Pejavara Mutt Seer Vishwesha Teertha Swami passed away at Udupi Sri Krishna Mutt in Karnataka on Sunday. Head of Pejavara Mutt, one among the 'Ashta' Mutts of Udupi, Vishvesha Teertha Swamiji was admitted to the hospital last week and was on ventilator support.
"Pejavara Mutt Seer Vishwesha Teertha Swami ji passed away at 9:30 am today. His mortal remains will be kept at Ajjarakadu Mahatma Gandhi Maidan for 3 hrs today, where he'll be given state honours. CM BS Yediyurappa will be coming there,"news agency ANI reported quoting Udupi MLA K Raghupati Bhat as saying.
The 88-year-old pontiff was being treated for extensive Pneumonia with antibiotics and supportive treatment. He was brought to the hospital with complaints of difficulty in breathing at around 5 a.m. on December 20 from a private hospital.
Pejawar Mutt chief Vishwesha Theertha Swami dies at 88
Expressing grief, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said,"May Lord Krishna grant salvation to his soul. I would pray for the devotees to give them the strength to overcome their pain."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to pay his last respects and said, "Sri Vishvesha Teertha Swamiji of the Sri Pejawara Matha, Udupi will remain in the hearts and minds of lakhs of people for whom he was always a guiding light. A powerhouse of service and spirituality, he continuously worked for a more just and compassionate society. Om Shanti.
In the meantime, the Karnataka government announced a three-day state mourning.
Born on April 27, 1931 at at Ramakunja as Venkatarama, Vishwesha Theertha Swami was initiated into asceticism on December 3, 1938 after undergoing practices to renounce worldly pleasures and to tread the path of religion.
The swamiji was hailed for his social initiatives,including visiting Dalit colonies decades ago.
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