Hitch among seers surfaces at Prayaya celebrations

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Jan 16, 2016: A minor fissure among the seers of the Ashta Mutts came to the fore just ahead of Paryaya, with Sugunendra Tirtha Swami of Puttige Mutt saying on Jan 15 Friday that he would attend both the procession and the durbar function of Paryaya festival on Jan 18Monday. However, Vishwesha Tirtha Swami of Pejawar Mutt, who will be ascending the peetha, said though he had invited the Puttige seer, it was only based on the precedent followed during the previous Paryaya.

The traditional-minded seers of the Ashta Mutts (eight mutts of Udupi) do not invite Puttige seer for these functions as he crossed the seas (“sagarolanghana”) and visited foreign countries. Foreign travel is taboo for the seers of Ashta Mutts. The math had in 2008 opposed the ascension of the Puttige seer to the Paryaya Peetha citing this reason.