Religious rituals mark Consecration of 32ft tall Madhwacharya statue at Kunjargiri
Udupi: The consecration (pratishtapana mahotsava) ceremony of the 32ft tall statue of the exponent of Dwaita philosophy Sri Madhwacharya which was installed on a concrete structure at the bottom of the Kunjargiri hillock at Kunjargiri village was held on May 8.
Religious rituals began under the leadership of Sri Vidyadheesha Tirtha Swamiji of Palimar Math along with Sri Subudendra Thirtha Swamiji of Mantralaya Math, Sri Keshava Thirtha Swamiji of Mulabagilu Math, Eshapriya Thritha Swamiji of Adamar Math, and other swamiji’s.
Sri Vidyadheesha Tirtha Swamiji of Palimar Math released a special postal stamp of Sri Madhwacharya on the occasion. Pradeep Kumar Kalkura, president of Kannada Sahitya Parishath DK, Ramaprasad Bhat entrepreneur and Astrologer Kabyadi Jayarama Acharya were felicitated on the occasion.
The Abhisheka was performed using tender coconuts, sandal, milk, water, rice powder, turmeric and flowers at the auspicious time between 5 am and 9 am under the supervision of Raghavendra Math, Palimar Math and Adamar Math swamijis.
The work of sculpting the statue, which started in August 2013, when an 180-tonnes gray granite monolith rock was brought from a quarry at Koira in Devanahalli village near Bengaluru, was completed at Kunjargiri hillock in January 2017. The statue was installed on March 28 this year.
A team of about 10 sculptors under the chief sculptor, Ashok Gudigar, and his assistant, Kumar, sculpted the statue. The statue was sculpted as per the 32 parameters laid down in the text, “Tantrasara”, written by Sri Madhwacharya.
The statue has been installed on eight feet high “Panipeetha”. The statue along with the “Panipeetha” sits on a concrete structure of 40 ft high constructed at the bottom of the hillock. The statue thus stands 140 ft above the ground.
An artificial hillock would be constructed around the concrete structure and a garden would be built.