Sodhe mutt seer given warm welcome

The stage is set for the upcoming biennial Paryaya of Sri Vishwavallabhatheertha Swamiji of Sri Sode Vadiraja Mutt. The ‘Purapravesha’ ceremony (welcome of the seer to the temple city) was organised with a colourful procession from Jodukatte here on Monday.

The 22-year-old pontiff of Sri Sode Mutt will ascend the sacred ‘Paryaya Peeta’ (Sarvajna Peeta) on January 18 to take the charge and ‘Pooja’ rights to conduct his maiden Paryaya at Sri Krishna Mutt for the next two year term from the outgoing seer Sri Laxmivaratheertha Swamiji of Sri Shiroor Mutt.

After visiting Sonda in Uttar Kannada and Hoovinakere, the birth place of Sri Vadiraja Swami in Kundapura taluk of Udupi district as the last leg of his pilgrimage tour, the seer came to Udupi in the evening on Monday. He was received at Jodukatte, the traditional entrance of old Udupi town by several dignitaries including Higher Education Minister Dr V S Acharya, MLA Raghupathy Bhat, Udupi CMC President Kiran Kumar and others.

The Swamiji was later taken in a colorful procession seated in an open decorated chariot ‘Hamsaka Vimana’ carrying portraits of Lord Mukhyaprana, Sri Vedavyasa, Sri Madhwacharya, Sri Vadiraja Swami and ‘Pattada Dervaru- Lord Hayagreeva and Lord Trivikrama’.

The procession comprised of mutt elephant ‘Subhadre’ in the lead followed by ‘Beerudavali’, ‘Thattiraya’, ‘Somakasura’, ‘Kamsa kahale’, a band, ‘Kombu’, Saxophone, Kerala chande, Nasik band, Marakalu huli, Keelu kudure, kode, mukavada and folk dances.

The procession passed through taluk office, Diana circle, KM Marg and culminated before Sri Krishna temple.

Soon after stepping out of the chariot, the seer visited the oldest temples of Lord Anantheshwar and Lord Chandramouleeshwara and offered special prayers for the success of the two year term Paryaya. Later he visited Sri Krishna Mutt and offered prayers where he was received by the outgoing Sri Laximvaratheertha Swamiji whose term is coming to end on January 17. The seer later entered his mutt situated near Car Street. 

The initial two month Paryaya system on rotation among the seers of Asta Mutts (Eight mutts) of Udupi is taken up to perform Sri Krishna Pooja at the temple. It was introduced after installing the black stone (Saligrama Shila) idol of Lord Krishna by great saint and Madhwa philosopher Sri Madhwacharya over 800 years ago and later (over 500 years ago) it was restructured by another great saint Sri Vadiraja Swami of Sri Sode Mutt.

Under this system, every Swamiji of Asta Mutt will have the rights to conduct Sri Krishna Pooja and run the administration for two years in rotation in which the transfer of powers will take place.

The seer of Sode Mutt, whose earlier name was Raghava Tantri took ‘Sanyasa Deeksha’ from his senior Guru Late Sri Vishvothamatheertha Swamiji at Sri Kshetra Sonda in Uttara Kannada district on June 14, 2006 and became the 37th pontiff in the lineage of Sode Mutt.

Sri Vishwavallabhatheertha Swamiji, after performing all the pre-preparatory arrangements such as ‘Bale Muhurtham’, ‘Akki Muhurtham’, ‘Kattige Muhurtham’ and ‘Bhatta Muhurtham’, took a nation-wide pilgrimage tour visiting famous shrines both in North and South India. The incoming Swamiji was also felicitated by the outgoing Shiroor seer.