From Vedic scholar to Uttaradhikari of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham

Time of India

26-04-2025

Visakhapatnam:
Duddu Satya Venkata Surya Subrahmanya Ganesha Sharma Dravid
(26), a native of Annavaram, has been announced as the successor (Uttaradhikari/junior pontiff) to the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham in Tamil Nadu.
He will ultimately become the next Peetadhipathi (head). The current head of the Peetham,
Jagadguru Vijayendra Saraswati
Shankaracharya, will initiate Ganesha into
Sanyasa Deeksha
(renunciation) on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, which falls on April 30, and will anoint him as the 71st Acharya.
Ganesha Sharma was born to Duddu Dhanvantari and Alivelu Mangadevi, a couple from Annavaram, where his father works as a priest at the Annavaram Devasthanam. His mother is a homemaker.
He began his primary education under his father's guidance and cultivated a refined way of life. From the age of six, he studied the Rigveda under Ratnakara Bhattu at Dwaraka Tirumala temple, achieving great proficiency. Later, he served as a scholar at the Gnana Saraswati temple in Basara, Telangana. Ganesha, a Rigvedic scholar (Salakshana Ghanapati) has also completed Yajurveda, Samaveda, Shadangas, Dashopanishat and has been pursuing Shastric studies.
On one of his visits to Basara, Vijayendra Saraswati noticed him and brought him to the Peetham. There, under the direct guidance of the Swamiji, he was trained in logic (tarka), Mimamsa and Vedas.
Following the mahāsamadhi of the 69th head of the Peetham, Jayendra Saraswathi, on Jan 28, 2018, Vijayendra Saraswati — the then-successor — assumed the role as the 70th head of the Peetham.
The induction of Ganesha into Sanyasa Deeksha coincides with the 2534th Jayanti Mahotsavam (May 2) of Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya, who established
Kanchi Peetham
in 482 BCE. According to the Peetham, Ganesh has enjoyed the blessings of Shankaracharya Swamigal since his initiation into Vedic studies in 2006. After receiving Sanyasa Deeksha, Ganesha is also set to participate alongside Vijayendra Saraswati in the Adi Shankara Jayanti celebrations.
His appointment has been met with great joy among local scholars, priests, villagers of Annavaram and the Basara temple staff. Speaking to STOI, Boosala Srinivasa Rao, a TDP leader from Annavaram and a well‐known associate of Ganesh's family, said it is a proud moment for Annavaram to see Ganesha becoming the Uttaradhikari of the renowned Kanchi Peetham.
Mamidala Lokesh, another local, echoed Srinivasa Rao's sentiment and mentioned that his family travelled to Kanchi to perform various rituals before the main event on April 30. "There was a joyful atmosphere at the Annavaram Devasthanam, with the child of one of the priests assuming an important position at the Kanchi Peetham," Lokesh added.
According to priests at Annavaram temple, Sanyasa Deeksha is a sacred initiation into monastic life that symbolises the renunciation of worldly ties. Once it is done, Ganesha participates in daily rituals, pujas and temple festivals, fulfilling religious duties at the Peetham and its associated institutions.
In terms of leadership and succession, the Uttaradhikari shadows the current Acharya, Vijayendra Saraswati, learning from him to understand the spiritual, administrative, and philosophical dimensions of the Peetham's functioning. This process prepares Ganesha for a gradual transition into full leadership, ultimately becoming the next Shankaracharya.
The role also demands active public engagement through travel for 'dharma pracharam', as the Uttaradhikari visits temples and communities across India and abroad to disseminate spiritual teachings.
In a social media post, Prof S Venugopalan said being a Shankaracharya at the Kanchi Matham is not a showy position, but one that carries tremendous responsibilities. "He must perform the trikala puja — lasting for six to seven hours every day — while also managing the administration of the organisation. Furthermore, he is required to offer a patient ear to all devotees and provide dharmik solutions," he noted.
Ganesha Sharma, who moved to Kanchi a few years ago to study Sanskrit and sastras under the pundits of Srimatham, now speaks Tamil fluently. "He is well-versed in the daily pujas dedicated to Lord Chandramouliswara Swamy as performed by the Acharya Swamigal, and the transition is expected to be very smooth in his case," added Venugopalan.