More than one lakh students chanted ‘Vivekadeepini,’ composed by Shankaracharya, setting a record of sorts in an event that reverberated across the Palace Grounds here on Saturday.
The crowd flooded the entire ground and spread so far and wide that those at the edges could not even see the grand stage as the LCD screens projecting the events on the stage did not glow.
Apart from students from over 500 schools, a large number of the adults, most of them parents of the students, had descended on the
grounds.
All the students held a sheet of paper that carried ‘Viveka Deepini’ composition. There was a trial run with recital of two stanzas before the entire shloka was read.
Home Minister Amit Shah praised the work of Shankaracharya and stressed the need for spreading his message. Shah and Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa released four books.
There were long queues for lunch - Bisibele Bath and sweet - but nothing seemed out of the order as the food distribution system ensured smooth functioning at the stalls.