MANGALURU: Sri Lakshmivara Teertha pontiff of the Shiroor Mutt , one of Udupi’s famous Ashta Mutts , died on Thursday due to multi-organ failure. Doctors at the hospital where the seer was treated in the final hours before his passing said they “suspected poisoning’’. The seer was 55.A release from Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, where the seer was brought at 1.05am Thursday from a private hospital in Udupi , said: “On arrival, he was found to be critically ill with breathlessness, severe hypotension and massive gastrointestinal bleeding. He had (a) history of diarrhoea prior to this episode.”The release added that the seer’s condition continued to deteriorate rapidly in spite of best efforts from the medical team. He was declared dead at 8.30am Thursday. It said there was suspicion of poisoning, and toxicological samples have been sent for testing.Born Harish Acharya to Vittalacharya and Kusuma at Madamakki, Hebri taluk of Udupi District, Sri Lakshmivara Teertha received sanyasa in 1971. During his first Paryaya in 1978-80, he renovated the Mukhamantapa at the entrance of Sri Krishna Mutt in Udupi.He was the 30th seer of Shiroor Mutt. The seer, who ascended the Paryaya Peetha for the third time in 2010-12, was in the news in the past three months for his controversial remarks against other seers of the Ashta Mutts and his decision to contest the 2018 assembly polls from Udupi. He again made headlines for threatening to file cases against seers of the Ashta Mutts for refusing to return the ‘Pattada Devaru’ (mutt deity) which he had handed over to one of the seers for safekeeping and daily pooja. The seers of the Ashta Mutt were annoyed with him since he refused to appoint a junior pontiff. He died without a successor in place.Ruling out foul play, Vishvesha Theertha Swamiji of Pejawar mutt said none of the Ashta Mutt seers participated in the Shiroor seer’s funeral for “moral and religious” reasons. He said the Shiroor seer’s brother had said earlier that the pontiff had taken ill after eating palaav made in a copper utensil without tin coating. P6When the news of his death broke on Thursday, business establishments in the temple town downed shutters and education institutions declared a holiday as a mark of respect.The mortal remains of the seer — placed in a bamboo basket in a seated position — were taken to Sri Krishna Mutt in a flower-decorated vehicle. The body was not bathed at Madhva Sarovara as per the tradition since a postmortem had been conducted. After a procession down car street on the temple premises, the body was taken to Hiriyadka where his moola mutt is situated. There he was buried at ‘Vrindavana’ – a burial site for a sage. None of the seers from the Ashta Mutts offered final tributes or participated in any rituals conducted in the Sri Krishna mutt.Latavya Acharya, blood brother of the Shiroor seer, filed a complaint at the Hiriyadka police station stating his brother was murdered and called for a thorough investigation. Laxman Nimbargi, Udupi SP, has barred public from entering Shiroor Mutt to conduct investigations.Every year during Krishna Janmastami celebrations, the seer decked performers of the tiger dance troupes with garlands of cash. A good swimmer, he used to train youth in the Madhva Sarovar in the Sri Krishna Mutt premises.A good drummer, in June this year he laid the foundation stone for a music school near Shiroor Mutt in Hiriyadka to impart training in Indian and Western music. Percussionist Sivamani was a regular visitor to the mutt.

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