Udupi: The stage is set for the grand biennial Paryaya festival here on January 18.

The Paryaya festival, which the marks the transfer of power of management and worship of Lord Krishna at the 800-year-old Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple from one seer to another seer of the Ashta Mutts or eight mutts of Udupi biennially, is awaited eagerly here.

Vidyadheesha Tirtha Swami of Palimar Mutt will be ascending the Paryaya Peetha also called the Sarvajna Peetha at the Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple for the second time.

Vidyadheesha Tirtha will take charge from Vishwesha Tirtha Swami of Pejawar Mutt, who will be completing his record fifth Paryaya, and descending from the Paryaya Peetha. No seer of the Astha Mutts has ascended the Paryaya Peetha five times ever since the biennial Paryaya system began in 1522 A.D.

The festival is celebrated with grandeur in the temple town. Banners and cutouts carrying photographs of Vidyadheesha Tirtha are adorning the main intersections of the city. The most number of banners, cutouts and welcome arches are on the Jodu Katte, Taluk Office, Court Road, Diana Circle, and Kavi Muddanna Road. These decorative banners, cutouts and arches have given the city a colourful look. Most of the buildings are illuminated at night.

The main attraction of the Paryaya festival is the colourful procession. The procession will begin at 3 a.m. from Jodu Katte on Thursday. As many as 15 tableaux and 60 cultural and folk teams will participate in the procession.

The ‘Paryaya Peetharohana’ function, where the outgoing Paryaya seer Vishwesha Tirtha hands over the ‘Akshaya Patre’ and ‘sattuga’ (vessel and ladle dating back to the times of Sri Madhwacharya) and the keys to the sanctum sanctorum to the incoming Paryaya seer – Vidyavallabha Tirtha to mark the formal transfer of authority, will take place at the Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple at 6.35 a.m.