Preparations for Jan 18 Paryaya Festival turn controversial

Preparations for Jan 18 Paryaya Festival turn controversial

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Jan 4, 2012 : The preparations for the Paryaya festival on Jan 18 have now turned controversial. The Darbar ritual procession traditionally requires the presence of all the 8 Mutt heads, but an official invitation to the event does not bear the name of Shri Sugunendra Teertha Swamiji of Puttige Mutt.

 

 

 

The Madhwa tradition is against taking foreign tours, and in 2008, a controversy arose regarding the foreign tours undertaken by the Puttige Mutt seer. The swamiji has a number of followers in the US and in other countries, along with functional Puttige Mutt branches in a number of foreign countries. The heads of the other Mutts did not approve of him performing the Shri Krishna Pooja after violating the Madhwa rules.

During the previous Paryaya, the Pejawar Mutt seer had intervened and ensured peace, enabling the Puttige Mutt seer to perform the Shri Krishna Pooja for 2 years.

However, devotees are now furious that the name of their leader is missing from the official invitation to the event. The Paryaya committee says that it will take a final decision after consulting with the other 7 swamijis.

To make matters worse, certain entrepreneurs and politicians associated with the Puttige Mutt seer arrived at Sode Mutt and created a commotion. Reportedly, a group of influential people including Deviprasad Shetty, the president of the district unit of the JD (S); Vasudeva Rao, the president of the youth wing; Jayakar Shetty Indrali, the governor of Lions Club; Yashpal Suvarna, the president of the fisheries federation; Mattar Ratnakar Shetty, the advocate; Santhosh Shetty; Sunil Shetty; and others had a secret meeting in Raghavendra Mutt, after which they went to Sode Mutt at 6:00 p.m.

Meanwhile, the Sode Mutt seer had gone on a traditional visit to his devotees, seeking alms and Padigar Shrinivas Tantri, the Mutt diwan, was the only person at the Mutt. He said that he will accept the memorandum only in the presence of Bhootaraja, a centuries-old Karanika Daiva in the Sode Mutt, but when the delegation heard this, they backed out. There was confusion in the Mutt for around half an hour, following which the group handed over the letter to the manager of the Mutt.

According to the memorandum, the non inclusion of the Puttige Mutt Swamiji’s name in the invitation is a breach of traditions. The signatories suggested that the swamiji should be specially invited for the event in the best interests of the Hindu community and to maintain peace among the Mutts.