Udupi, Jan 18: This Paryaya was not like any Paryayas held in the past. None of the Swamijis from Ashta (eight) Maths were present when Puthige Shri Sugunendratheertha Swamiji, ascended the Sarvajnya Paryaya Peetha in the early hours of Friday January 18. 
 
This is for the third time that Shri Sugunendrateertha Swamiji is ascending the Sarvajnya Paryaya Peetha in his life. However, the Swamijis of 6 other Maths boycotted the Paryaya while Shiroor Swamiji who was expected to attend Paryaya too gave a slip at the eleventh hour. There was no Swamiji to handover the authority. During the second term of Puttige Swamiji’s Paryaya, he had toured USA, which led to controversy as the Swamijis of other Maths, headed by Pejawar Shri Vishweshateertha Swamiji raised objections against him. They demanded that, Puthige Swamiji should not conduct Shri Krishna Puja during his Paryaya. Even after many rounds of discussions, the issue was not resolved. Finally when no favourable result was attained, the Swamijis of 6 Maths decided boycott Paryaya. 

As per the tradition, Krishnapur Swamiji who was at the helm of Sarvajnya Paryaya Peetha hitherto had to handover the key of Sri Krishna Math. However, owing to the boycott of rest of the Swamijis, Puthige Swamiji ascended the Paryaya Peetha on his own.
 
Shiroor Swamiji had supported Puthige Swamiji till the last moment. However, he finally caved in when pressure mounted on him from all circles.  But nothing prevented Puthige Swamiji from ascending Paryaya Peetha at 5.55 am on Friday and holding his first Paryaya Darbar at 6.05 am along with Shri Raghumanyateertha Swamiji of Bhimankatte Math.

Earlier a tradition procession from Jodukatte started after Puthige Swamiji took holy dip in Dandateertha at Kaup.  Various colourful tableaux though added attraction to the procession, the absence of 7 Swamiji who usually accompany on palanquins was felt throughout.
 
In his message after ascending the Paryaya Peetha, Puttige Swamiji declared that ‘Vishwa Madhva Math’ will be established abroad within next Navaratri, to spread the preaching of Sri Krishna.

Kundapur, Jan 18: Shyamili hydel power project, a brainchild of well-known contractor G Shankar is getting ready to begin operation from May, 2008.  G Shankar who found the water of Varahi river near the diversion wire work going waste into the Arabian Sea, consequently planned to convert the waste water into power spending nearly Rs 60 crore.

Energy development corporation LTD from Delhi is doing the project work and the technical aspect of the project is being looked after by MacLean Fabrication Company of Tamil Nadu. Superstar Amita Bacchan, Amar Sing and Jaya Bachchan are on the board of directors of EDC, which has already earned a good name in implementing the similar project near Harangi.

The Karnataka thermal power project has already entered into 30 years agreement with the Shyamili project which is capable of producing 12-megawatt electricity. A new housing colony for the staff in the 50 cents area is coming up with a beautiful Ganesh Temple on the top of the power reactor site with the possibility of attracting tourists from across the country.

The ‘Paryaya’ at the Udupi Sri Krishna Math, scheduled on January 18, 2008, has evoked a lot of interest not only among the local people and devotees of Sri Krishna, but all over India and even the world at large. This is chiefly due to the fact that the pontiff of the Putthige Math, His Holiness Sri Sri Sugunendra Theertha Swamiji, a world renowned Seer will be ascending the ‘Paryaya Peetha’ at Udupi for the third time.

Sri Sugunendra Swami, the Seer with Global Vision has made a mark as an exponent of Sri Madhvacharya’s philosophy in a number of foreign countries including the United States and has made great impact on the people and leaders of the world. He is the first pontiff in 800 years of the history of the Ashta Mathas founded by Sri Madhvacharya in the thirteenth century, to travel abroad. This has also brought forth avoidable controversy, whether a seer who had crossed the seas, forbidden by the ancient Hindu shastras, could worship Sri Krishna at Udupi during his two year Paryaya period (2008-2010).

The bi-annual ‘Paryaya’ ceremony confers the right on the pontiffs of the Ashta Mathas in rotation to worship the image of Sri Krishna in the Udupi temple that was consecrated, installed and worshipped by Sri Madhvacharya himself. Along with this honour, the Paryaya Swami also inherits the right to administer the temple complex for two years of his tenure as the Mathadhipathi.  On 18th January 2008, Sri Sugunendra Theertha Swami, the 30th pontiff of Sri Putthige Math will ascend the ‘Paryaya Peetha’ for his third bi-annual term.

Sri Sugunendra Theertha Swami of Jagadguru Sri Madhvacharya Moola Maha Samsthana of Sri Putthige Math, Udupi, has a string of distinctions to his credit. He is the youngest among those who have been initiated into sanyasa at Udupi. Moreover, he was the youngest pontiff to ascend the Paryaya Peetha at Udupi.

