Scores of Hindus are on a visit to Athens, Greece, to take part in Morari Bapu's much-celebrated annual Ram Katha.
Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis attended the opening day of the Hindu recital, and welcomed Bapu and hundreds of pilgrims to the Greek capital.
Kaminis spoke on how welcome the Katha and its attendees were and talked of the importance of unity among human beings, and how dialogue between people of different faiths is crucial to break down barriers and create unity. Kaminis paid his tribute to the Katha, calling it a way of celebrating the things that unite us.
Bapu chose Athens this year as a way of paying tribute to the works of great philosopher Socrates. In the coming few days, he is expected to talk about his teachings, and associate their relevance in the 21stcentury through parables. Bapu will also talk about the Socratic Method to pose questions about what makes one truly happy and how to best prioritise the importance of the mind.
The yearly event is always flanked by top leaders from across the globe, and this year is no different with several diplomatic guests expected, including Indian Ambassador to Greece and the Deputy British Ambassador to Greece.
Speaking to Asian Voice, Lord Dolar Popat shared the efforts and work put behind bringing the event together.
“There has been a team working night and day to bring this event together for the past six months. They have had so many difficulties to overcome, and to see it all come together is absolutely amazing. Bapu really wanted to have an opportunity to talk about the commonalities between ancient Greece and India, and the influence of ancient Greek philosophy on all of our lives. To hear the parallels between Hinduism and the work of Socrates really poses a lot of interesting questions.”
Lord Popat added, “I have had the pleasure of attending many Kathas and visiting some amazing cities, but given the turbulence that Greece has been through in the past few years and the doubts on many occasions about whether we could bring this event together, this may well be the most impressive Katha yet.”
