KOCHI: On January 6, the Gowda Saraswat Brahman (GSB) Samaj, will pay tribute to Sudhindra Thirtha Swamiji, the former pontiff of the community, at Haridwar Vyasmandir. According to K S Ramachandra Pai, a member of the community in Kerala, the ceremony will be attended by over 4,000 disciples from across the country.
“It is a custom in our community to conduct the Prathama Punyathithi Aradhana Mahotsav for saints. As part of the ritual, an idol is installed at the place where the saint had attained Mukthi. A procession of people from various parts of the country have reached Haridwar and installed the Hanuman idol on January 1,” he said.
For the Punyathithi Aradhana, homams and prayers will be done. Sudhindra Thirtha Swamiji was engaged in transforming the society in various ways during the last 70 years. He was adopted by Sukrathindra Thirtha
Swamiji as his disciple on May 24, 1944 and the initiation ceremony as Swamiji took place at the Venkatramana temple, Mulki. He went on to become the 20th head of the Kashi Math Samsthan. Over the years, he mastered Sanskrit, the Vedas, Puranas and Dharma Sutra from teachers of Kashi, Mulki and Karkala.In the health-care sector, the Sree Sudhindra Medical Mission hospital was thrown open in 1971. Balakashrams were started under his patronage .