Pejawar Mutt performs ‘Chappara Muhurta’ ritual

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Dec 14, 2015 : The Pejawar Mutt performed ‘Chappara Muhurta’, a preliminary ceremony before the next Paryaya festival, behind Rajangana and behind the Mukund Kripa School on  Dec 13, Sunday.

Vishwesha Tirtha Swami of Pejawar Mutt will be ascending the Paryaya Peetha at the 800-year-old Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple on January 18, 2016, for a historic fifth time. No seer of the Ashta Mutts or eight mutts of Udupi has ascended the Paryaya Peetha more than four times since biennial Paryaya system began in 1522.

After offering prayers at the Chandramouleshwara Temple, Ananteshwara Temple and the Sri Krishna Mutt, an arecanut pole was installed behind the Rajangana Hall. Normally only one arecanut pole is installed to mark the Chappara Muhurta behind the hall.

However, since the Paryaya Durbar function will be held at the Rajangana Parking Lot instead of the Rajangana hall, another arecanut pole was installed as part of the ‘Chappara Muhurta’ there as well. Rituals were held to mark the muhurta. The Paryaya Durbar function, which normally used to be held at the Rajangana hall, is being shifted to the Rajanagana Parking Lot this time, as the mutt authorities are expecting the participation of over 10,000 persons in it. Such a huge number of people cannot be accommodated at the hall.

Raghuram Acharya, Dewan of Pejawar Mutt, said that the Chappara Muhurta is done by the mutts when huge pandals are erected. The Chappara Muhurta is not among the four major preliminaries such as the Baale Muhurta, Akki Muhurta, Kattige Muhurta and Bhatta Muhurta. The Bhatta Muhurta will be held on December 24, he said.

H. Krishna Bhat, general secretary of Paryaya Reception Committee, said that since there was no guarantee of weather patterns, the pandal to be installed at the Rajangana Parking Lot would be tinned at the top. Arrangements for storing food items received during the ‘Horekanike’ would be done at a four-acre space behind the Rajangana Parking Lot. The land levelling works there were on, he said.

Bhuvenendra Kediyoor, committee working president, said that buffet lunch arrangements would be done for about one lakh devotees attending the Paryaya festival at this four-acre land. A kitchen would also be set up here. Nearly 12,000 litres of milk would be used to prepare ‘Haalu Payasa’, a sweet dish. All this was expected to cost about Rs. 1 crore, he said.

Vinaykumar Sorake, Urban Development Minister, Oscar Fernandes, MP, and A.G. Kodgi, former MLA, were present.