Lingayat seer Shivakumara Swami was laid to rest at Siddaganga Mutt, Tumkur, with full state honours on Tuesday, 22 January. The pontiff passed away on Monday after battling a lung infection for the past few weeks.
During the funeral procession, lakhs of devotees and delegates, including Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and former Prime Minister Deve Gowda, paid tribute to the late seer, who died at the age of 111.
The Karnataka government, on Tuesday, announced a three-day state mourning and a one-day holiday for all educational institutions and government establishments.
- The Karnataka government declared three days of state mourning
and a one-day holiday - Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and senior BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa attended the final rites and paid tribute to the late seer
- Lingayat seer Siddalinga Swami is likely to take over the Siddaganga Mutt
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Hotels & Restaurants Distribute Free Food to Devotees
Following the path laid down by their guru, the mutt provided food as "prasad" to thousands of devotees who thronged the area to pay respects.
Though shops and establishments remained closed in Tumkuru and surrounding areas as a mark of respect, many civilians, as also hotels and restaurants, distributed food free of cost to devotees and the needy by setting up food counters at various places, PTI reported.
'Swamiji Had Wished to Enter Sajeeva Samadhi'
The seer had wished to enter "Sajeeva Samadhi" (giving up life by entering one's own grave) on attaining 100 years of age, but gave it up due to legal reasons and pressure from his followers, news agency PTI quoted mutt sources as saying.
Shivakumara Swami Buried in 'Kriya Samadhi'
The most revered seer was buried as "Kriya Samadhi", according to Veerashaiva/Lingayat traditions, amid chanting of hymns.
The crowd also shouted slogans demanding that 'Bharat Ratna" be conferred upon the seer.
Known as "trivida dasohi" for his triple sacraments - food, shelter and education - among his followers, the seer was buried in a sitting posture at the Samadhi with cakes of vibhoothi (sacred ash), salt, sand, bilva leaves (Aegle marmelos) and rudrakshi, among other things.
The place for the burial ceremony was notified by Shivakumara Swami himself, PTI quoted sources as saying.
The pontiff had also recorded the procedures that needed to be followed for his last rites, according to his successor and junior pontiff of the mutt, Siddalinga Swamiji.
‘Walking God’ Shivakumara Swami Laid to Rest at Siddaganga Mutt
Lingayat seer Shivakumara Swami was laid to rest at Siddaganga Mutt, Tumkur, on Tuesday, 22 January. The pontiff passed away on Monday after battling a lung infection for the past few weeks.
As the burial processions are over, seers present at the mutt will perform post-burial rituals.