Hindu Munnani prints 50 lakh flyers for event

FRAMED as a spiritual gathering, the Muruga Bakthargal Maanadu scheduled in Madurai on June 22 is positioned by right-wing groups including the RSS, Hindu Munnani, VHP, and BJP as one of the largest religious mobilisation in Tamil Nadu in recent times.

- PEARSON LENEKAR S R @Tiruchy

The event, which centres on collective chanting of Kanda Sashti Kavasam, is also seen by saffron groups as an exercise to invoke Hindu identity and reinforce cultural consolidation. Unlike the earlier Vel Yatra, this time, the mobilisation is done by approaching devotional gatherings in temples, meeting pilgrimage groups and inviting seers of mutts, Hindu sects, dominant OBC-caste groups.