Jagadguru Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswami of Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri, on Friday anointed his successor.
Brahmachari Kuppa Venkateshwara Prasada Sharma was ordained into sanyasa by the Jagadguru who bestowed upon him the Yoga Patta — Sri Sri Vidhushekhara Bharati — in a traditional ceremony on the mutt premises here. Sri Vidhushekhara Swami would be the 37th seer in the unbroken lineage of the Peetham.
Thousands of devotees from across the country attended the elaborate ceremony which began on Thursday. The successor-designate performed various ‘Homas’, fasted all day and stayed awake throughout Thursday night before the anointment ceremony. He was initiated into sanyasa on Friday morning by the Jagadguru.
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Both the seers gave darshan to devotees in the afternoon and participated in Adda Pallakki Utsava later. A host of dignitaries, including Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Ananth Kumar, Legislative Council Chairman D.H. Shankaramurthy, former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, Lokayukta Y. Bhaskar Rao, Law Minister T.B. Jayachandra and legislators attended the events. Chennai Super King’s owner N. Srinivasan also made a personal visit. Though the media persisted with questions on the Thursday’s Supreme Court’s verdict on conflict of interest, Mr. Srinivasan refused to comment.