JOIN USPejawar seer passes away at 88
Pejawar mutt pontiff Vishwesha Theertha Swami — who was known for building bridges between divided communities and institutions — passed away on Sunday morning. He was 88.
A pall of gloom descended on the coastal town of Udupi as soon as the death was formally announced by the disciples of the Pejawara Adhokshaja Mutt at 9.20 am.
Following the news, work began to prepare the ‘Brindavan’ or final resting place of the seer in the lawns of Vidyapeetha in Bengaluru. The seer had often expressed to his disciples that he would like to be interred at the place to “listen to the hymns and sholakas eternally”.
The seer was admitted to KMC Hospital in Manipal on December 20 over a serious lung infection and pneumonia. For the last nine days, experts from KMC, AIIMS and Manipal Hospitals tried their best to treat him. But his health condition continued to be critical.
As per the seer’s wish to spend his last moments at the mutt, he was bought to the mutt along with the life support equipment at 6.55 am.
In the seer’s room inside the mutt, disciples started chanting of sacred hymns. Before the formal announcement, the seer’s kith and kin, including sister Vasanthi, poured water (‘tarpana’) into his mouth, sources inside the mutt told DH.
Two vehicles with disciples left for Bengaluru carrying with them idols to perform puja. The official announcement came from MLA Raghupathi Bhat and MP Shobha Karandlaje. At 10.20 am, the body of the seer was seated in a bamboo basket in ‘padmasana’ posture and carried in a procession.
The seer’s face was brought before Kankana Kindi at 10.25 am for a glance of Lord Krishna. The body was taken to ‘madhwa sarovar’ and dipped thrice in the holy pond.
The body in a seated position was kept on the ‘theertha mantapa’ at the Krishna temple. Later, Paryaya Palimaru mutt seer Sri Vidhyadheesha Theertha Swamiji performed ‘aarati’ to Lord Krishna.
The rituals were led by the junior pontiff Sri Vishwaprasanna Theertha Swamiji. Amid hymns, the body was taken out in a procession in a bamboo basket all over Car Street. It was later carried in a decorated open jeep to Mahatma Gandhi district stadium at Aajjarkadu for the public to pay homage.
District Armed Reserve Police led by Reserve PI Murthy Naik offered three rounds of gun salute. The national flag was placed over the body.
Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai and others paid their tributes. After the public homage, the body was airlifted from Adi Udupi in an IAF chopper to the National College ground in Bengaluru.