Udupi (The Hindu): Sugunendra Tirtha Swami of Puttige Mutt said on Sunday that he would not participate in the Paryaya procession and Paryaya Durbar function on the request of Vishwesha Tirtha Swami of Pejawar Mutt.
Addressing presspersons here, the Puttige seer said he and the Pejawar seer held two rounds of discussions on Sunday and serious matters regarding “shishya sweekara” (acceptance or taking a junior seer) came up. For the last 10 days, he was under tremendous pressure to take a junior seer.
Some persons had sent him legal notices, while some representatives of Ashta Mutts — one each from Palimar Mutt and Sode Mutt — had met him to pressure him to take a junior seer. Even the Pejawar Mutt seer had asked him a couple of times about taking a junior seer during the period.
He [Puttige seer] was just 54 years old. He wanted to take or accept a junior seer only when he was 60 or 70 years old. The same pressure was also put on the Shiroor seer. He felt that this pressure was being put on him [Puttige seer] because he had visited foreign countries .
Hence, he decided to attend the Paryaya procession and Paryaya Durbar of Pejawar Mutt seer on getting the invitation. But now, the Pejawar Mutt seer had given in writing that the acceptance or taking a junior seer was the right of Puttige Mutt and nobody could interfere in it.
