Sri Balagangadharanatha Swamiji of Adichunchanagiri Mutt was laid to rest with full state honours at the mutt headquarters at Bellur in Mandya district.
The body of the 67-year-old Swamiji, who passed away at the BGS Hospital in Bangalore on Sunday following a massive heart attack, was taken to Adichunchanagari on Monday.
People from all walks of life, including religious heads, politicians, writers and intellectuals witnessed the burial.
The rituals were held according to the Shaiva custom, amid the chanting of the vedas of Advaita philosophy. The last rites were performed by Nirmalananda Swami, who was named successor to Sri Balagangadharanatha Swamiji.
The body was sprinkled with holy water from seven rivers across the country and draped in new clothes and immersed in salt before the burial in Balagangadhara Linga amid the Ganapathi Puja. The place where the Swamiji was buried was decided five years ago and the structure was ready atop the Chunchanagiri Hills.
En route to Adichunchanagiri, thousands of devotees lined up to pay their last respects. As the crowd started pouring in and all roads leading to hill shrine were blocked, the police had to resort to mild caning to disperse the mob.
A host of political leaders, including Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, Deputy Chief Minister R Ashok, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, Union Ministers Mallikarjun Kharge, K H Muniyappa, M Veerappa Moily, former Union Minister S M Krishna, state JD(S) president H D Kumaraswamy and JD(S) leader H D Revanna, former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and Opposition Leader in State Assembly Siddaramaiah were present when the body was laid to rest.
Former ministers D K Shivakumar and C P Yogeshwar, and JD(S) leader Balakrishne Gowda arrived with the body. Cine actor Ambareesh was seen in the forefront making arrangements for the burial.
Though it was Makar Sankranti on Monday, Bellur and surrounding places wore a deserted look and hoardings of condolence messages were erected along the roads leading to the mutt.
Devotees raised slogans in favour of the seer who made his mark initially with religious pursuits but later founded institutions of excellence in education and medical facilities besides undertaking development work