The Krishnapura Mutt performed the Baale Muhurta, the first of the four major preliminaries before the next Paryaya festival, in Udupi on Monday.
Seer of the mutt Vidyasagara Tirtha will take over the Paryaya on January 18, 2022.
During the Baale Muhurta, plantain saplings were planted on the premises of the mutt. This is done to ensure plentiful supply of plantain leaves, which are used for “Anna Dana” (mass feeding) at the Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple.
Elaborate rituals marked the Baale Muhurta on Monday. After offering prayers at the Krishnapura Mutt, a group of devotees, scholars and priests offered prayers at the Sri Chandramouleshwara Temple, Sri Ananteshwara Temple and Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple. They then carried the plantain, tulsi and sugarcane saplings in a procession on Car Street. The saplings were planted amid the chanting of mantras on the premises of Krishnapura Mutt later.
Udupi MLA K. Raghupati Bhat and Member of Parliament from Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Shobha Karandlaje were among those who attended the event.
Vidyasagara Tirtha is the senior-most seer among the Asta Mutt seers now. He will ascend the Paryaya for the fourth time. His first Paryaya was in 1974 and the second in 1990. He ascended the Paryaya Peetha for the third time in 2006. During his last Paryaya, he had offered diamond kavacha to Sri Mukhyaprana at Udupi.
The second preliminary before the next Paryaya will be Akki Muhurtha, the third Kattige Muhurtha and last will be the Bhatta Murtha.
