The Peethadapathi of Veerashaiva Lingayat Panchamasali Gurupeeta, Mahantha Shivacharya swamiji (71) died of cardiac arrest at Narayana Hrudayalaya in Bangalore at 4.50 am on Monday.
Gurupeeta sources said he had chest pain on Saturday evening and was rushed to the hospital.
He was born on September 29, 1938 at Managuli village in Basavana Bagewadi taluk of Bijapur district. He was named Revanasiddappa and his parents were Sanganabasappa and Kalamma. He was chosen the successor of Sanganabasava Shivacharya Swamiji of Hiremutt on June 14, 1959, and was renamed Mahantha Shivacharya Swamiji.
He completed his BA in 1963, MA Sanskrit in 1965 and MA philosophy in 1967 at Banaras Hindu University, Kashi. In 1976 he got a PhD for his thesis on basic ideologies of Veerashaiva and Advaitha philosophy. He worked as a professor in BHU and at Maharani College in Varanasi for 12 years. In 1983, the Swamiji returned to Hiremutt, developed the mutt as an educational centre.
When the Panchamasali Gurupeetha dream was realised in 2008, the first choice for senior pontiff was Dr Mahantha Shivacharya Swamiji.