Sugunendra Tirtha Swami of Puthige Mutt speaking to reporters in Mangaluru on Saturday. | Photo Credit: H.S. MANJUNATH

Dawn-to-dusk Gita recitation among five key projects to be launched during Paryaya: Puthige Mutt seer

by · The Hindu

Dawn-to-dusk Bhagavad Gita recitation at the Gita Mandir in Udupi, presenting a golden Parthasarathi chariot to Lord Krishna, and construction of ‘Swagatha Krishna’ arch with a life-size idol of the propounder of the Dwaita philosophy Madhwacharya are among the five major projects which will be taken up during the two-year Paryaya of Puthige Mutt seer Sugunendra Tirtha at Udupi Sri Krishna Mutt.

Talking to reporters on Saturday in Mangaluru, which is the last of the places the seer is visiting as part of his pre-Paryaya tour, he said: “This Paryaya will be Vishwa Gita Paryaya where great emphasis will be laid on making people understand the Bhagavad Gita which has the power to bring solidarity among all communities.”

As part of the Vishwa Gita Paryaya, the seer said one crore handwritten Bhagavad Gita books would be offered to Lord Krishna. The mutt would provide notebooks and also the text of the Gita to devotees. “Devotees should write Gita verses in the book and submit it before the end of my Paryaya in 2026,” the seer said and added, “I want the Bhagavad Gita to have a strong foothold in every household”.

The seer has planned to construct a 108-room ‘Ashtottara Bhavan’ in Udupi. He has planned to hold the ‘Gita Mahayaga’ and also an international Bhagavad Gita conference. There would be discourses, competitions, debates, and camps related to the Bhagavad Gita in Udupi, the seer said.

The seer said he would complete 50 years of embracing ‘sanyasa’ by April this year. To commemorate this, he had planned to present a golden Parthasarathi chariot to Lord Krishna. “There is already a golden chariot, which is presently used on the Car Street. The new chariot would be used inside the mutt,” the seer said.

He said he has planned to launch cleaning activities and new green initiatives in Udupi.

Unlike his third Paryaya when questions were raised over him performing puja of Lord Krishna after his foreign tour, the seer said no such questions had been raised this time. “I have invited seers of all the eight Udupi mutts for the Paryaya Mahotsava,” the seer said. Some religious and other leaders from across the world were likely to take part in the mahotsava, he added.

The seer said he was happy that the consecration ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya is happening during his present and fourth Paryaya. On January 22, the Krishna Mutt would celebrate the ceremony by distributing milk payasa to devotees.

The Paryaya denotes the transfer of power of the exclusive right of worshipping Lord Krishna and managing Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple from one seer to another seer of the Ashta Mutts once in two years.