Lakhs Bid Tearful Adieu to ‘Walking God’ Shivakumara Swami

The pontiff passed away on Monday after battling a lung infection for the past few weeks.

Bengaluru,Jan 22 (PTI) Lakhs of people bid a tearful adieuto their "Walking God", as the mortal remains of 111-year-oldSree Shivakumara Swamiji of Siddaganga mutt, was laid to restTuesday with fullstate honours at the premises of theseminary he headedfor over seven decades. The most revered swamiji, who left an indelibleimprintwith his stellar contributions in the education sector andphilanthropy targeted at children in whom he saw theAlmighty,was buried as "Kriya Samadhi", according toVeerashaiva/Lingayat traditions, amid chanting of hymns. Known as "trivida dasohi" for his triple sacraments-food, shelter and education - among his followers, theSwamiji, who passed away on Monday,was buried in a sittingposture at the Samadhi with cakes of viboothi (sacred ash),salt, sand, bilva leaves (Aegle marmelos) and rudrakshi, amongother things. Preparations and rituals for the burial ceremony wereonsince morning at the place, which, according to sources, wasnotified by Shivakumara Swami himself. The pontiff had also recorded the proceduresthat neededto be followed for his last rites, according to hissuccessorand junior pontiff of the mutt, Siddalinga Swamiji. Earlier speaking to reporters, the junior swami hadsaidthat the last rites would be performed according to theswami'swish. "He has written about it. He had expressed a desire thatthe last rites have to be performed as done to his guru(UddanaShivayogigalu)," Siddalinga swamiji said The mortal remains, placed in a "Rudrakshi Mantapa"(chariot made of rudrakshi),was carried from the ground whereit was kept for public view to the final resting place(Gadduge) in a procession, amid chanting of slogans bydisciples in praise of their revered guru. The crowd also shouted slogans demanding that 'BharatRatna" be conferred on the seer. Among those present at the burial ceremony were ChiefMinister H D Kumaraswamy, former Chief MinistersSiddaramaiahand B S Yeddyurappa, Deputy CM G Parameshwara,Union Minister DV Sadananda Gowda, state Home Minister M B Patil,along withpontiffs of various prominent mutts in the state, includingShivarathri Deshikendra Mahaswamiji of the Sri SutturMutt. Earlier in the day, lakhs of people thronged the mutt topay their last respects to the seer, whose mortalremains wereplaced in a glass box at Gosala Siddeshwara stagein the muttpremises since Monday. Among prominent people who paid their last respects onTuesday were former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, DefenceMinister Nirmala Sitharaman, former Chief Minister S MKrishna, Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha MallikarjunKharge, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev and Puducherry Chief Minister VNarayanasamy. According to mutt sources, Swamiji 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 legalreasons and pressure from his followers. Following the path laid down by their guru, the muttprovided food as "prasad" to thousands of devotees whothronged the area to pay their respects. Though shops and establishments remained closed inTumkuru and surrounding areas as a mark of respect, manycivilians, as also hotels and restaurants, distributed foodfreeof cost to devotees and the needy by setting up foodcounters at various places. The Chief Minister and most of his cabinet collagues andalso the leader of the opposition, Yeddyurappa, had camped inSiddaganga since the morning.