Hymns, bhajans envelop Udupi ahead of Paryaya

The festive atmosphere has engulfed the entire ambience of the temple town to greet the ‘Naada Habba’ popularly known as ‘Paryaya’. The religious hymns and bhajans are echoed in and around the Car Street which is filled with flowers and creepers.

The biennial Paryaya celebrations is cynosure of thousands of devotees who throng the temple from distant areas to witness the ceremonial ritual. 

The countdown has begun for the magnificent celebrations of biennial Paryaya wherein the Kaniyur mutt seer Vidyawavallabhatheertha Swami will take over the charges of the Sri Krishna temple and Pooja rights from the outgoing Sode Vadiraj mutt seer Vishwavallabhatheertha to ascend the sacred ‘Paryaya Sarvajna Peeta’ inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple at 5.50 am on Saturday.

Biennial Paryaya system

Madhwacharya, the great saint and ‘Dwaitha’ philosopher who installed the ‘Saligrama Shila’ idol of Lord Sri Krishna over 800 years ago also arranged for ‘Asta Mutts’ with eight young pontiffs to perform Krishna Pooja for two months period on rotation among them. However, the rituals were modified by another great saint Vadiraja Swami of Sri Sode mutt by introducing biennial Paryaya system.

He modified the system by changing the two-month term into two-year term among the seers of Asta Mutts on rotation in 1522. The present cycle is the 32 cycle of biennial Paryaya and the Kaniyur mutt is the seventh mutt in the order of succession to the Paryaya Peeta in the cycle. The cycle starts with Palimar mutt followed by Admar, Krishnapura, Puttige, Shiroor, Sode, Kaniyur and ends with Pejawar mutt. The traditional Paryaya ceremony and rituals have been continued in a similar manner since the beginning of the tradition without much deviation and without break since over 800 years. The Paryaya rituals will start during the wee hours on January 18.

Tradition

As per the tradition, the incoming seer of Kaniyur mutt will leave to Dandatheertha, near Kaup, to take a holy dip in the holy pond, following which he will enter Udupi city at Jodukatte, where he will be received by the Swamis from Asta mutts, except the outgoing seer. The incoming seer will be taken in a grand Paryaya procession from Jodukatte. 

The Paryaya seer will have the Darshan of Sri Anantheshwar and Sri Chandramouleeshwar temples before entering Sri Krishna mutt where he will be received by the outgoing seer of Sode Vadiraj mutt at the entrance point of the mutt. Later, he is escorted to the sanctum sanctorum of the temple where the reins of the Sri Krishna mutt will be handed over.

‘Sarvajna Peeta’

The most significant ceremony of handing over the powers will be held at the ‘Sarvajna Peeta’ inside the sanctum sanctorum where the outgoing seer of Sode Vadiraj mutt will offer the sacred Peeta to the incoming Kaniyur mutt seer and transfer of the responsibility of the temple administration. Also the articles like ‘Akshaya Patra’ and keys will be handed over. 

An informal Durbar will take place in Badagu Malige wherein the seers of Asta mutts exchange garlands and ‘Chandana paste’. Later, a formal public Durbar will be held in Rajangana.