Kasaragod: Kesavananda Bharati Swamiji of Edaneer Mutt passes away

Kasaragod: Kesavananda Bharati Swamiji of Edaneer Mutt passes away

Mangalore Today News Network

Kasaragod, Sep 6, 2020: Kesavananda Bharati, head of Edaneer Mutt near here, died early on Sunday. He was 79. Kesavananda Bharati took Sanyasa at the age of 19 and has been at the helm of the Mutt since 1961 as ’Peedaathipathi’.

The only Sankaracharya in Kerala, Kesavananda Bharati is officially named as Srimad Jagadguru Sri Sri Sankaracharya Thotakacharya Keshavananda Bharathi Sripadangalavaru.

A parampara of Sri Thotakacharya, the Edaneer Ashram is one among the four disciples of Sri Adi Shankaracharya. The Mutt follows Smartha Bhagawatha tradition of the 1,200-years old Advaitha Pantha, engaged in art, music, culture and social service.

Under Sri Kesavananda Bharati guidance, the mutt has instituted a Kannada Medium School, a Junior college, and also Vidyamandira English Medium School at Edneer. The mutt also operates a Sanskrit Veda Patashala and conducts a number of Cultural and art festivals every year.

He had filed a case challenging the Constitution (29th Amendment Act, 1972, questioning the Kerala government’s move to take over the mutt property. The timing of his move was significant as it came around the time when the Indira Gandhi-led government had made changes to the 24th, 25th, 26th and 29th amendments of the Constitution to get the court to rule in favour of the government in bank nationalisation and privy purses cases.

Bharati’s case was fought by senior lawyer Nani Palkhivala. The then chief justice of India Sarv Mitra Sikri had formed a 13-judge panel to preside over the case. The Constitution bench ruled that Parliament canot alter the basic structure of the Constitution.

The case of Kesavananda Bharati vs State of Kerala continues to hold the top spot for the longest hearing ever to have taken place in the apex court. In 2018, Bharati was conferred the Justice VR Krishna Iyer award by the then Governor and Former CJI P Sathasivam.