MANGALURU: Pejawar mutt seer
Vishwesha Teertha
Swamiji, 88, who was hospitalised at Kasturba Hospital, Manipal a week back, passed away on Sunday.
The announcement of the seer's death was made at 9.20am by the Sri Krishna Mutt authorities in
Udupi
.
He was admitted to the hospital for the treatment of pneumonia on December 20 and was shifted to the Pejawar Mutt in Udupi early on Sunday. The seer was put on ventilator after his health condition worsened on Saturday night.
Udupi MLA Raghupathi Bhat who was at the Mutt premises informed that Teertha's final rites (Vrindavan) would be held at Vidyapeeth, Bengaluru as per his wishes.
His body will be kept for public darshan at Ajjarkad Maidan Udupi from 10am to 1pm, the MLA said requesting people to pay homage to the seer at the Maidan and not to come to the Mutt.
He also said that chief minister BS Yediyurappa would come to the Maidan. The body will be taken in a military helicopter to National College Grounds, Bengaluru to allow dignitaries and public to pay their last respects to the departed soul.
Shobha Karandlaje, Udupi Chikkamagaluru MP, said that doctors tried to revive the seer but Lord Krishna's wish was something else. His social reformative movements to remove untouchability and others will be our guiding light, she said.
Karandlaje said Ram Mandir was his dream, but unfortunately, he could not see it standing. "He will be with us in spirit and guiding us through the process," she said.
He was shifted from the hospital to the Pejawar Mutt in a special ambulance early Sunday morning. Tight security has been in place on the Car Street in Udupi, where the Pejawar Mutt and the famous Sri Krishna temple are located.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his grief over the death of the seer. "A powerhouse of service and spirituality, he continuously worked for a more just and compassionate society. Om Shanti," he said in a tweet.
The chief minister also mourned the death of the seer saying a prominent guiding light of Hindu religion was no more.
He rued that Swamiji could not see his dream of Ram Temple being constructed at Ayodhya come true.
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