• Sugunendra  Thirtha ascends Parayaya Peetham

By Team Mangalorean
Photographs: Rajesh Shetty

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UDUPI, January 18, 2008: Sugunendra Thirta Swamiji of Puthige Math ascended the Parayaya Peetam ceremoniously at 5.45am and received the Akshaya Pathre which contained the keys of the Krishna temple and the prasadam of the last pooja made by the swamiji of Krishnapur Math HH Vidyasagara Thirtha swamiji. He earlier set out on a ceremonial procession from DandaThirtha near Kinnimulky and where he was brought to the Car Street in a Palanquin surrounded and followed by the devotees and other dignitaries of the temple town and some from the other parts of the country.  He later took bath in the Madhwa Sarovar and had a darshan of the Lord Krishna through the Navagriha Kindi and proceeded towards the Rajanangana to take part in the Paryaya Durbar.

The procedure to hand over power to the incoming swamiji began at 2.30 am when the swamiji went along with his entourage to the Danda Thirtha and offered poojas to the 13th century philosopher Madhwacharya and took a dip in the holy waters of the Danda Thirtha. In the meanwhile at the Krishna Temple the outgoing swamiji had cleared the rituals that needed to be completed by the outgoing swamiji.  HH. Vidyasagara Thirtha of Krishnapur Math had ascended the Parayaya Peetham on the same day two years ago in 2006 and his term ended today at 12.01 am. The accountants of the Krishna Temple had cleared the accounts, checked the stock in the Ugrana and reported it to the outgoing swamiji and he had satisfied himself about the clarity of the report before doing the last pooja in his tenure. On the arrival of the new swamiji Sugunendra Thirtha he handed over the Akshaya Patara with the prasadam and the keys to the sanctum sanctorum of the Krishna temple.
 
This event took place in the sanctum sanctorum where only the outgoing swamiji, the incoming swamiji and the Diwans (managers) of the two Maths and parupathyeagars (assistant managers) were present.
 
At Rajangana the Durbar of Paryaya was a subdued affair.  It is customary that all the swamijis of  the ashtamaths had to be present but due to the controversy surrounding this Paryaya mahotsav none of the other swamijis came to the durbar.  The Admaar Math and the Shiroor Math who had earlier supported the Puthige seer also did not come to the Paryaya Durbar.  None of them either participated in the procession from Danda Thirtha to the Car street. Even the junior swamijis of the Ashta Maths were present on the occasion.   However the dignitaries including Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade Dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala,  Pais of Manipal and several other scholars were present on the occasion.
 
Speaking on the occasion Sugunendra Thirtha Swamiji told that he would strive hard to win back the confidence of the ashta maths and his seniors in other maths and he would discharge his duties to the temple and the devotees of the Krishna temple

Udupi turns into a folk carnival

Udupi:  Even while Paryaya durbar going on the people from various parts of the district and the neighbouring Dakshina Kannada district were engaged in taking 'Horay Kanike' . They carried vegetables, rice, pulses and cereals. People of Mattu village participated in "Horekanike" procession as part of the Paryaya Utsav here on Thursday. They also carried locally grown banana bunches, berries and legumes and flowers.

The temple town  wore a festive look. It was an all night affair for many of the people. They left their homes after having dinner on Thursday night attended street side concerts, Yakshagana ballets, Hulivesha recitals and indulged in the various street side culinary delights including Churumuri and ice cream vending machines.  Entertainers like the tight rope walkers, snake charmers, street magicians, folk dancers and  various other types of entertainers filled the night with their  act. In short the temple town had become a site of  folk carnival.

Swamiji is full of plans

Udupi: The swamiji of Puthige Math HH Sugunendra Thirtha will embark on several projects for improving the Krishna temple precincts. His line up of projects includes "Bhojana Shala" (dinning hall)  "Vishwa Yatri Nivas "Vajra Kavacha" (diamond armour) to Lord Hanuman.  "Ratnada Ratha" (chariot) for Lord Krishna.

During his paryaya he would also take up a campaign for chanting Bhagwad Gita by people taking rotation- entitled "Bhagwad Gita Parayana" A lakh of people will take part in rotation in the "Samuhika Bhagwad Gita Parayana" project.

He also would construct "Goshala" to take care of stray cows in the vicinity of Udupi. He will also institute a "Sri Krishna Nyayalaya" specially to solve family disputes.

The Vishwaroopa Darshana which was his project in the last Parayaya could not be completed in 1992-94 will now be completed. This will be set up in the Geeta Bhavan .  Swamiji has ascended the paryaya peetham for the first time in 1976 and again in 1992-94. During his second Paryaya, the seer constructed ‘Swagata Gopura’ at the entrance of Udupi city in the typical Tulu Nadu style of architecture. During his second Paryaya he had constructed the Geeta Bhavan which was opened by former king of Nepal Late Birendra and his wife late Aishwarya Rani. He had also begun  Puttige Vidyapeetha at Puttige (a place near Hiriyadka) and the Goverdhan Mandira at Bangalore. He also constructed a Sri Krishna Temple at New Jersey, and Los Angeles. He is also the editor in chief of the "Suguna Maala" and "Suguna Digest" which has a wide circulation.

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