Summary:
MANGALURU: Now that the Shiroor Seer Laxmivara Theertha passed away without appointing his junior, the onus falls on Sode Mutt to appoint the successor to the Shiroor Mutt. Internal sources said that on Wednesday 9pm, an emergency meeting of Astha Mutt seers had been called after the hospitalization of Shiroor Seer to decide on this issue and the decision was kept in abeyance due to ashada month. Laxmivara Teetha Seer passed away at Kasturba Hospital Manipal on Thursday under suspicious circumstances after he was admitted on Wednesday morning in a critical condition.Sode Mutt is `Dwandha' Mutt of Shiroor – which means that the former handles the responsibilities of the latter in case of exigencies, like the present one.Sri Vishwavallabhatheertha of Sri Sode Vadiraja Mutt will take charge and also decide who will be appointed as the Seer of Shiroor Mutt. A decision on Seer’s successor is likely after the passing of this inauspicious month.More interestingly, Sode and Shiroor Seer did not eye to eye because of their differences over Shiroor lacking following `dharma’, but sources knowing the functioning of Sode Mutt say the Seer is pious and will keep up the tradition not allowing such frivolities creep in now that Shiroor Seer is no more.SODE RELENTS ON UDUPI MLA REQUEST: Though Sode Seer was unwilling to allow the Shiroor Seer’s body inside Sri Krishna Mutt premises, as it had undergone post mortem, he later relented after Udupi MLA Raghupathi Bhat made fervent appeals. Now, all rituals will be done as per tradition and Shiroor’s body will be given bath at Madhwa Sarovara, taken for Lord Krishna’s darshan through the Kanakana Kindi and an aarthi will be performed after taking it around Car Street..