A day after 111-year-old chief seer of the Siddaganga Mutt, Shivakumara Swamy was laid to rest in Tumakuru, the Congress has targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not attending his funeral. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara took to Twitter to question the Prime Minister’s absence and added that repeated requests to confer the Lingayat seer the Bharat Ratna have gone in vain.

“Swamiji (Sri Shivakumara Swami of Siddaganga Mutt) served humanity. PM should have attended the cremation ceremony. I am not saying where else PM should have gone. I am not a small-minded person. If PM would have attended, it would have raised the level of his office,” Parameshwara said, speaking to the media on Wednesday.  

Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had come to Tumakuru to pay last respects on behalf of Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday. The body of the deceased seer was kept on display at the Gosala Siddeshwara Vedike at the mutt throughout the day and lakhs of devotees turned up to offer their tributes.

“PM Modi attends celebrity weddings, meets movie stars but skips the funeral of our NaDedāDuva devaru, who dedicated his life to help the poor and the marginalised. Repeated requests to confer Bharat Ratna on him have gone in vain,” Parameshwara tweeted.  

Agencies

Nasheman News : Amidst a sea of humanity, Karnataka’s iconic Lingayat seer Shivakumara Swami was on Tuesday laid to rest with state honours in the Siddaganga Mutt after about 10-lakh people paid homage to his mortal remains here.

After a three-round gun salute by the state police as a mark of respect, playing of the National Anthem and sounding of bugles by a music band, the seer’s frail body clad in saffron robes was lowered in the ground in a sitting posture as per the customs in the Mutt’s newly-built temple.

The 111-year-old popular and influential seer of the powerful Lingayat community died on Monday in the Mutt after protracted illness.

Though ceremonies related to the last rites began earlier in the day with the purification of the final resting place and special rituals, the last journey began at 5.00 p.m in a flower bedecked wooden chariot from the open ground in the Mutt where Swami’s body was kept in a glass showcase for public viewing since Monday afternoon.

According to Mutt’s head priest M.N. Chandrashekharayya, Swami had wished to be buried in the temple, as it was located facing the Vedic-cum-Sanksrit school in the heart of the Mutt.

“The body has been buried in the 6-by-6 feet dug up area in the Rudrakshi mantap, with about 1,000kg of sacred ash, 900kg of salt, 50kg of river sand and one sack of herbal (Bilva) leaves,” a Mutt’s official told reporters.

Junior seer Siddalinga Swami of the 600-year-old Mutt performed the last rites, amid chanting of the Vedic hymns and religious mantras of Shaivas by about 50 priests.

About 100 seers and swamis of various Lingayat and Vokkaliga Mutts from across the state were present on the occasion along with thousands of the seer’s devotees from all over the country.

As the temple premises could not accommodate more than 100 people inside, the last rites, including seer’s burial, was beamed live on giant screens erected in and around the Mutt for viewing by thousands of people.

State Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy handed over the Tricolour the seer’s body was draped with to Siddalinga before the last rites.

Baba Ramdev, former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, Union Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda, state Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, state Home Minister M.B. Patil, state BJP’s unit President B.S. Yeddyurappa and former Congress chief ministers Siddaramaiah and S.M. Krishna were among the several prominent leaders present on the occasion.

Elaborate security arrangements were made around the Mutt and about 3,000 police personnel were deployed in the town to ensure peaceful movement of people for the last glimpse of the seer and divert vehicular traffic from the Mutt area.

Defence Minister Nirmal Sitharaman flew to Tumakuru, about 70km northwest of Bengaluru, in a military helicopter from the state capital and paid her respects to the seer by laying a floral wreath on behalf of the President, Prime Minister and the Union Government.

Chants of “Swamiji ki jai” and “Bharat Ratna beku” (we demand Bharat Ratna for Swami) by hundreds of devotees and students of the Mutt’s schools rent the air.

In Karnataka, where drama between the Congress-JD(S) and the BJP had taken over state politics for the past few days, the rival sides have come together to raise one demand: Bharat Ratna for Shivakumara Swami, the prominent Lingayat seer who passed away on Monday.

Initially, it was Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy who urged the Centre to confer the prestigious award on the seer. When the 111-year-old seer was receiving treatment for lung infection last week, Kumaraswamy had said that he will personally write, as well as meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi with this request. “Honours like the Bharat Ratna will have value when it recognises people like Swamiji,” N

After the Siddaganga Mutt seer’s demise on Monday, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, too, made the same demand. “He (Shivakumara) is worthy of getting the title. Such a great man from Karnataka, it is worth to bestow the Bharat Ratna on him,” he said.

State BJP president BS Yeddyurappa — who was also seen alongside Kumaraswamy on Monday during the announcement of Shivakumara’s death — said in a condolence message, “The Siddaganga Mutt was the epicentre of a silent revolution in the field of education and in providing food. The passing away of the seer has created a feeling of orphan among the millions.”(sic) He further said: “Considering his service to humanity, I had appealed to the prime minister to confer Bharat Ratna on Siddaganga seer. I reiterate my appeal to the Government of India to consider my request.”

JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda said that he had already written to the Centre in this regard earlier and will write another letter again.

The clamour grew as Karnataka deputy chief minister G Parameshwara, too, joined the bandwagon. “We urge Central government to honour ‘Walking God’ Shivakumara Swami ji with Bharat Ratna at the earliest. This greatest humanitarian seer is beyond the boundaries of politics and is the embodiment of love. Honouring his work will only enhance the highest civilian award further,” he said in a tweet.

