CHENNAI: What started as a modest gathering of devotees who arrived to pay their last respects to the 69th pontiff of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi, on Wednesday morning steadily grew into a sizeable crowd by afternoon, as the sun began going down.
The pontiff was taken to ABCD hospitals when he reportedly suffered from respiratory trouble. According to official statement of the mutt, he died around 9 am.
Said Sumathi K from Perungulathur who reached the mutt by afternoon, "We were following the live telecast on TV when it dawned on us that it was the last time to catch a glimpse of the pontiff. So, we started immediately."
According to a 1998 publication on Jayendra Saraswathi written by one of his disciples, Vanamali, when he sat for dharshan, he sat cross-legged on the floor on a cushion with a small stool in front of
him, on which he kept his Guru's 'padukas'.
Perhaps in keeping with the tradition, the mortal remains of the seer was placed in a cross-legged position with folded hands atop his chair. By his side, was the 70th pontiff and successor, Vijayendra Saraswathi.
Said 72-year-old Ananthakrishnan P, a devotee, "He had been continuously traveling as the head of the mutt. Many of his initial journeys were by foot and he then resorted to traveling in a special van once his health started failing."
Following the news of his death early on Wednesday, several shops in the temple town continued to remain shut through the day. Many famous temples in the locality including the Kanchi Kamakshi Amman temple
were closed for visitors until 4pm.
The body is expected to be displayed for public viewing until the last rites, known as brindavana pravesha karyakramam, scheduled to begin at 8 am on Thursday.
BJP State president Tamilisai Soundararajan was among the first political leaders to pay their respects to the pontiff along with HR and CE Minister Sevoor S Ramachandran. Tamil Nadu Congress president
Su Thirunavukkarasar, RK Nagar MLA TTV Dhinakaran, DMDK chief Vijayakant and wife Premalatha and founder-organiser of the Hindu Munnani, Rama Gopalan were among the others to pay their respects.
Abubacker, member of the Haj committee also paid his respects.