Jain saint performing 'Sallekhana' attains samadhi

SHRAVANABELAGOLA:

Shreya Sagara Maharaj

, 74, a tyagi who was staying in the Tyaginagar township of the town breathed his last on Thursday. He was performing

Sallekhana Vruta

since last one month. He had arrived to Shravanabelagola to attend the Mahamastakabishekha event. His Samadhi was performed in the afternoon near Chikkabetta in the presence of around 360 tyagis and munis beside thousands of devotees.

Chandrasagara Prabhu Maharaj

, a senior Tyagi informed that Shreya Sagara Maharaj hailed from Uttar Pradesh and took

Sanyasa

deeksha when he was 25 years old. "Two years ago he became Digambara muni. He was known as mouna Sadhu. He has attained swarga," he said.

According to the Shravanabelagola math sources, in the year 2006, Shreya Sagara Maharaj had performed his Chaturmasya in Shravanabelagola. He was popular as Mouna Sadhu and well known scholar in Jain philosophy.

Charukeerthi Bhattaraka Swamiji of the Shravanabelagola math has condoled for the death of Shreya Sagara Maharaj.

Speaking to The Times of India, Rajendra Jain, a devotee stated that

Sallekhana

Vruta is one of the toughest rituals followed by the Tyagis and munis. "No one knew about the Sallekhana decision of the Shreya Sagara Maharaj except his close circle. He had come to attend the Shravanabelagola Mahamastakabishekha.