Spiritual conclave ‘Manthan’ begins in Bhubaneswar; explores life’s queries

Spiritual congregation titled ‘Manthan’, drawing attention as the largest event of its kind in Odisha, commenced in Bhubaneswar on Thursday.

Organised by the well-known spiritual and entertainment channel Prarthana Life, the event aims to address profound existential questions that resonate deeply and typically within Indian spirituality.

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Among the notable figures participating are celebrated life coach Jaya Kishori and renowned author and motivational speaker Akshat Gupta, alongside other esteemed personalities both from Odisha and across the country.

The conclave is divided into six vital sessions, each dedicated to exploring themes such as ethics, ancient scriptures, mental health, and yoga. The event seeks to shed light on some of life’s greatest mysteries, both understood and undiscovered.

The opening session was dedicated to discussions on yoga, with insights into the roles and philosophies of yogis, effectively setting the stage for the sessions to follow.

“The meaning of Yoga has been squeezed, which has a universal appeal. Yoga is the ultimate spiritual reality contributing to the realisation of Aryan Truths. It can emancipate us from all materialistic sorrows and sufferings. Yoga, in fact, has many applications which have not been taken advantage of, to the fullest extent so far,” Mahabodhi Research Centre director, Buddhadatta Thera expressed.

“Many people perform Yoga every day but are not free from suffering. They do not have peace in them; do not have tolerance, patience, and contentment in them as well. They are unable to find out the purpose of life. Yoga is not something external; it is also something internal. The realisation of the Truth within oneself is Yoga,” Buddhadatta Thera opined.

“At a time when words such as ‘Madam’ were coming from the European countries and ‘Aurat’ was coming from the Arabian countries to India, our forefathers started addressing any unknown woman as ‘Devi Ji’. Can these three words ever be compared?” the noted motivational speaker Akshat Gupta questioned.

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“If our younger generations in India start addressing women as ‘Devi Ji’, undoubtedly, they will perceive ‘Annapurna’ in every woman – an air hostess who serves us on a flight or a female waiter who attends to us at a restaurant,” Akshat Gupta stated.

"Earlier this conclave was called Prarthana Samman, which has been renamed as Manthan, where we will bring people from the same field to talk about various spiritual subjects. Our aim is to facilitate people who depend on spirituality," said Co-Founder and MD of Odisha Television Network, Jagi Mangat Panda.