TUMAKURU: Kudos to his inimitable willpower, Shivakumara Swami, the 111-year-old seer of Siddaganga Mutt, who has eight stents in his bile duct, proved himself agile on Independence Day. On Wednesday, he chose to walk almost 200 metres to board his car and went around the mutt to witness paddy and ragi crops the mutt has raised in the fields.
Usually, from the old mutt, where he rests, he used to walk to his seat at the new mutt to meet devotees. But after he was admitted to a hospital at Kengeri in Bengaluru twice this year for his ill-health and discharged after treatment, he would always use a car. Students and devotees turned curious to have a glimpse and tried, but in vain to fall onto the feet of ‘Nadedaduva Devaru’ (walking god) as his attendants did not allow.
“It’s a great thing to witness the swamiji back on his routine as we are grateful to doctors who had cleared blockages in the bile duct during the treatment last time on June 22,” said Sathish Kumar, a mutt staff. In fact, one could have a maximum of six stents in the bile duct but the seer could withstand eight, he said.
According to mutt authorities, the seer’s routine goes like this.
He wakes up around 4 am and prepares for pooja at the old mutt. It was only after performing and worshipping Lord Siddalingeshwara, he breaks his fast with two button idlis with a tablespoon of pure desi cow’s ghee, split moong dal, milk and a piece of papaya around 6 am. Later, he goes to his seat and reads the newspaper, particularly The New India Express, since the Emergency period, he is a fan of the paper. He also verifies the mutt’s files, besides attending to VIP devotees.
Later at another seat just outside the dining hall, he sits for hours to meet devotees. At 12 noon, he has his lunch (a small bowl of rice and sambar and a fruit juice). His dinner at 9 pm includes ‘dose’ with a tablespoon of ghee, papaya and a glass of milk.