Moodbidri: Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan on Thursday lamented that, “religion which advocates peace has been used as a tool to kill each others.”

Despite being educated and achieving excellence in science, still people exploit religion as an instrument to spread hatred and kill.

He was speaking after receiving the Alva’s Virasat Award, the 21th annual cultural event, which is being held at Vidyagiri near Moodbidri.

In his brief speech, he said, ‘I expected peace and harmony in the 21st century. But, we still kill people on account of religion. In our family, we feel connected to each other with every soul and religion through music. We feel that we have a common god and common race”, Khan added.

He told the vast audience: “I hope, with your blessings and good wishes, we will continue to spread the message of peace through our music.”

Earlier, Mr. Khan was brought to the stage in a procession in which about 15 art troupes, including the Mookambika Chande Baaga of Konchadi, Mangaluru, took part. The Virasat award carries a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh, and a memento. The Sarod player was accompanied by his wife Subbalakshmi Khan.

Chairman of Nitte Education Trust N. Vinay Hegde said that the purpose of education was to build personalities and urged the students to excel in one chosen field.

Earlier, Minister in-charge of Dakshina Kannada B. Ramanath Rai, who inaugurated the four-day cultural event in the absence of Dharmadhikari of Shri Kshethra Dharmasthala D. Veerendra Heggade, said that Moodbidri had emerged as a centre where misunderstandings between people had been replaced by communal harmony.

Chairman of Alva’s Education Foundation M. Mohan Alva shared the dais.