Latest news with #KanchiPeetham
New Indian Express
01-05-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
TTD revises Break Darshan schedule till July 15; limits access to protocol dignitaries
TIRUMALA: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has revised the Break Darshan schedule at Sri Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala, effective from May 1. The changes, approved by the TTD Board, will apply on all days except Thursdays and Fridays, while current timings will remain unchanged. The revised schedule will be implemented on a trial basis until July 15. During this period, Break Darshan will be reserved exclusively for protocol dignitaries, and all referral letters will be cancelled. TTD said the move aims to streamline darshan and enhance the devotee experience. As per the new timings: protocol dignitaries will have darshan at 5.45 am; referral category at 6.30 am; General Break at 6.45 am; SRIVANI (online or offline) at 10.15 am; people who wills to donate will have the tiime at 10.30 am; and the retired TTD employees will have the time at 11.00 am. TTD Chairman attends Kanchi Peetham fete The TTD Chairman BR Naidu attended the Uttaradhikari ceremony of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham held at the famous Kanchi shrine in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. Sri Duddu Subrahmanya Ganesha Sharma of Annavaram was initiated into the monastic order by Sri Vijayendra Saraswati Swamy, the Chief Pontiff of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. Vedapandithottama Sri Ganesh Sharma, who was appointed as the Uttaradhikari, was named Sri Satya Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swamy. TTD Chairman, who attended the ceremony, presented the Vastrams to the Peetham and Uttaradhikari. The Peethadhipathi Sri Vijayendra Saraswathi Swamy spoke to the TTD Chairman and recalled the inseparable relationship between Tirumala and Kanchi Peetha. He expressed happiness that religious programmes are going well in AP under the leadership of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.
Time of India
26-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
From Vedic scholar to Uttaradhikari of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham
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.
