SRINGERI:Devotees of Sringeri Sri Sharada Peetham got to witness the Sanyasa Deeksha and Shishya Parigraha of Vidhushekara Bharathi Swamiji, the successor-designate of the Peetham, on Friday.
At 9 am, the Preyshochaarana Poorvaka Sarvabhootha Abhayapradhana rituals were held in a specially-built mantap on the Tunga river. Earlier, the junior seer participated in the Purushasuktha Homa andViraja Homa at the Adisthana Mandira. As a mark of complete renunciation of worldly affairs, he discharged his white clothes along with shikha and Yajnopaveetha (sacred thread) in the river.
Jagadguru Sri Bharathi Theertha Mahaswamiji, accepting his successor as a sanyasi, presented him with the Kashaya Vastra and Dhanda Kamandala (staff and bowl). He later blessed the sanyasi with Pranavopadesha and Mahavakyopadesha at the Adisthana Mandira.
The new pontiff was brought to the north bank of the river in a specially-decorated boat. More than 500 Sumangalis (married women) offered aarathi to both the swamijis at the entrance of Narasimhavana where the Sringeri seer resides. The new pontiff’s mother and other family members participated in the rituals. Paryanka Soucha was performed with sacred soil and water at another specially-built mantap. The new Seer then entered the Sharadamba Temple followed by a large number of devotees shouting slogans and Vedic pundits chanting mantras.
He was then seated on the Vyakhyana Simhasana and Jagadguru Sri Bharathi Theertha Mahaswamiji placed the Saligrama on his head and performed puja. The new pontiff was the given the new name, Vidhushekara Bharathi Swamiji.
After the rituals, the new seer performed paadha puja by placing a gold coin at the feet of the senior seer. The Jagadguru receives paadha puja only from his successor. Devotees can only offer paadha puja to the paduke of Goddess Sharadamba.
The Sanyasa Deeksha and Shishya Sweekara rituals concluded with both the seers offering prayers to Goddess Sharadamba and the deities at all the temples in Sringeri.
After the demise of the 35th Jagadguru Sri Vidyatheertha Mahaswamiji in 1989, this is for the first time devotees got darshan of two swamijis at the same time at the Peetham.
A felicitation programme was held in the evening and Vedic scholars were honoured. A colourful Addapallakki Utsav of both the seers was held on Friday night.
Union Minister H N Ananth Kumar, former CM B S Yeddyurappa, state Ministers Abhayachandra Jain and T B Jayachandra, MP Shobha Karandlaje, MLA Jeevaraj, Legislative Council chairman D H Shankar Murthy and others participated.
Representatives from the Kerala and Andhra Pradesh governments, judges of different High Courts and industrialists from South India were among the devotees.