Mangaluru: Close to ascend the Paryaya for a record fifth time, chief pontiff of Pejawar Math Vishwesha Teertha Swami on Sunday, January 3, gave a call to the Hindus to work for the betterment of people irrespective of religion, caste or any other parameters.

Addressing the mammoth gathering at Town Hall here during a programme held under the joint aegis of Mangaluru City Corporation and Poura Sammana Samithi, Vishwesha Teertha Swami said that every individual must respect all religions and people of all faith. Welfare of the world should be our motto, he stressed.

He further said that Muslims and Christians from Mangaluru and Kasargod invited him to their religious programmes due to their love and affection towards him and that is the way to take things forward towards a peaceful and harmonious society.

He urged the people to not stick to idol worship but see God in one another. He said that only when a person deals with the problems of the other as his own, he will become a true devotee. He gave a call to promote education and social service to the maximum adding it was the only way to build a healthier society.

Earlier, the seer was brought to the Town Hall from Sharavu Mahaganapathi temple. Cultural programmes began at the Town Hall from 3.30 pm. Minister for Sports, Youth Affairs and Fisheries Abhayachandra Jain, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, MLAs JR Lobo and Moideen Bava, MLCs Ivan D’Souza and Capt Ganesh Karnik were present among others.

Vishweshwa Teertha Swami will be ascending the paryaya on January 18 for the fifth time. No seer of the Ashta Mutts (Eight mutts) of Udupi has ascended the Paryaya Peetha five times, since the biennial Paryaya system was introduced in 1522 A.D.

The Paryaya will be in the month of January next year. The 84-year-old Sri Vishwesha Tirtha Swami ascended the peetha in the year 1952, 1968, 1984 and 2000.