A forty-day Sampoorna Rigveda chanting, started on November 17, concluded at Sri Balambika Sametha Vaidyanathaswamy Temple at Vaidyanathapuram here on Thursday. The programme was organised by Sri Jyothir Mahalingeswara Veda Patasala (veda school) at Kalpathy.
The continuous chanting of Rig Veda (‘Ghana’), by eight eminent Vedic scholars for forty days was a big attraction for Veda lovers. The Vedas are split into four kinds (varieties) — Rig, Yajur, Sama, and Atharvaa.
“Aadiveda, the Rig Veda, contains eight ‘ashtakas.’ There are eight methods of reciting the same and ‘Ghana’ is one of them,” said K. Ganapathi, one of the organisers of the chanting.
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Under the ‘Ghana,’ the words were recited repeatedly, with perfect ‘swara.’ It was hard to memorise it and required rigorous practice.
Presently, ‘Ghana’ learning was not in vogue in Kerala. The recitation was organised to revive the tradition of ‘Ghana’ learning and to motivate young students to undertake the study of Rig Veda. The event was organised for the first time in Kerala, said Mr. Ganapathi.