Sri Putthige Math, Udupi

Prior to his initiation into monastic life, Sri Sugunendra Swami was known as ‘Hayavadana’. He was born in 1961 at Maniyur in Udupi Taluka. His parents Govindacharya and Kamalamma were known for their piety and devotion to Sri Krishna. Right from his childhood days Hayavadana developed a great interest in religious and spiritual matters.

When the pontiff of Putthige Math, His Holiness Sri Sri Sujnanendra Theertha Swami decided to select a disciple to succeed him, he chose Hayavadana after meticulously processing about five hundred horoscopes to the esteemed position.  Thus, Hayavadana came to be initiated into sanyasa at the tender age of thirteen and came to be known as Sri Sri Sugunendra Theertha Swami in 1974.

A renowned scholar saint, His Holiness Sri Vidyamanya Theertha Swamiji was the spiritual and academic teacher of Sri Sugunendra Swami, who kept a close watch on strict self discipline and religious studies of the young sanyasi. Following the attainment of Samadhi by Sri Sri Sujanendra Theertha Swamiji, Sri Sugunendra Theertha Swami succeeded him as the pontiff of the Putthige Math at a very young age. Incidentally, he also ascended the Paryaya Peetha for the first time at the age of fifteen in 1976. His second Paryaya was on 18th January, 1992.

During his earlier two stints as the ‘Peethadhipathi’, Sri Sugunendra Swami had earned the admiration of not only the devotees of Sri Krishna, but the general public as well. During his second Paryaya, Sri Sugunendra Swami constructed the magnificent Welcome Tower (Swagatha Gopuram) at the entrance of Udupi at Kinnimulky in typical South Canara style of architecture in 1992.

Sri Sugunendra Swami at the Peace Summit at Mount Hiei, Kyoto, Japan in 2007

Sri Sugunendra Swami is a Seer with extraordinary talents and caliber. He has won the hearts and minds of the devotees of Sri Krishna not only in India but also abroad. He has won world-wide fame and respect through his learned discourses and scholarly writings and publications.  He has authored many books on religion and philosophy. His learned works include ‘Suguna Maala’ in Kannada and ‘Suguna Digest’ in English.

Besides religion and spirituality, Sri Sugunendra Swami has also manifested his love for culture. He has directed several dance dramas like ‘Vishwaroopa Darshana’ and ‘Aananda Mukunda’. It was in recognition of his great service to the cause of religion and his love for cultural awakening that the honour of chairing the ‘Sarva Dharma Sammelan’ in India was conferred on him at a very young age. He also played a crucial role in the World Conference of Philosophers held in India and the World Conference of Hindus held abroad.

Sri Sugunendra Swami is well versed in Vedic scriptures and has become an international spiritual celebrity. He has visited a number of foreign countries including the United States for the propagation of Hindu philosophy and spirituality as interpreted by Sri Madhvacharya. He is respected by the world leaders as the ‘messenger of peace’. He also visited Arab countries where he was honoured. He told the Arab world that India accepted that God is one and he had many manifestations, including Krishna and Allah, which all led to the same destination, an echo of the belief of another great spiritual teacher of modern India, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, the revered guru of Swami Vivekananda, the first modern Hindu missionary to the West.

Sri Sugunendra Swami with  US President George Bush and the First Lady

During 2007, Sri Sugunendra Swami attended the Peace Summit at Mount Hiei at Kyoto in Japan along with other world religious leaders. He is globally respected for his progressive vision and as a champion of ecology and protection of environment. The Swamiji had the unique distinction of being elected as the President of the World Conference on Religion and Peace.

Among the pontiffs of the Ashta Mathas, Sri Sugunendra Swami has manifested progressive outlook and dynamism. He has been credited with the construction of the Gita Mandir at Udupi, Sri Putthige Sanskrit Vidya Peetha at Putthige, the Govardhana Mandir at Bangalore and Sri Krishna temples in Kolkatta, New Jersey, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and in several other places in India and abroad.

Sri Sugunendra Swami has also set up Vishwa Madhva Sangha based in the United States for the propagation of Indian spirituality far and wide. While on his foreign tours he had also met heads of state and government including George Bush, President of the United States and Vladimir Putin, President of Russia.

One of the greatest contributions of Sri Sugunendra Swami in popularizing the Bhagavad-Gita was the ‘Laksha Gita Lekhana Yajna’ launched by him. The aim of the programme was that one lakh people would transcribe all the 700 slokas contained in the Bhagavad-Gita offering their prayers to Lord Vishnu and seeking solutions to their problems. A unique feature of this Yajna was that all were free to participate in it without any distinction of caste, creed or gender.

