Mangalore: Kashi Mutt Case - Disciples Take out Victory Procession

Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Nov 29: Thousands of disciples of Kashi Mutt belonging to Gowda Saraswat Brahmin community took out a victory procession from Lord Venkataramana Temple in Car Street here, on the evening of Monday November 28. They were celebrating the victory of Sri Sudhindrateertha Swamiji, spiritual head of Kashi Mutt, in a long-drawn legal battle over possession of holy idols, artifacts, and other puja paraphernalia.

The procession moe through Gaddekeri, Navabharat Circle, New Chitra Junction and Lower Car Street, before culminating at the temple.

These items, which have been the integral part of Kashi Mutt and belongs to the Kashi Mutt heritage, handed over by the lineage of Swamijis of the Mutt, continued to be in the possession of Raghavendrateertha, former Patta Shishya of Sri Sudhindrateertha Swamiji, even after he was divested of the powers and position enjoyed by him earlier. Even after court ruling ordered to hand the items back to Sri Sudhindratirtha, Raghavendrateertha had continued to disobey the court directions.

On November 28, the magistrate’s court in Cuddapah, Andhra Pradesh, ordered for handing over of the idols and other things to Sri Sudhindrateertha Swamiji. These items had been confiscated by the policemen of Cuddapah from Raghavendrateertha recently. G G Prabhu from Mumbai, who is the power of attorney holder of Sri Sudhindrateertha, took over the items.

Earlier in the day, the court dismissed a petition moved by Raghavendrateertha. For handing over of the items, it instructed Sri Sudhindrateertha Swamiji to furnish bank guarantee of ten lac rupees, personal bond of two lac rupees, and two guarantors of one lac rupees each.

Advocate from Hyderabad, Adinarayana Rao, and Bangalore-based advocate, Ravindranath Kamath, had appeared in the court on behalf of Kashi Mutt.