Devotees prefer govt takeover of Chowli Mutt

The demand by the devotees of the Chowli Mutt for its takeover by the Muzarai department has got louder, following the mysterious death of three junior seers of the Mutt on Monday. 

The followers of the Mutt have urged the government to appoint an administrator to the institution.  

The Mutt is situated on a 10-acre campus, nine km from the city. It has assets, including immovable property, said to be worth crores of rupees. The complex has all basic amenities for visiting devotees.

It all began 25 years ago when Ganeshwara Swami, hailing from Gugwad village of Maharashtra, decided to visit the sleepy village of Chowli on a private invitation by a few locals and the Boranchey brothers -Malashetty and Basavaraj.

The brothers not only donated land free to the seer, but also helped him set up the Mutt here. It soon had followers from all sections of the society not only from nearby villages, but also from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

In the course of time, some of his disciples vied with each other to gain control over the affairs of the Mutt, as Ganeshwara Swami failed to name his successor.
Following the mysterious disappearance of Maruti Swami, one of the junior seers, early this year, the devotees held a protest demanding a detailed probe into the goings-on in the Mutt.

The death of Ganeshwara Swami under mysterious circumstances on February 28 only thickened the plot. Monday’s incident has made the followers all the more anxious.  
Several residents of Chowli and the devotees, who rushed to the Mutt after hearing the news, told Deccan Herald that the institution must be taken over by the government to put an end to the sordid saga.

A political leader who is a major patron of the Mutt, said that Ganeshwara Swami had established the Mutt for a purely religious cause. But, given the unsavoury incidents in the past few months, the best solution is a government takeover, he said. 

A senior police officer probing the missing case of Maruti said they had already suggested this, but nothing had been done in this regard. With none of the able disciples left, a government takeover is in the best interest of the Mutt, he said.