Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair 2017 at Thiruvananthapuram

Vivekananda Kendra Thiruvananthapuram received an invitation from Hindu Spiritual & Service Fair 2017 to arrange a stall in the fair. VKVVF, Kodungallur, VK Nagercoil and VK Thiruvananthapuram jointly organised the Exhibition cum Sale stall from 2 Feb to 5 Feb 2017 at Pujapura stadium, Thiruvanantha puram. Nearly 120 Hindu organizations took part in this HSSF 2017.

Vivekananda Kendra was given a space of 30X10 ft. to showcase its activities. Utilizing this space VK organised the following exhibitions:

1. Vishwabhanu: An exhibition on the life and message of Swami Vivekananda in Mural painting style (a traditional painting style of Kerala) 40X3.5 ft. based on the Khandakavya “Vishwa Bhanu” in Sanskrit on Swamiji by Dr. P.K. Narayana Pillai (Scholar in Sanskrit). Mural paintings were done by Sri K.K. Warrier of Indian School of Arts, Kochi.

2. Samarpanam: An exhibition on the life and message of Bhagini Nivedita (31 panels of 4X2.5 ft.) specially prepared for the celebration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Bhagini Nivedita.

3. Activities of VK: Activities of VK were displayed on 10X10 ft. panel.

4. Sales: Around 105 titles of Vivekananda Kendra, VKVVF and VK Nardep publications were displayed for sales. Different Siddha medicines prepared by the self-help group of VKNARDEP were also there for sales/exhibition.

The Stall was inaugurated by Sri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Chairman, HSSF, & MP, Rajya Sabha on 2 Feb 2017 at 7.00 pm, immediately after the inauguration of the main Fair. 

Themes of the fair: Foster Women’s Honour, Preserve Ecology, Sustain Environment & Conserve Forest and Instil Patriotism. Various programmes were organized to inculcate thematic Samskarams from 10.30 am to 9.00pm on all days. 

There were 60 stalls from various Hindu organisations to showcase their activities. Exhibitions in different stalls were educative not only to the public but also for the various organisations who were taking part in the Fair.

11 volunteers from VK worked full time for 4 days and few volunteers gave few hours in the stall to manage various activities like explaining the exhibition, helping in sales, distributing VK brochures and collecting addresses and other details of the visitors. The stall received continuous, flow of visitors on all the four days. In all approximately five thousand people visited. 

Volunteers could collect details of 620 people who visited our stall, for making use of the future activities of VK. Many dignitaries visited the stall and appreciated the exhibitions. VK got invitations from different organizations to conduct similar exhibitions in their respective places. Few people recalled their association with VK in various places. Around Rs 40,000/- worth books and novelties were sold.

Dignitaries who visited the stall during the fair.

1. Sri O. Rajagopalan, MLA, Trivandrum

2. Sri Rajeev Chandra Sekhar, MP, Rajya Sabha

3. Sri Sukumaran, Well known satirist, and cartoonist, Trivandrum

4. Sri Gurumurthy, Chennai

5. Swami Bhuvanatamanandaji. Ramakrishna Math, Kayamkulam

6. Sri Rahul Eswar, Well known orator and critic

7. Col. R.G. Nair, Trivandrum.

8. Sri Kummanamji, BJP State President, Trivandrum

9. Sri Ganesh Subramanyam, Well Known Nano sculptor.

10. Sri Ranjit Kartikeyan, General Convenor of HSS, Trivandrum.

11. Sri Gurvant Singh, National Co-ordinator, HSS Foundation, Chennai

12. Sri Vande Vara Jyothi Swamiji, Buddhist Monk, Bangalore

13. Sri Gyani Darbar Singh, Bangalore