Won’t ascend Paryaya Peetha for 6th time; will guild my heir if I were alive: Pejawar seer

Udupi, Dec 29: Vishwesha Tirtha Swami, the chief pontiff of Paryaya Pejawar Mutt, who is vacating the Paryaya Peeth soon, has made it clear that he would not ascend the Paryaya Peetha for the sixth time as he would be 100 years old then.

Paryaya Peetha is the rotating presidency of the eight mutts of Udupi’s Krishna temple. During two year Paryaya term, the chief pontiff of the one of the eight mutts will take the responsibility of the puja and administration of the temple.

The 86-year-old Vishwesha Tirtha is the only seer among the Ashta Mutt swamijis to have ascended the Paryaya Peetha of the 800-year-old Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple five times ever since the biennial Paryaya system began here in 1522. He had taken over the responsibility for the fifth time on 18 January 2016, from Kaniyoor Mutt's Vidhyavallabhatirtha Swamiji.

Replying to the queries of media persons on Thursday, here the seer said that he already was suffering from some health problems and hence he would not think of taking over the responsibility once again after 16 years. “If I were alive I would guide Vishwaprasanna Tirtha, who will ascend the Paryaya Peetha,” he said.

After stepping down from the Paryaya Peetha, the he would take up the work of construction of an educational institution and a hospital on the outskirts of Hubballi, construction of a student hostel in Shivamogga and Mysuru, and the construction of a Krishna Temple in Pune, the seer said.

He said that the achievements of his fifth Paryaya included the renovation of the inner yard (“Ola Pauli”) of the Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple, construction of the Madhwangana Hall above the Rajangana Hall, the construction of a three-storey building housing 20 dormitories, a guesthouse and extension of the existing Yatri Nivas. All these works together had cost around Rs. 11 crore.

He had also constructed a building for a residential educational institution at Pajaka, the birthplace of the exponent of Dvaita philosophy, Sri Madhwacharya, at a cost of Rs. 5 crore. To a query, he said that the project of planting of one crore saplings could not be fully implemented.

A series of programmes will mark the valedictory of the historic fifth Paryaya of the seer from January 1 to 14, 2018. As part of the valedictory of his fifth Paryaya, he will perform the 36th Sudha Mangalotsava on January 5 along with Vishwaprasanna Tirtha, junior seer of his mutt. Satyatma Tirtha Swami of Uttardi Mutt will attend the function.

The Chandrika Mangalotsava will be held on January 6. Vidyashreesha Tirtha Swami of Vyasaraja Mutt will attend it. A large number of scholars of Dvaita philosophy from across the State were expected to participate in these two functions.

A Philosophy Conference will be held here on January 8 and 9. Scholars of Advaita, Vishishtadvaita and Dvaita philosophies from across the country will participate in the conference. The valedictory function of the religious discourses will be held on January 14, he said.