THANJAVUR: Amid high drama, the 28th pontiff of Suriyanarkoil adheenam, Sri Mahalinga Pandara Sannidhi, on Tuesday night handed over charge of the mutt to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department. His decision followed a protest by a group of local residents, who gathered in front of the mutt premises at Suriyanarkoil in the district on Tuesday evening demanding the pontiff to relinquish his title as he had married recently.
While the pontiff invited three of those who gathered before the mutt on Tuesday evening for talks, the locals did not relent from their demand, sources said. Following this, the pontiff came out and sat in the Suriyanarkoil village panchayat office located on the mutt campus. On information, the police arrived at the spot and asked the people to disperse.
Meanwhile, an altercation broke out between the supporters of the pontiff and the detractors. The authorities of Tiruvavaduthurai mutt, which has been nominating the pontiffs of Suriyanarkoil mutt off late, soon engaged in talks with the Suriyanarkoil adheenam. Later, the pontiff decided to hand over administrative charge of the mutt to the HR&CE department.
Accordingly, he handed over the keys of the mutt to department inspector T Aruna in the presence of the police and the locals. The pontiff also submitted a letter to the HR&CE officials stating that he is handing over charge of the mutt. He, however, refrained from stating he was relinquishing the post, sources said.
Meanwhile, HR&CE department sources said the executive officer of Patteeswaram Dhenupureeswarar temple will act as interim administrator of the mutt.
The controversy over Sri Mahalinga Pandara Sannidhi continuing as mutt pontiff erupted after he married a woman resident of Karnataka on October 10, which he had also announced officially. Though there was a tradition of a married person becoming the pontiff of the mutt after relinquishing married life, no one married after taking charge as one, his detractors argued.
Nine temples under the control of Suriyanarkoil mutt earlier are now being managed by the Tiruvavaduthurai adheenam.