Daddappa Appa was, on Sunday, anointed the ninth peetathipathi of the Sharnabasaveshwar Samasthan and successor to the eighth Mahadasoha Peethathipathi Sharnabaswappa Appaji amid the recital of religious hymns in the presence of his father Appaji and mother Dakshayini Avvaji.
A galaxy of religious heads of different Veerashaiva Maths solemnised the anointment and the succession of Doddappa Appaji in front of a Nanda Deepa, the holy lamp lit by 18th-Century saint Sharanabasaveshwara.
Prominent among the religious heads who performed the religious rituals and formalised the succession process included Chennaveera Shivacharya, head of the Harkod Samasthan Math in Bidar district, Sarangadara Desikendra Swamy of Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh, Rajashekhara Swamy of Chowdapur Math, Abhinava Siddalinga Shivachary of Samasthan Kattimani Hiremath, Mugalnagav, Kalaburagi, Abhinava Muneendra Swamy of Belagumpi, Siddalinga Shivacharya Hiremath, Madki.
Shivani, Komal and Maheshwari, sisters of Doddappa Appa; B.G. Patil and Thippanna Kamakanur, MLCs; Sharanu Modi, former Kalaburagi Mayor; Shashil G. Namoshi, former Chairman of the High Power Committee for the Implementation of the recommendations of the Nanjundappa Committee; Basavaraj, former Superintendent of Police; Arunkumar Patil and Srishail Gooli, Veerashiava Lingayat community leaders; Sharanabasawappa Deshmukh, senior advocate; Basavaraj Deshmukh, secretary of the Sharanabasaveshwar Vidya Vardak Sangha; Gangambika Nisty, elder daughter of Appaji, and other family members were present.
The anointing ceremony was preceded by religious rituals in the morning with Dakshayni Avvaji performing pujas to the idols of Lord Ganesh, Sri Sharanabasaveshwara and others. This was followed by administering Deeksha by the religious heads to Doddappa Appaji amid recital of religious verses and hymns. Doddappa Appa was seated on the lap of Appaji throughout the process of the Deeksha ceremony.
Later, the formal peetarohana ceremony took place in the main hall of the Dasoha Mahamane and Peetathipathi Appaji seated his successor Appa on the Gaddige (holy chair) and announced that Doddappa Appaji was his successor and all the respect and reverence showed to him (Appaji) should be extended to his successor.
In his short speech, Appaji recalled the day 36 years ago when he was anointed as the eighth peethathipathi of the samasthan after the demise of his illustrious father Doddappa Appaji and said that even at a young age Doddappa Appa was proving to be the reincarnation of the seventh Peetathipathi Doddappa Appaji by his exhibiting his benevolence and kind-heartedness to all those visiting the temple.
Registrar of the Sharnbasva University Anilkumar Bidve, Registrar (Evaluation) Lingaraj Shastri, Dean Lakshmi Patil and others were present.
