Jayendra Saraswathi, the 69th Shankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, passed away in Tamil Nadu's Kancheepuram on Wednesday. He was 82.
The senior seer was admitted to a private hospital in Kancheepuram after he complained of uneasiness. He had been ailing for some time. He was admitted to a private hospital in Chennai last month. His body will be kept at the Mutt premises for the public to pay their respects till 7 am on Thursday after which he will be laid to rest at the premises itself.
As the news of the passing away of the senior seer spread, thousands of people have gathered at the Mutt to get a last glimpse of the seer and to pay their respects. The temples and commercial establishments in the temple town have been closed in respect of the deceased Mutt head.
The junior pontiff Vijayendra Saraswathi will succeed Jayendra Saraswathi. The mutt was established by Adi Shankaracharya about 2,520 years ago.
Born Subramanyam Mahadeva Iyer on July 18, 1935 at Irulneeki in Tiruvarur district, he was given the title Sri Jayendra Saraswathi on March 22, 1954, by Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi who appointed him as his successor. He assumed charge as the Peetathipathi of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham on March 22, 1994, after the demise the senior pontiff.
Unlike his predecessor, Jayendra Sarawasthi led a high profile life and enjoyed a good rapport with many high-level politicians across the country. He also tried his hand in mediating the Ayodhya dispute unsuccessfully. During his tenure as a head of the Mutt, he expanded its services through its educational and medicals institutions.
Jayendra Saraswathi was also got embroiled in controversies. On August 23, 1987, he mysteriously disappeared from the mutt abdicating the religious seat but to be traced in Talacauvery in Karnataka three days later. As the seat of the Math could not be left unoccupied, then senior seer anointed Vijayendra Saraswathi who is the chosen successor of Jayendra Saraswathi as the 70th Shankaracharya. On his return, he launched the movement 'Jana Kalyan Jana Jagaran' with the twin objective of service to the people and awakening the masses but it failed to make any headway.
The arrest of Jayendra Saraswathi, the head of the one of the oldest Mutt in the country, along with his junior Vijayendra, in connection with the murder of Sankararaman, manager of the Varadharajaperumal temple in Kancheepuram sent shockwaves across the country. Two seers and 22 other accused were acquitted by a Puducherry court in 2013 after the prosecution failed to prove the case following several witnesses turning hostile. He was also acquitted in the one-time Mutt associate Radhakrishnan assault case as well in 2016.
President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, DMK Working President MK Stalin, PMK founder S Ramadoss and others condoled the demise of the Shankaracharya.
"Our country has lost a spiritual leader and social reformer of rare eminence. My condolences to his countless disciples and followers," the President said in a tweet on Jayendra Saraswathi's death.
Modi expressed anguish over the death of the "institution builder". "He will live on in the hearts and minds of lakhs of devotees due to his exemplary service and noblest thoughts," he said. Congress President Rahul Gandhi said that he was saddened to hear about the death of the seer. Palaniswami said apart from spiritual work, Jayendra Saraswathi was actively involved in social development activities.
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