Controversy over overseas travel echos again during fourth Paryaya of Puthige Mutt senior seer Sugunendra Tirtha

Differences of Udupi Ashta Mutt seers with the senior seer of Puthige Mutt Sugunendra Tirtha over his ‘seemollanghana’ (overseas travel) continued during the seer’s fourth Paryaya on January 18, with the swamijis of seven other mutts staying away from attending the customary Paryaya Darbar in the morning.

Differences of Udupi Ashta Mutt seers with the senior seer of Puthige Mutt Sugunendra Tirtha over his ‘seemollanghana’ (overseas travel) continued during the seer’s fourth Paryaya on January 18, with the swamijis of seven other mutts staying away from attending the customary Paryaya Darbar in the morning.

The outgoing Paryaya seer Vidyasagara Tirtha of Krishnapura Mutt did not hand over to him in person the keys of Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple, the ‘Akshaya Patra’ (a vessel which would keep feeding forever) and a ‘sattuga’ (ladle) and make him sit on the Sarvajna Peetha or the Paryaya Peetha as per the tradition. Instead, he kept them near the Paryaya Peetha.

It was the senior seer of Udupi Admar Mutt Vishwapriya Tirtha who handed over these articles to Puthige Mutt seer and also made him sit on the Sarvajana Peetha.

The handing over of the ‘Akshaya Patra’ and ‘sattuga’ signifies the transfer of the charge of managing the Sri Krishna Mutt for the next two years.

As per the tradition of Ashta Mutts, a peethadhipati of any of the eight mutts who travels abroad loses the right to worship Lord Krishna at the Sri Krishna Mutt by touching the idol of the God.

Since his overseas travel from 1997 onwards, Sri Sugunendra Tirtha has established 15 branches of Puthige Mutt in several countries. He has also travelled to 28 countries. The swamiji announced ahead of his fourth Paryaya that he wants to open 108 branches of the mutt all over the world in his lifetime.