A new era dawned at the over 200-year-old Sharanabasaveshwar Samsthan with five-year-old Doddappa Appa taking over the mantle of the samsthan as the ninth Peethadhipati from the eighth Peetadhipati and his father Dr. Sharnbaswappa Appa in Kalaburagi on Monday.
Doddappa Appa, born on November 1, 2017,becomes the youngest among all the Peethadhipatis of the Sharanabasaveshwar Samsthan established more than 200 years ago by the 19th century saint Sharanabasaveshwar, who introduced the concept of Dasoha of feeding the needy and poor, which is followed even today in the Sharanabasaveshwar Shrine and other religious mutts in Kalyana Karnataka region.
Speaking briefly on the occasion after felicitating the new head of the samsthan, Dr. Appa said that as per customs and traditions practised in the samsthan, all powers of conducting religious rituals and pujas are being transferred to his son Doddappa Appa. He announced: “I declare my son Chiranjeevi Doddappa Appa as my successor to the Sharanabasaveshwar Samsthan.”
Chennaveera Shivacharya of the Samsthan Hiremath at Harkud in Bidar district conducted the religious rituals for the formal handing over of the charge of the samsthan to the ninth Peethadhipati and provided Linga Deekshe to him.
Dr. Appa handed over the Prasada Battalu and Linga Sajjike (Silver Plate and Atma Linga used by the 19th century saint Sharanabasaveshwar) to the ninth Peethadhipati symbolising the transfer the power of conducting the religious rituals and pujas.
Chairperson of the Sharanabasaveshwar Vidya Vardak Sangha Dakshayini Appa, who is also the mother of the new head of the samsthan, said that this us a historic occasion for everybody.
Jagadguru Sarangadara Desikendra Swami of Saranga Mutt in Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh, presided over the function.
A galaxy of religious heads of different mutts, officials from the district administration, police officials and political leaders were present.
