The senior Tantri of Sabarimala, Kandararu Maheswararu, passed away at his ancestral home of Thazhamon Madhom at Mundankavu near Chengannur on Monday afternoon. He was 91.
Maheswararu had been bed-ridden with old-age-related illness for the past four years. He is survived by wife Devaki Antharjanam, son Kandararu Mohanararu, and daughters Mallika and Devika.
The two branches of Thazhamon Madhom headed by Maheswararu and his elder brother’s son, Kandararu Rajeevararu, have been performing the Tantric duty at Sabarimala in alternate years as part of an internal arrangement made within the family.
Maheswararu had delegated his grandson, Kandararu Maheswararu Mohanararu, for performing the tantric rites at Sabarimala for the past four years owing to his ill health.
Kandararu Maheswararu Mohanararu is the incumbent Tantri at Sabarimala.
Maheswararu started performing Tantric duty at Sabarimala as an assistant to his paternal uncle, Kandararu Sankararu, at the age of 17 years.
He had assisted Sankararu during the installation of the Ayyappa idol at Sabarimala 67 years ago, after the reconstruction of the temple which was partially destroyed in a fire outbreak in 1950.
The departed Tantri had performed idol installation at not less than 300 temples in India and abroad, besides having the hereditary tantric right at as many as 700 temples. His son Kandararu Mohanararu and grandson Kandararu Maheswararu Mohanararu have been performing the Tantric duty at these temples since the past four years as he had been bedridden.
The funeral will be held at the courtyard of the Thazhamon Madhom at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, according to Mr. Mohanararu.
