Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam appoints 25-year-old as 71st acharya
'Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham has the distinction of an unbroken line of 70 acharyas. The acharyas have taken measures for the protection of Veda Dharma, for propagating the Advaita discipline, and alleviating the sufferings of the people,' the mutt said. The 2,500-plus-years-old mutt was established by Adi Sankara, an 8th century philosopher.
The ceremony of multiple rituals began at 6am at the Kamakshi temple in Kancheepuram, more than 70 km from Chennai which was attended by thousands of devotees, governor RN Ravi and BJP state president Nainar Nagendran and seers across the country. The new 71st acharya is a Rig Vedic scholar from Annavaram Kshetra in Andhra Pradesh, served at Sri Gnana Saraswathi Devasthanam in Telangana, according to the mutt.
'It was indeed a moving function to see the young boy giving up everything material, removing the last bit of hair, changing into Saffron clothes, getting the Danda from Guru's hand & taking view to be a Sanyasi. All in front of his parents and only little sister and thousands,' said S Gurumurthy, part-time director on the central board of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and an RSS ideologue.
The present senior pontiff Vijayendra Saraswathi was made acharya of the Peetam when he was only 15 years old by his predecessor and 69th pontiff Jayendra Saraswathi on May 29, 1983. 'It was a great joy to personally attend the anointment of Sri Sathya Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swamigal, the 71st Acharya of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, founded by the great teacher Adi Shankaracharya,' said BJP leader Nagendran. 'I extend my respectful greetings to him as he prepares to carry forward the timeless parampara of the Mutt to the next generation. Our great nation continues to shine as a Dharmakshetra due to the blessings of our sannyasis and jnana gurus.'
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