Udupi: Vidyadheesha Tirtha Swami of Paryaya Palimar Mutt said on Thursday that it was his good fortune that “Lord Krishna had blessed him” to conduct the Paryaya for a second time.

He was speaking at the Paryaya Durbar function after ascending the ‘Paryaya Peetha’ at the 800-year-old Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple here.

The Palimar seer has a plan of constructing a gold cover for the sanctum sanctorum of the temple and performing ‘Laksha Tulsi Archane’ daily to the deity. He also wants to organise round-the-clock bhajan recital during his two-year Paryaya tenure.

The seer expressed pride in taking charge of the temple/mutt from the 86-year-old Vishwesha Tirtha Swami of Pejawar Mutt, who has completed a record fifth Paryaya. No seer had ascended the Paryaya Peetha five times since the biennial Paryaya system began in 1522. “The Pejawar seer has not only ascended the Paryaya Peetha five times but has also shown how a Paryaya should be conducted,” he said.

He added: “Though we all have wanted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to visit the Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple, it has not happened so far. But may it happen soon.”

Title conferred

He also conferred the title of ‘Yatikulachakravarti’ on Vishwesha Tirtha Swami on his successful completion of a fifth Paryaya. In his speech, the Pejawar seer said people should have the qualities of knowledge, love and devotion to earn the grace of Lord Krishna. “But these qualities are in short supply. This should change,” he said.

On having completed his fifth Paryaya, he said: “I could complete it only because of Lord Krishna’s grace. It is not my achievement.”

In his address, D. Veerendra Heggade, Dharmadhikari of Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala, commended the Palimar seer for his programmes for the next two years and lauded the Pejawar seer for the achievements in his fifth Paryaya. “No person could have thought of constructing a hall (Madhwangana) above a hall (Rajangana). That is why I say: ‘In the oldest and the latest, he is the greatest’,” he said.

Vidyasagara Tirtha Swami of Krishnapur Mutt, Vidyavallabha Tirtha of Kaniyur Mutt, Lakshmivara Tirtha of Shiroor Mutt, Vishwavallabha Tirtha of Sode Mutt, Vishwaprasanna Tirtha, junior seer of Pejawar Mutt, Ishapriya Tirtha, junior seer of Admar Mutt, Pramod Madhwaraj, Minister for Fisheries, Youth Empowerment and Sports, and Rajendra Singh, Magsaysay awardee, were among those present at the function.