In an impressive tribute to the deceased Siddaganga seer Shivakumara Swami, the mutt’s dasoha (community feeding) programme was continued, without any disruption, on Tuesday.
News of the seer’s death was announced on Monday afternoon, and on that day over 2 lakh devotees were fed. On Tuesday, however, more than 15 lakh devotees were fed as specialised counters were set up on the mutt premises. Running the service were over 8,000 current and former students of the mutt’s schools. Preparations for this began a week ago, when the deterioration of the seer’s health became apparent.
Hundreds of volunteers served the two-course meal on disposable arecanut leaf plates. Despite the rush on the premises, the counters remained free of chaos and no one was left unfed.
Shivappa, a class 8 student, spent the day walking around the grounds with a bucket of water to quench the thirst of devotees standing in long queues. “I am happy to help the devotees at this time,” he said. Suresh, a class 9 student, said their dedication to work stems from the school.
Sumithra Bai, who had come down from Hubballi, said that while it is a custom not to cook if a family member dies, the seer always ensured that his devotees were not left hungry. On seeing the number of people who had come to the mutt, Divya, a teacher from Bengaluru, was afraid that her children may go hungry. “I was worried for my two small children who cannot go hungry that long. But the food was arranged very well here,” she said.
This spirit and mode of tribute spread through Tumakuru district. On National Highways and close to Siddaganga, many private institutes set up makeshift kitchens which provided breakfast and lunch to devotees, some of whom had travelled through the night to catch a final glimpse of the late seer.
Gloom in Tumakuru
The pall of gloom descended on the district, which had been accustomed to the presence of the seer for over a century. Pictures and posters of the seer dotted almost every electricity pole, shop, and advertisement hoarding.
While schools and college across the State were closed, in Tumakuru and parts of Bengaluru Rural, owners of shops and commercial establishments downed their shutters as a sign of mourning. Anticipating a pile-up of vehicles on the town, which lies by the NH-4, traffic officials had blocked the road between Dobbspet and Sira. Toll collection was suspended for the day.