Inspired by the phenomenal success of ‘Laksha Gita Lekhana Yajna’, Sri Sugunendra Swami embarked on the construction of the Gita Mandir which was his long-cherished dream. The Gita Mandir is a standing testimony to his dedication and dynamism. Its foundation stone was laid by the then President of India, Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma and was inaugurated by King Birendra of Nepal in 1993. The imposing and splendidly artistic multi-storeyed edifice houses the Dhyana Mandir, Madhva Mandir, Akshara Mandir and the Vishwaroopa Dharshana. The hollowed chambers of the Gita Mandir have all the Shlokas of the Bhagavad-Gita sculpted in Sanskrit by a Christian on a black granite stone. Another hall in the Gita Mandir contains thousands of Bhagavad-Gita copies published in various languages all over the world

Sri Putthige Sanskrit Vidya Peetha is another brain child of Sri Sugunendra Swami. The aim of this institution is to produce full-fledged priests, well versed in the science and arts of performing various rituals with spirituality. Sri Putthige Sanskrit Vidya Peetha, which provides education from the Pre-University level up to M.A. in Sanskrit, is affiliated to the Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidya Peetha, Dehradun.

The Swamiji’s multifarious activities were not confined to religious and spiritual spheres alone. He has a strong social commitment and visualizes the total welfare of people. Realizing that the problem of unemployment is not only the bane of society but also the root-cause of many  evils, Sri Sugunendra Swami established an institution  named ‘Suyoga’ to impart training to the un-employed youth in the rudiments of selected vocations.

In order to solve the problem of pilgrims who face difficulties in search for accommodation, Sri Sugunendra Swami has constructed a big guest house, ‘Indraprastha’ at Udupi.

The third Paryaya of Sri Sugunendra Swami, beginning on 18th January 2008 is expected to be an international event with wide-ranging media coverage throughout the world. A large number of priests, devotees, scholars, statesmen, artists and tourists from different parts of the world are expected to be present at this elaborate and significant Paryaya ceremony.

The preliminaries for the grand Paryaya ceremony from 18th to 22nd January 2008, have already commenced. Following his pre-paryaya tour abroad as well as within India, Sri Sugunendra Swami received a grand welcome in the temple town of Udupi on the occasion of the ‘Pura Pravesha’ on 28th December 2007. He offered “navagraha danas” and prayers before entering the Sri Krishna Math.

The grand Paryaya ceremony will commence on 18th January 2008, with a procession at 2.30 AM reaching Sri Krishna temple at 5.30am. The ‘Sarvajna Peetharohana’ and the ‘Akshaya Pathra Sweekara’ will take place at 5.50 am. At 6.10 am, the Paryaya Swami will receive homage from dignitaries and VIPs. At 11 AM there will be a ‘Mahapooje’. In the evening, the Paryaya Swami will deliver discourses between 5.30 to 7 pm followed by various cultural programmes. Various cultural programmes in the evening will continue till January 22, 2008.

 The devotees of Sri Krishna and admirers of Sri Sugunendra Swami within India and abroad earnestly hope that the controversy surrounding the eligibility of Sri Sugunendra Swami to ascend the ‘Paryaya Peetha’ and worship Sri Krishna following his crossing the seas, believed to be a taboo in the ancient Hindu shastras, would end soon, and the Seer with Global Vision would ascend the ‘Paryaya Peetha’ on the scheduled day for the third time on 18th January 2008.

Kundapur, Jan 17: 'Parental responsibility does not end with giving birth; it is the boundenduty of parents to encourage their children to participate in curricular activities,' said child specialist Dr H R Hebbar while speaking at the annual day celebrations of Holy Rosary Kinder Garten School here.

'What is of primary importance is the right attitude on the part of the parents - a child's future is undoubtedly determined by his or her parents' attitude,' Dr Hebbar, who was the chief guest, said.

Fr Antony Lobo, correspondent of the school presided over the function. Speaking on the occasion he said that children should be taught human values along with the school syllabus, which alone could not instill national pride in the minds of the children.

Fr Prakash Cutinho, principal of the college, Basil D’Souza, vice-president of the administrative council of the church, Koni Menezes, headmistress, Rosary English Medium School and Zeetha D’Silva of St Mary’s Kannada Medium High School were present on the dais.

Sasthan, Jan 14: The Indian Catholic Youth Movement (ICYM) of Sastan unit celebrated its 29th annual day on Sunday January 13 evening at Sastan church premises.

Suhan Castelino, vice-president of Udupi district ICYM and Sylvester D’Souza, vice-president of Sastan parish council were the chief guests on the occasion.

Fr Vincent Martis, director of Sastan ICYM, presided over the function. Michael Rodrigues, president of Udupi district ICYM and Jane Maria Serrao, vice-president of Udupi district ICYM were felicitated on behalf of Sastan ICYM unit.

Sastan ICYM secretary Salora D’Souza and lady animator Zeena Lewis were present on the dais.

Kishore Dias welcomed the gathering. Jonita Lewis proposed vote of thanks. Christine Barnes compered the programme.

The parishioners performed the cultural programme titled as ‘Temptation - 2008’, after the stage programme. The programme consisted of songs, dances and jokes from children as well as elders.  It was an apt stage provided by the ICYM and YCS of St Anthony's Church to the parishioners to showcase their talents.  Though the programme prolonged a bit more, the enthusiastic parishioners who had gathered in large number to support and encourage their parish talents stayed back and showed a great spirit of unit and brotherhood.