Have invited Siddaramaiah; it’s up to him to come: Pejawar seer

Udupi, Jun 16: Vishwesha Tirtha Swami of Paryaya Pejawar Mutt said on Thursday that he had, through his representatives, urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to visit the Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple on June 18, when President Pranab Mukherjee was here.

Speaking to presspersons, the seer said that Mr. Siddaramaiah’s secretary had informed his representatives that there was no likelihood of the Chief Minister visiting Udupi.

But there was no response from Mr. Siddaramaiah himself. “Hence, one will have to wait till Sunday to see what happens. I have invited him. It is up to to the Chief Minister to decide,” he said.

To a query, the seer said that he did not know the reason for Mr. Siddaramaiah for not visiting the temple.

He had earlier met Mr. Siddaramaiah at some functions in Bengaluru and Mangaluru and the meeting was civil.

When Mr. Siddaramaiah was facing a by-election after joining the Congress, he had met him (the seer) in Mysuru and sought his blessings. “But after becoming Chief Minister, he has not met me,” he said.

Asked whether Mr. Siddaramaiah was not visiting the Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple because he was saddened over the Kanaka Gopura controversy, the seer said that the Kanaka Gopura was new name for the gopura which was built in 2004-05. It was built in the place of an earlier gopura constructed by late Vidyapurna Tirtha of Krishnapur Mutt during his Paryaya period in 1910-12, which had become dilapidated.

The gopura was located above the Kanakanakindi (as is the present gopura). There was no connection between the saint-composer Sri Kanakadasa and the gopura.

The gopura constructed in 2004-05 was named after Sri Kanakadasa. Hence, there was no controversy over it. In fact, everyone was happy that the gopura was named after Sri Kanakadasa and there was no reason to be dissatisfied with it.

Besides, a Kanaka Mantapa had been constructed within the Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple premises and an idol of Sri Kanakadasa had been installed there. Kanaka Jayanti was being celebrated here annually. All reverence and respect were being shown to Sri Kanakadasa here. There was no point in making allegations, he said.

Though Mr. Siddaramaiah had not participated in his Paryaya ascension ceremony last year and the Sri Madhwacharya Sapta Shatamanotsava ceremony this year, he had later sent Kanike (offering) to Lord Krishna through his representatives. Mr. Siddaramaiah’s wife had called him to say that an offering had been sent and that they would visit the temple later, the seer recalled.