The 32nd foundation day of the Shri Swami Samarth Annachatra Trust (Akkalkot) is to be celebrated along with the auspicious occasion of Guru Purnima on July 16. In the memory of the late Akkalkot King Shrimant Vijaysinhraje Bhosale, the Trust will organize the first Annual Swami Ratna, Swami Bhushan, and Swami Sevak Awards.

At the said ceremony, beloved music icon Padma Vibhushan Asha Bhosle will be awarded the first Swami Ratna National Award 2019 and honoured with a cash prize of Rs.5 lakh.

Marathi superstar Swwapnil Joshi and well-known poet/lyricist Shri N. D. Manohar will also be felicitated with the Swami Bhushan State Awards 2019, receiving cash prizes of Rs 1.25 lakh each.

The announcement of the First Swami Ratna Award to Asha Bhosle by the Shri Swami Samarth Annachatra Trust, Akkalkot, was made at Prabhu Kunj, in presence of Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Shri Janmejayraje Vijaysinhraje Bhosale, Shri Amolraje Janmejayraje Bhosale, Adinath Mangeshkar, Sudhir Gadgil, Krishna Mangeshkar, and the media fraternity.

Music Icon Asha Bhosle to receive Swami Ratna Award

Asha Bhosle at 32nd foundation day of the Shri Swami Samarth Annachatra Trust (Akkalkot)

Shri Swami Samarth Annachatra Trust was established on July 29, 1988, on the occasion of Guru Purnima. And hence the occasion has always held a special meaning for the Trust. As a result, the Trust has always celebrated its foundation day on the occasion of Guru Purnima, with grand joint celebrations that are famous in Maharashtra. Thousands of devotees from adjoining villages are expected to participate in the festivities.

The Shri Swami Samarth Annachatra Trust will celebrate the 32nd foundation day with a myriad of religious and cultural programmes planned from July 6-15, 2019. This is the 20th year of the programme.

All the devotees participating in the festivities will be provided with Maha Prasad twice a day, at no cost. Every day nearly 15-20 thousand devotees will eat the Maha Prasad. For the comfort of the out-station devotees, various kinds of inns, hotels, etc. offering non-A.C., A.C., suite, deluxe and V.I.P. suite stay options have been built, which have also contributed to the development of Akkalkot city.

Setting up pipelines spreading out eight km. from its own well, the Trust has been providing the city with 10 lakh litres of water every day for eight months, to combat the scarcity of water. All this work has been carried out for the benefit of the poor and down-trodden.

The Trust is always ready to lend a helping hand to those affected by earthquakes, famines, floods, etc., through their various programmes. For bringing the Swami Maharaj closer to his devotees, the Trust ensures his palki (carriage) is on the move in the state for eight months of the year.

Every year on the occasion of Guru Purnima and the Trust’s foundation day ceremony, ten days of festivities are held with religious and cultural activities. In 2019, for the first time, on July 15 (on Guru Purnima) at 6 pm, the first Swami awards will be held.

The celebrations will be held in the auspicious presence of Padmashri Pandit Hridyanath Mangeshkar and Yatinji Shaha and under the guidance of Shri Janmejayraje Vijaysinhraje Bhosale.

In the last 31 years, the Shri Swami Samarth Annachatra Trust has carried out the Swami’s wishes of providing nourishment to one and all. Born in a premier royal family, Shri Janmejayraje Vijaysinhraje Bhosale has established this Trust in the name of his Guru, Guru Swami Samarth Maharaj. Under his mentorship, the Trust has grown from strength to strength and carries out various activities for the progress and development of the place and its people. As of now, a 5-storey building is being constructed at the cost of Rs. 50 crore to house the dining halls, among other planned development. The Trust believes it’s the Swami Samarth Maharaj’s blessings that it has been able to carry out its activities untiringly.

This press council included Pandit Hridyanath Mangeshkar, Award Council President Shri Janmejayraje Vijaysinhraje Bhosale, Council in-charge Shri Amolraje Janmejayraje Bhosale, Shri Abhay Khobre, Shri Lala Rathod, Shri Sudhir ji Gadgil, Shrimati Anusha Srinivasan Iyer, Co-ordinator and Prashant Khobre among others.