Charukeerthi Bhattaraka Swami, head of the Jain Mutt at Shravanabelgola, a well known pilgrimage centre in Channarayapatna taluk of Hassan district, passed away on Thursday morning.
ADVERTISEMENT
Around 6.30 a.m., the 74-year-old seer collapsed while on his morning walk on the mutt premises. The mutt staff took him to Adichunchanagiri Hospital at Bellur Cross in Mandya district, where a team of doctors attended to him. The doctors declared that he was dead by 9.32 a.m.
Hassan Deputy Commissioner M.S.Archana told the media that the seer had been suffering health complications for the past few days. He had an injury recently. “He accidentally fell on the mutt premises in the morning and suffered a head injury. He was already weak because of the previous injury. He was rushed to the hospital, where the doctors declared him dead”, she said.
ADVERTISEMENT
The mortal remains were brought to the mutt in the afternoon. The district administration made arrangements for the public to pay their respects to the seer on the premises of the mutt. Hundreds of devotees, including residents of Shravanabelgola, were in tears as they stood in line to pay their homage. Shopkeepers in Shravanabelgola observed bandh voluntarily for the day. They did not open their business establishments.
The last rites of Charukeerthi Bhattaraka Swamy were conducted with state honours on the foothills of Chandragiri in Shravanabelgola. The mortal remains were carried from the mutt to Chandragiri in a procession. Hundreds of devotees took part in the procession.
Excise Minister K. Gopalaiah, who is also in charge of Hassan district, said he was shocked to know about the demise of the seer. “We often came here to meet the seer happily. His death has left all of us in shock. It is a loss for the state and the country”, he said. C.N. Balakrishna, MLA of Shravanabelgola, and senior district officers were present.
ADVERTISEMENT
In his condolence message, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai expressed his sadness at the death of the seer. “It is an irreparable loss to the State. I pray his devotees are blessed with the strength to bear the loss”, he said. Former Prime Minister and Rajya Sabha member H.D. Deve Gowda condoled the death and said the seer had played a significant role in the development of the Jain Mutt and Shravanabelgola and started many educational institutions for the benefit of society.. Former Minister H.D. Revanna, Lok Sabha member Prajwal Revanna and others mourned the death.
Dharmasthala Pattadhikari D. Veerendra Heggade has also mourned his death.
Also Read — The monk who renounced the phone, TV
The seer had devotees in Karnataka, many parts of India and abroad. During his tenure as head of the mutt, he conducted mahamastakabhisheka, grand anointment of the 57-foot-tall Gomateshwara statue at Shravanabelagola, four times — 1981, 1993, 2006 and 2018. The ceremony is organised once in 12 years.
The seer was a scholar in Sanskrit and Prakrit. He led a team of scholars who collected important works in Prakrit.