Shiroor seer initiates legal action

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, July 06, 2018; The controversy over the custody of idols of the presiding deities of the Shiroor Mutt and other matters relating to it, has reached the law courts.

Sources in the Shiroor Mutt said here on July 5, Thursday that the Lakshmivara Tirtha Swami of Shiroor Mutt had filed caveat petition in two civil courts here.

The respondents to the caveat petition are: Vishwesha Tirtha Swami of Pejwar Mutt, Vidyasagara Tirtha Swami of Krishnapur Mutt, Vishwapriya Tirtha Swami of Admar Mutt, Vidyadheesha Tirtha Swami of Palimar Mutt, Vidyavallabha Tirtha Swami of Kaniyur Mutt, Vishwavallabha Tirtha Swami of Sode Mutt, Vishwaprasanna Tirtha Swami, junior seer of Pejawar Mutt and Ishapriya Tirtha Swami, junior seer of Admar Mutt.

The caveat petition stated that the petitioner, Lakshmivara Tirtha Swami of Shiroor Mutt has been in religious order for last 47 years. The respondents had been raising disputes with the petitioner. They were expected to file a suit against the petitioner and the latter should be given a right to appear on hearing of such applications before the court.

Meanwhile, Lakshmivara Tirtha Swami of Shiroor Mutt told presspersons at Shiroor on Thursday that he had given the idols for offering prayers during his ill-health and not returning it amounted to breach of trust. He would not comment on the statement of Pejawar seer as the matter was now in the courts, he said.

It may recalled that the seers of the six of the Ashta Mutts or eight Mutts of Udupi, were riled by video recording telecast on a Kannada television channel on March 13, this year, where the Shiroor seer was allegedly shown making derogatory remarks about other seers of the Ashta Mutts. But the Shiroor seer had clarified on the same day that the video recording was fake and that he had already approached the court on it. The seers of six of the Astha Mutts had then held a series of meetings here on the issue.

Meanwhile, the Shiroor seer had left the idols of the presiding deities of his mutt at the Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple on account of his ill-health. The seers of the six of the Ashta Mutts had decided not to let the Shiroor seer take the idols from Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple till he appointed a junior seer for his mutt.