Udupi tranforms to a new world for power transfer fete

The temple town is wearing a festive look as it gears up for the ‘Paryaya Mahotsava’ (biennial transfer of power among heads of ashta mutts of Udupi) on January 18.

The entire town has been decked up and illuminated to mark the transfer of spiritual power of worshiping the presiding deity of the Krishna Mutt from Vidyadheesha Theertha Swami of Palimar Mutt to Eshapriya Theertha Swami of Admar Mutt. The seer will ascend the Sarvajnapeeta in the wee hours of Saturday.

Eshapriya Theertha Swami will travel to Dandatheertha near Kaup on Friday night and will take a holy dip in the wee hours. After offering puja to the deities, he will arrive at Jodukatte (Udupi) at around 2 am. The pontiffs of the ashta mutts will accord a ceremonial welcome to Eshapriya Theertha. He will be taken in a procession from Jodukatte in a decorated palanquin to Krishna Mutt.

Thousands of people from far and wide are arriving in Udupi for the celebrations. As many as 15 tableaux and folk troupes will add glitter and grandeur to the procession to be taken out on the occasion.

Passes with tulsi seeds

As many as 2,000 passes will be distributed to help devotees enter the Rajangana and witness the darbar. Eminent personalities will be presented awards at the darbar.

For the first time, passes will have tulsi seeds embedded in them. These passes, when planted in moist soil, will help in germination of the tulsi plant.

Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Seetharaman will attend the darbar at 3 pm on January 18. All arrangements like asphalting of roads, drinking water facilities and preparation of food for the masses on the night of January 17 and afternoon of January 18 have been completed. As many as 100 cooks have been appointed to prepare the food.

As many as 10,000 plantain leaves were brought from Chara village in Hebri taluk to Udupi on Thursday.