Palimar mutt chief names successor

Swami Vidyadheesha Teertha of Palimar mutt, one of the 'Ashta (eight) mutts' of Udupi, has chosen Shailesh Upadhyaya, a student of Yogadeepika Gurukula at Palimar, as his successor and junior pontiff.

Shailesh, 20, is the eldest son of Surendra Upadhyaya, a priest and Lakshmi Upadhyaya.

His younger brother is studying for an Ayurveda course in Manipal.

Disclosing the information to the media on Wednesday, Vidyadheesha Teertha said Shailesh was selected after getting the consent of his parents.

He will be offered 'sanyasa deeksha' (initiation into the monastic order) in a ceremony to be held at Sri Krishna mutt from May 9 to 12.

The Swami said he is set to perform the rituals of ordaining the disciple during his current tenure as the 'Paryaya' (title for the Swami in charge of worship and rituals at Udupi) seer.

 

Vidyadheesha Teertha, 63, said a junior is being inducted into the mutts tradition as a disciple is needed to run the mutts administration.

Shailesh studied up to Class 10 in a Sanskrit school before joining the Yogadeepika Gurukula and is studying 'Tharka, Veda and 'Vyakarana.'

He has chosen to embrace Sanyas voluntarily, the seer said.

He will now pursue Vedanta, Shastra and Pooja rituals under the Paryaya seer.

Shailesh said he wanted to immerse himself in spiritual life and worship Lord Krishna and Lord Ram as per the traditions of Palimar mutt.

Various rituals will be held from May 9 to 12 as part of his induction as junior seer of the mutt.

The Ashta Mutts are a group of eight mathas or Hindu monasteries established by 13th century philosopher Madhwacharya.

Madhwacharya, who founded the 'Dvaita' (dualism) school of Vedanta, had appointed eight of his direct disciples as head of the each mutt that were established in eight villages around the Udupi Krishna Temple.

During the Paryaya, a religious ritual that takes place every alternate year, the puja and administration of the Krishna temple is vested with the seers of the ashta mutts in turns.