the event.
A mass wedding will also be held this year as part of the Girija Kalyanotsava. The weddings will take place at the auspicious time of 11.20 a.m. on December 13. Five couples have already registered, he said. Arun Kumar Puthila said arrangements would be made to conduct the weddings on a grand scale, similar to a traditional wedding ceremony.
Kesari Sangama and religious gathering
A religious gathering titled Kesari Sangama will be held on the evening of December 12, the first day of the event. According to the organisers, 11 seers and heads of religious institutions will participate and deliver blessings during the programme.
Girija Kalyanotsava on December 13
On December 13, bhajans and kunitha bhajana performances by hundreds of bhajana groups will be held from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Religious ceremonies associated with the Girija Kalyana will follow, with the two-day programme scheduled to conclude around 8.30 p.m. Organisers appealed to volunteers and devotees to participate and support the event as they would a family function.
Annadana for around two lakh people
Breakfast and Annadana will be arranged throughout the two-day programme. The organisers expect food to be served to around two lakh people. As part of the cultural programme, a team from Kerala will present a special bhajan programme on the night of December 12, which the organisers said would be held in the district for the first time.
Arun Kumar Puthila said the programmes were being organised without political or caste considerations and described them as an initiative centred on the Hindu community.
Girija Kalyanotsava committee announced
Organisers also announced the Girija Kalyanotsava committee. Dr. Akhilesh Panaje has been appointed president, Anil Kumar Kannarnuji working president and Anil Tenkila general secretary.
Mugerodi Balakrishna Rai, Gundiyadka Vasu Poojary, Raghu Bellippady, Monappa Purusha Mugeradkka and Ganesh Kamath Uppinangady have been appointed honorary presidents. Conveners and co-conveners of various sub-committees were announced by Trust organising secretary Umesh Kodibail.
Speaking after his appointment, committee president Dr. Akhilesh Panaje said the responsibility was significant and expressed confidence that the team would conduct the programme with devotion and grandeur.
Honorary president Mugerodi Balakrishna Rai spoke about his long association with Hindu organisations and expressed support for the initiative. Honorary president Raghu Bellippady said he had been given an important responsibility and said members of the Dalit community would also extend their cooperation to the programme. Working president Anil Kannarnuji said the previous three Srinivasa Kalyanotsava programmes had been conducted on a large scale and appealed to people from across the region to participate in the Girija Kalyanotsava.
Trust president Sriram Bhat Pathala, who presided over the meeting, said the Srinivasa Kalyanotsava was being conducted as part of the Trust's service-oriented activities. He said the Trust had also undertaken social initiatives, including Aadhaar correction camps, and appealed to people to make use of such services.
Trust general secretaries Prajwal Ghate and Harish Maruvala, treasurer Sujith Kaje, and Seetha Parivara president Prema Radhakrishna Rai were present.
Seetha Parivara general secretary Annapurna S. Kerao offered the prayer. Organising secretary Umesh Kodibail welcomed the gathering. Ravikumar Rai Kedambady compered the programme, while newly appointed general secretary Anil Tenkila proposed the vote of thanks.
Large turnout at preparatory meeting
Preparatory meeting at Subhadra Kala Mandira witnessed a large gathering of devotees and supporters. Auditorium was packed, with people also standing along the sides and outside the venue as seating capacity was reached.
Trust says ₹2.93 crore spent on programmes
Providing details of expenditure, Arun Kumar Puthila said the three Srinivasa Kalyanotsava programmes conducted by the Trust had incurred expenses of around ₹2.32 crore. He said the accounts had been maintained transparently and presented.
Arun Kumar Puthila also said that three ambulances were currently operating and that the Trust planned to extend ambulance services to all villages in Puttur in the future. According to him, the Trust had spent a total of around ₹2.93 crore on various programmes so far, with financial and organisational support from donors and volunteers.
Keywords: Girija Kalyanotsava Puttur, Puthila Parivara Seva Trust, Puttur religious event, Srinivasa Kalyanotsava, mass wedding Puttur, Sri Mahalingeshwara Temple, Puttur Suddi, Puttur News Today, Citizen News Puttur