Udupi : Paryaya Pejawar mutt seer Sri Vishwesha Theertha Swami said that society should imbibe democratic values and there is no jewel more precious than harmony among various religions.

He was speaking at the formal durbar ceremony after ascending the Paryaya Sarvajna Peeta to run the administration of Sri Krishna temple and conduct ‘Sri Krishna Pooja’ for next two years period. The seer said that the approach towards harmony is infused in the atmosphere of the Mutt, which traces its root towards the great Saint Madhwacharya.

He said as similar to the popular punch line of the democracy, ‘of the people, by the people and for the people’, all life should be, ‘by the Lord, for the Lord and of the Lord’. The temple and the mutts should be pedestals of egalitarianism. The seer said selflessness, aided with down-to-earth approach, would lead humans towards salvation. Selfishness is the core for all evils in the society.

He said, “I should also remember my Guru Sri Vishwamanya Theertha Swamiji and spiritual guru under whom I was educated on Vedic teachings Sri Vidyamanya Theertha Swamiji on this unique occasion.”

The newly crowned 85-year-old Paryaya seer said that the self-proclaimed intellectuals who criticise Madhwacharya should substantiate their allegations. “Madhwacharya was a great saint who hailed from Tulunadu region in Karnataka. The present Paryaya is just a reflection of his preaching, which stresses on humanity aided harmony,” the pontiff added.

Lauding his junior Sri Vishwaprasanna Theertha seer for his generosity, the senior pontiff said that sacrifice for the sake of one’s Guru is something that is being followed for ages in the spiritual legacy inherited by the country. He said the junior seer stands as the embodiment of the sacrifice and spirituality that is immersed in the layers of soil.

The seer, who spoke on the plans for his new term, said that he would set up a residential school at Pajaka Kshetra, the birthplace of Madhwacharya. The school would be open to students from across the country and although initially a small number of classes will be offered, the school would be developed phase by phase, he added.

Asserting that Lord Krishna is known for his love for greenery, the seer said the Pejawar mutt would take up initiatives to promote greenery in its vicinity. “Devotees will be given saplings if they were interested. The devotee should take care of the sapling. In the process, many number of trees will be grown and the environment will be blushing with green everywhere,” he explained.

“A ‘Duschata Nivarana Hundi’ – to help people rid themselves of addictions – is another ambitious project of the Mutt. Interested people should write their names and their desire to quit the addictions on slips of paper. The people who register themselves through the Hundi will be constantly monitored,” he added.

Former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani said that the fifth Paryaya of the Pejawar Mutt seer would remain special to him and to the entire nation, as it is creating history in the legacy of the Sri Krishna Mutt. The senior BJP leader added he shares a special relationship with the Pejawar seer. The temple town also has a special bonding with him and his party. The town gave a representation to the party when the latter had no existence in South India, as the party came to power in Udupi Municipality, he said.

The BJP leader said India – which is bestowed with the preaching of great saints and intellectuals like Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna Paramahamsa – is a lamppost to all other nations. “We Indians should accept the preaching of the great saints for the betterment of the society and world as a whole. Unethical approach will only lead to decline. Walking on the path of morality will add strength to the personality,” the veteran politician added.

Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers H N Ananth Kumar said that the event is a centenary celebration. “The Pejawar seer is a social saint. In the past seven decades, he worked for the betterment of the society,” said the minister. Lauding the green initiative taken up by the new Paryaya seer, Ananth Kumar said that there should be trees equal to the number of population in State.

“Youths should be inspired by the initiative taken up by the seer – he was the first seer to embrace Dalits to bring them to the mainstream of the society,” said the minister.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said the occasion is a great pleasure and happiness to attend the historic event. He added that Pejawar seer is a genius in all walks of life. “All political leaders are his followers, irrespective of the party differences. The seer is instrumental in eliminating the discrimination of society as he led the movement against untouchability. He follows what he preaches. He is also part of education revolution,” the chief minister added.

Union Minister for Water Resource Uma Bharathi said the Pejawar seer is energetic and full of life. His ideology is ‘take minimum from the world and give maximum to the world’. “He had advised me to practise politics with the sense if detachment. A Sanyasin can be a better politician as she belongs to the nation and the universe.

The seer participated and inspired the Rama Janna Bhoomi movement,” she added.
She said the country is secular in the true sense of secularism. Asserting that Hinduism gives more freedom than any other religion, the politician said that the religion offers the freedom to pray in mosque and church unlike other religions. She said, “I respect the Bible and the Quran and consider them as sacred texts. I am a Hindu and I feel Mecca and Vatican City as sacred places. I expect similar approaches from the people of other religions towards my Geetha, Kashi and Mathura.”

She added that she needed the Pejawar seer’s blessings to clean River Ganga which is the 10th most polluted rivers in the world.