Differences of Udupi Ashta Mutt seers with the senior seer of Puthige Mutt Sugunendra Tirtha over his ‘seemollanghana’ (overseas travel) continued during the seer’s fourth Paryaya on January 18, with the swamijis of seven other mutts staying away from attending the customary Paryaya Darbar in the morning.
The outgoing Paryaya seer Vidyasagara Tirtha of Krishnapura Mutt did not hand over to him in person the keys of Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple, the ‘Akshaya Patra’ (a vessel which would keep feeding forever) and a ‘sattuga’ (ladle) and make him sit on the Sarvajna Peetha or the Paryaya Peetha as per the tradition. Instead, he kept them near the Paryaya Peetha.
It was the senior seer of Udupi Admar Mutt Vishwapriya Tirtha who handed over these articles to Puthige Mutt seer and also made him sit on the Sarvajana Peetha.
The handing over of the ‘Akshaya Patra’ and ‘sattuga’ signifies the transfer of the charge of managing the Sri Krishna Mutt for the next two years.
Tradition of Ashta Mutts
As per the tradition of Ashta Mutts, a peethadhipati of any of the eight mutts who travels abroad loses the right to worship Lord Krishna at the Sri Krishna Mutt by touching the idol of the God.
Since his overseas travel from 1997 onwards, Sri Sugunendra Tirtha has established 15 branches of Puthige Mutt in several countries. He has also travelled to 28 countries. The swamiji announced ahead of his fourth Paryaya that he wants to open 108 branches of the mutt all over the world in his lifetime.
The ‘Sagarollanghana’ controversy had erupted during Sugunendra Tirtha’s third Paryaya too, in 2008 (2008-10), and he had faced the same situation then. The then outgoing Paryaya seer Vidyasagara Tirtha of Krishnapura Mutt was not present in person to hand over Sugunendra Tirtha the responsibilities of managing Sri Krishna Mutt.
The Puthige seer’s two earlier Paryaya tenures were from 1976-78 and 1992-94.
High Court dismisses PIL
Earlier this month, the High Court of Karnataka dismissed a Public Interest Litigation petition, which had sought a direction to restrain Sugunendra Tirtha from taking over the Paryaya of the Sri Krishna Mutt.
The petitioner had cited ‘Sagarollanghana’ as the reason for the same. A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Prasanna B. Varale and Krishna S. Dixit, dismissed the petition by observing that the courts cannot interfere in such religious matters.
Pejawar Mutt affected too
The ‘Sagarollanghana’ (overseas travel) which has been considered taboo among the seers of Ashta Mutts had earlier affected the late Vishwesha Tirtha of Pejawar Mutt too.
One seers of the Pejawar mutt then, Vishwavijaya, had to do ‘peetha tyaga’ (abdication) as junior seer following the opposition to his tour to the U.S. in 1987. Vishwesha Tirtha Swamiji later appointed Vishwaprasanna Tirtha as his junior seer.
Vishwesha Tirtha, too, had opposed the ascension of Paryaya Peetha by Sugunendra Tirtha in 2008. However, Sugunendra Tirtha created history by becoming the first seer of the Ashta Mutts to ascend the Paryaya Peetha despite having travelled abroad.
