MANGALORE: Warring groups arguing over inviting Sugunendrateertha Swamiji of Puthige Mutt to Paryayotsava-2012, took their debate to the streets on Saturday.
A coterie in favour of extending an invitation to Sugunendrateertha Swamiji released an advertisement in a Kannada daily on Saturday seeking public support to the estranged Swamiji’s participation in rituals connected with the Paryaya-2012.
Not to be left behind, the other coterie, too, intends to release advertisements in dailies explaining how extending an invitation to Puthige Swamiji itself would be an intrusion of age-old traditions. Those backing the Puthige seer argued that not extending an invitation itself was a “bad precedent”.
Jayakrishna Parisara Premi Samithi founder president Thonse Jayakrishna A Shetty insists in the advertisements that organising Paryayotsava-2012 at Udupi temple in the absence of Puthige Seer was in violation of the unwritten constitution laid by the founding Vadiraja Swamiji.
“There are no written tenets recommending isolation of a mutt head who travelled abroad. Besides courts too had upheld Puthige Seer’s rights, including worshipping the Sri Krishna deity,” he said.
Bangalore-based Sri Krishna Prajna Prathisthana, which is opposing the invite, stressed that it is a prerogative of the incoming Paryaya Swamiji to organise, invite, conduct procession and pujas during the Paryaya.
Puthige Swamiji who ignored requests from other seven mutt heads and continued to visit abroad, was never invited during their respective paryayas.
“How is it possible for Vishwavallabha Teertha Swamiji to invite him to his maiden Paryaya against the tenets prescribed by Viswatnama Teertha Swamiji and Vidyasagara Teertha Swamiji of Krishnapura mutt,” questioned a statement of the Prathisthana.