Kasaragod: Srimad Jagadguru Sri Sri Sankaracharya Thotakacharya Sri Kesavananda Bharati Sripadangalavaru pontiff of Edneer mutt passed away on Sunday, September 6.

Following cardiac and breathing problems, the seer had been hospitalised in a private hospital in Mangaluru.

Sri Kesavananda Bharati took sannyasa at the age of 19 and has been heading the mutt since 1961 as Peetadhipathi and head of Edneer Mutt. He is the only Shankaracharya in the whole state of Kerala.

Sri Kesavananda Bharati is a patron of education, Kannada culture, and arts, including Yakshagana, music, and dramas. He has also contributed immensely to Kannada in the border district of Kasaragod.

Edneer Mutt which belongs to the parampara of Sri Thotakacharya is one of the first four disciples of Sri Adi Shankaracharya and follows Smartha Bhagawatha tradition of Advaitha Pantha which has more than 1200 years of history of religion, culture, art, music, and social service.

The Swamiji was a strong proponent of Kannada in Kasargod that bordered Karnataka and lent his support to Kannada activists.

Under Sri Kesavananda Bharati guidance, the mutt has instituted a Kannada Medium School, a Junior college, and also Vidyamandira English Medium School at Edneer. The mutt also operates a Sanskrit Veda Patashala and conducts a number of Cultural and art festivals every year.

The seer had recently completed his 60th ‘chaturmasya’ (holy period of four months).

It was on April 24, 1973 that the Constitutional Bench headed by then Chief Justice S.M. Sikri delivered the judgment in the Kesavananda Bharati vs State of Kerala case which held that that Parliament could amend any part of the Constitution so long as it did not alter or amend “the basic structure or essential features of the Constitution.