The Milath Education Society in Davanagere also urged the government to honour Shivakumar Swami with India’s highest civilian award. Media reported that honorary president of Millath Education Society, Syed Saifulla, board of directors, staff and students made the request while condoling the pontiff’s death.

However, the demand may not be met so easily. A home ministry official told media that the rules fixed for Bharat Ratna do not cover spiritual leaders. He further added that this may “open a Pandora’s Box” as devotees of other religious leaders may also seek the civilian award for their gurus.

The highly-revered pontiff of the influential Lingayats, the major community in Karnataka, is a recipient of Padma Bhushan and Karnataka Ratna, the highest state civilian award. His funeral is set to be held at 4.30 pm on Tuesday in Tumakuru.

Following the demise of Shivakumara Swamy, chief seer of the 500-year-old Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru, the baton of power at the mutt will now pass on to his junior Siddalinga Swamy.

Shivakumara Swamy has presided over the mutt since 1941. But in 2011, he relinquished day-to-day responsibilities of the mutt and the Siddaganga Educational Society to Siddalinga Swamy. “The transfer was decided over 30 years ago when Shivakumara Swamy chose Siddalinga as his successor. This means that he will not only take care of the day-to-day affairs of the mutt but also be responsible for all the educational institutions under the Siddaganga name,” said Prof Meenakshi Khandimath, a professor of Political Science at Tumakuru University who has closely followed the affairs of the mutt.

The Siddaganga Educational Society runs around 125 educational institutions ranging from engineering to business schools/colleges in the state. Shivakumara Swamy identified Siddalinga as his successor 30 years ago in 1988. Much like Shivakumara Swamy, Siddalinga Swamy has made it a point to dissociate himself and the mutt from political discussions. During the movement for a separate Lingayat religion in 2018, Siddalinga Swamy refused to take sides even as several high-profile political leaders made it a point to visit the mutt and seek the seer’s blessings. “The mutt only blesses politicians for their future endeavours and does not make any attempt to influence the voters,” claimed Siddalinga Swamy, speaking to reporters in April 2018.

Even though there are over 400 Lingayat mutts in Karnataka, the Siddaganga Mutt is considered to be one of the most important mutts. It is also one of the oldest institutions set up to spread Lingayatism and the teachings of its founder Basavanna.

Siddalinga Swamy is a junior seer in the Siddaganga mutt. He was the second seer appointed in the mutt after Shivakumara Swamy took over. However, Shivakumara Swamy chose him ahead of Gowrishankar Swamy, who was second-in-command, in 1988. The seer cited the good behaviour of Siddalinga Swamy as the reason for the decision.

There are still a few formalities to be completed including signing the power of attorney – a binding legal document that will cement the transfer of authority. Sources in the mutt confirmed that the formal transfer will be done soon.

Nasheman News :  A row has erupted over flaws in the actual age of some of the 51 women referred to by the Kerala government counsel on Friday in the Supreme Court saying they were in the ‘banned’, menstruating age group of 10-50 years who prayed at the Sabarimala temple this season.

Kanaka Durga and Bindu Ammini, both in the ‘banned’ age group 10 to 50 years prayed at the Sabarimala temple.

It was after they approached the apex court seeking security that a bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice L. Nageswara Rao and Justice Dinesh Maheshwari directed the state government to arrange adequate protection for them.

The list of 51 women is not part of an affidavit, but only referred to by the state government counsel in his arguments. Soon the list was highlighted in the media.

The details of 51 women on the list include their names, Aadhar numbers and, in some cases, telephone numbers.

When the media contacted a few whose mobile numbers were given, they said they were above 50 years of age — hence eligible for entry inside the temple.

The first name on the list is Padmavathy, from Andhra Pradesh. Her age has been shown as 48, but when contacted, she said she is 55.

Anaother woman mentioned on the list is Sheela, a resident of Chennai. She told the media that she is 52, and not what has been mentioned on the list.

Rahul Eashwar, a member of the Sabarimala tantri family, said the manner in which the Kerala government has misled the apex court is “outrageous”.

“I myself called up five such women. All of them said they are above 50 years of age,” said Eashwar.

“I was surprised when one of the women said she never went to Sabarimala at all and had even agreed to join the protest against the manner in which the temple traditions were being breached. It’s a very grave matter that the Kerala government has come out with such a list,” he said.

State BJP president P.S. Sreedharan Pillai said the Kerala government list is the biggest lie, and that this is something that a state government should have never done.

Member of the Pandalam royal family Narayana Varma rejected government claims. “Nothing of the sort happened. We will believe only in truth, and what has been said is not true,” said Varma.

However, State Minister for Devasoms (temples) Kadakampally Surendran told media on Friday that 1.6 million pilgrims had registered through the online facility for ‘darshan’ at Sabarimala.

“Of these, 8.2 lakh used the Q facility and had ‘darshan’. As many as 7,564 women in the age group 10 to 50 had registered. From this 51 had their ‘darshan’ at the temple. We are not interested in finding out how they came and which way they went away,” said Surendran.

Bindu Ammini, one of the women from the ‘banned age group who entered tehe temple, thanked the apex court for giving a favourable verdict.

“I know several women below the age of 50 who came and had ‘darshan’ at Sabarimala, but for fear of trouble, they are not coming out in the open,” said Ammini.