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Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham seer Jayendra Saraswathi passes away: Kovind, Modi pay rich tributes

By FnF Correspondent | PUBLISHED: 28, Feb 2018, 15:41 pm IST | UPDATED: 28, Feb 2018, 16:21 pm IST

Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham seer Jayendra Saraswathi passes away: Kovind, Modi pay rich tributes New Delhi: Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi, the head of the Kanchi Mutt, died on Wednesday in Tamil Nadu's Kanchipuram. He suffered from cardiac arrest. The rites of the 82-year-old guru, described as 'Brindavana Pravesha Karyakramam' in vedic parlance, will commence on March 1 from 8 am, according to the mutt.

His samadhi will be placed closer to his predecessor and guide Chandrashekarendra Saraswati. The website of the organisation announced, "The 69th Acharya of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam Jagadguru Pujyashri Jayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya Swamigal attained Siddhi at 9 am today - Shukla Trayodashi

- 28 Feb 2018 at Sri Kanchi Kamakotii Peetam Sankara Matam, Kanchipuram."

The Kanchi Mutt tweeted: Brindavana Pravesha Karyakramam of HH Pujyashri Jayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya Swamigal will be performed tomorrow ( 1 March 2018) from 8 am. 11:06 AM - Feb 28, 2018

The acharya was not keeping well for over a month and was rushed to a Kanchipuram hospital early in the morning after he complained of breathlessness. He was unconscious when he was brought to the hospital. His vital parameters, including blood pressure and pulse, were weak. He died despite doctors' efforts to revive him.

Born Subramaniyam Mahadevan on 18 July, 1935, in Irulneekki in erstwhile Thanjavur district, Saraswathi was anointed successor to the Mutt by Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi Swamigal and was given the title Sri Jayendra Saraswathi on 22 March, 1954.

Saraswathi had a huge following in South India and had sought to play the role of a mediator in the Ram Janmabhoomi dispute during the BJP governments headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee between 1998 and 2004.

He was also mired in controversy when he was arrested in 2004 during the regime of late J Jayalalithaa and made an accused in the murder of Sankararaman, an official of the famous Varadharaja Perumal Temple in Kanchipuram.

He, along with junior pontiff of the Mutt Vijayendra Saraswathi and 21 others, was acquitted by a court in 2013 in neighbouring Puducherry where the case was transferred from Tamil Nadu.

Another controversy in which he was involved was in August 1987 when Saraswati suddenly decided to leave the mutt. After spending 17 days in Tala Cauvery in Kodagu in Karnataka, he returned to the Mutt to a warm welcome by thousands of devotees. He then kick-started his social organisation, Jana Kalyan.

Saraswathi sought to diversify the activities of the Sankara Mutt, which was largely run on orthodox lines for long, by entering into charitable activities. It ran several schools, eye clinics and hospitals. He had his spiritual tutelage from 'Maha Periyava' Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi and travelled the length and breadth of the country with his guru.

In January 1994, when Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi attained siddhi, Saraswathi formally took over as the head of the Kanchi Mutt. There began a spiritual journey that saw several highs and lows for the institution.

As news of his death spread, a pall of gloom decended on the Kanchi mutt with hundreds of his followers thronging the mutt to pay their homage. A host of national leaders and even political leaders in Tamil Nadu, who had differences with Jayendra Saraswathi and the Mutt, condoled his demise. President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among those who expressed their condolences.

Meanwhile, the mortal remains of the seer are kept in the Sankara Mutt in Kanchipuram so that people can pay homage.

President of India✔@rashtrapatibhvn tweeted:

Sad to hear of the passing of Jayendra Saraswatiji, the Shankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. Our country has lost a spiritual leader and social reformer of rare eminence. My condolences to his countless disciples and followers #PresidentKovind.

Narendra Modi✔@narendramodi tweeted:

Deeply anguished by the passing away of Acharya of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam Jagadguru Pujyashri Jayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya. He will live on in the hearts and minds of lakhs of devotees due to his exemplary service and noblest thoughts. Om Shanti to the departed soul.

In another Tweet, Narendra Modi✔@narendramodi:

Jagadguru Pujyashri Jayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya was at the forefront of innumerable community service initiatives. He nurtured institutions which transformed the lives of the poor and downtrodden.

Rahul Gandhi Tweeted from Office of RG✔@OfficeOfRG:

I’m saddened to hear about the death of Jagadguru Pujyashri Jayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham.

He was revered by lakhs of believers all over the world for his teachings. May his soul rest in peace.

Senior BJP leader and former Union Home Minister LK Advani in his condolence message said that he knew the seer closely who played a key role in defusing acrimony between the Hindu and Muslim communities over the Babri Masjid dispute.

"I had the privilege of knowing Jayendra Saraswati Swamiji very closely. Our association became closer during the rule of NDA-I, when I was the Minister of Home Affairs in the government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji," Advani said in a written message. "Swamiji proactively initiated a dialogue with various religious and social leaders of the Muslim community to evolve an amicable solution to the Ayodhya dispute. This dialogue helped a lot in promoting mutual trust and goodwill between Hindu and Muslim communities," he added. The BJP veteran said he joined millions of devotees of the Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt in "offering prayers to the Almighty and in seeking peace to the departed soul".

Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit and leaders of political parties on Wednesday expressed their condolences. In a statement, Purohit said: "Yesterday only I have met him and got blessings of Sankaracharyaji. "During his period, Jagadguru Sankaracharya had started many schools, eye clinics and hospital, Childs Trust Hospital, Hindu Mission Hospital, Tamil Nadu Hospital and other public welfare institutions for the welfare of the society. His death is a great loss to the society particularly to his followers," he added.

Former Union minister and PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss said the pontiff had moved well with the people and his death is a great loss to those who are associated with him. DMK leader MK Stalin, in his message, condoled the demise of Sankara Mutt pontiff and conveyed his condolences to those who are close to Saraswathi.

The Tamil Nadu unit chief of BJP Tamilisai Soundararajan said the nation has lost a spiritual leader with a nationalist outlook. She said the seer got down to the ground and worked against the conversion of downtrodden people. He also set up several educational institutions and hospitals by going beyond the spiritual calling, she added.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) condoled the seer's death and said Saraswathi served for protection of Hindu Dharma, Hindu culture and uplift of Hindu society. It is a great loss not only to Tamil Nadu but also to the entire Hindu society.

Here are 5 facts about Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi:

Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, a matha or mutt is a prominent Hindu monastic institution in Tamil Nadu's Kanchipuram. Its head is known as "Shankaracharya".

The mutt was founded by Adi Shankaracharya in 482 BC and runs several schools, eye clinics and hospitals. It has a huge following in South India.

Born in Irulneeki, a village in Tamil Nadu's Tiruvarur district, as Sri Subramaniyam on July 18, 1935, Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi was heading the Kanchi Mutt since 1954. He was its 69th pontiff.

The junior pontiff Vijayendra Saraswathi will succeed Jayendra Saraswathi as the 70th pontiff of the mutt, according to the mutt rules.

Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi was among those charged in a 2004 murder of a Kanchipuram temple employee. In 2013, he and 22 others were cleared of the charges.
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