A seven-century-old unwritten edict followed by Sri Krishna temple was upturned when the pontiff of Puttige mutt, Sugunendra Teertha, took over as the mutt’s administer.
BANGALORE: A seven-century-old unwritten edict followed by the eight Udupi mutts in Karnataka’s Sri Krishna temple was upturned at 5.55 am on Friday when the foreign-returned pontiff of Puttige mutt, Sugunendra Teertha, took over as the mutt’s administer.
The move is said to be a first as archakas (priests) or yatis (pontiffs) of Indian temples normally lose their right to worship god if they cross a sea. According to the shastras, crossing a sea (sagarollanghana) amounts to going against religion.
The Puttige pontiff had travelled abroad in 1997 and met US president George Bush and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. He also established many temples in different parts of the US, including New Jersey, Phoenix and Los Angeles, to spread Hindu (Brahmin) philosophy.
Reacting to his takeover of paryaya (turn of two years to administer the Sri Krishna mutt), Sugunendra Teertha said everything happened according to lord Krishna’s wish amid opposition from pontiffs of six mutts and a section of Hindu Brahmin devotees.
As per tradition, the pontiff proceeded to the Danda Teertha (lake) on Thursday night and took the holy dip. He returned to Jodukatte in the early hours of Friday (2 am) and was escorted to the Sri Krishna temple in a palanquin.
Sugunendra Teertha ascended the paryaya Sarvajna peetha at 5.55 am. The ritual also included taking over the Akshaya Paatre (a holy bowl) and the keys to the sanctum sanctorum.
“It is all over. All our efforts to maintain tradition failed. However, we will continue to visit the mutt and perform puja, since it is only a difference of principles,” the progressive Pejawar pontiff Visweshwara Teertha told DNA.
A section of the Hindu Brahmin community is, however, still upset. “Though we will visit the temple, we do not wish to participate in the functions performed by the present pontiff,” said a scholar in Bangalore.
k_bhargavi@dnaindia.net
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