The Kaniyur Math performed the ‘Baale Muhurta’, the first of the preliminaries before the next Paryaya, here on Sunday.
Vidyavallabha Tirtha Swami of Kaniyur Math will ascend the Paryaya Peetha, also called the Sarvajna Peetha, at the 800-year-old Sri Krishna Math on January 18, 2014. It will be his second Paryaya.
Procession
After offering prayers at the Kaniyur Math, a procession comprising math representatives, led by the swamiji, and devotees went to the Chandramouleshwara temple, Ananteshwara temple and Sri Krishna temple and offered prayers. The procession then came to the entrance of the Kaniyur Math where the math representatives collected the saplings of plantain and sugarcane and went around the Car Street. The procession, which was accompanied by the royal elephant and traditional drumbeaters and trumpet blowers, culminated in the backyard of the Kaniyur Math.
The saplings of plantain, sugarcane and tulsi were planted in two rows in the backyard amid chanting of religious mantras.
Addressing the devotees, the swamiji said the temple-town of Udupi was known as “Anna Brahma Kshetra”. A large number of devotees visit the Sri Krishna Math/temple daily and they had to be provided with meals. It was necessary for the Paryaya Math to have a plentiful supply of plantain leaves for serving meals. Hence the math concerned starts planting plantain saplings a year before the Paryaya festival. This was how the ritual of Baale Muhurta came into being, he said. “I want the cooperation of all people for the successful conduct of my second Paryaya,” the swamiji said.
Plans
He spoke to journalists later on his plans during his second Paryaya. The swamiji said his most important plan was to get books published on all major and minor characters in the Mahabharata. He would select about 50 scholars to write on all these characters. Each scholar would be given a separate character to write. These books would be released during his second Paryaya.
He also plans to organise lectures on Indian culture and quiz for the youth apart from holding religious discourses by scholars.
‘Friendly relations’
Asked about unity among the Ashta Maths of Udupi, he said: “I have friendly relations with all the other seven maths. I don’t want to talk anything more on it.”
