Shivakumara Swamiji (111), head pontiff of Sri Siddaganga Mutt in Tumkur passed away at 11.44 am, on Monday. The seer fondly known as 'nadedaaduva devaru' (walking god) was battling lung infection for the last few weeks, and breathed his last after he developed complications.
READ: Shivakumara Swamiji of Siddaganga Mutt no more
Karnataka Chief Minister H.D .Kumaraswamy, who announced the demise of the seer said, “Despite the best medical care given to him, the Swamji has breathed his last today. It is an irreparable loss to the state and the spiritual world. He has imparted education to thousands of poor children and made them self-reliant. The junior seer, Suttur seer and all Lingayat leaders will decide on the last rites ceremony. People can pay their last respects till 3 pm tomorrow.”
The seer's last rites will be conducted with state honours on Tuesday evening. The state government has announced a state holiday on Tuesday and three days mourning period starting Monday.
Born on April 1, 1907 in Veerapura village near Magadi (near Bengaluru), the swamiji graduated from the Central College in Bengaluru (1927-30) and is one of the most revered pontiffs in the country for his humanitarian work. Swamiji's 'Gurukula', which imparts education to 8,500 children aged between five and 16 years is open to all religions and castes. The Lingayat seer chose the path of 'Trivida dasoha'—free food, education, and shelter to empower generations, as a true follower of 12th century social reformer Basaveshwara (Basavanna).
The seer was initiated into “viraktashram” order in 1930 and was proficient in English, Kannada and Sanskrit.
While, the seer has always stayed away from controversies and politics, the mutt wields immense political power owing to the backing of the powerful Lingayat community and the goodwill created by his services to the field of education, health and social reforms.
Last year, too, when the political parties were sparring over the demand for a separate Lingayat religion, the Swamiji asserted that he was not in favour of dividing the Lingayat-Veerashaiva community. This stand of the pontiff had a huge impact on the community and was a major setback for the Lingayat movement.
Sree Siddaganga Mutt was established in the 15th century by Sri Gosala Siddeshwara Swamiji. Sri Shivakumara Swamiji was initiated into the holy order by his Guru Sree Sree Uddana Shivayogi Swamiji and he became the head pontiff in 1941.
Sri Uddana Swamiji established a Sanskrit College in 1917, to teach Sanskrit to students belonging to all castes and communities. Realising the importance of technology for development, Shivakumara Swamiji started Siddaganga Institute of Technology (in 1963)—a residential campus across an expanse of 65 acres near Tumakuru. Today, nearly 30,000 students are studying across 126 educational institutes set up by the mutt across Karnataka, which provides free education to more than 9,000 poor students and feeds nearly 6,000 students and pilgrims daily.
On his centenary in 2007, the state government awarded Swamiji the prestigious Karnataka Ratna award, the highest civilian award of the state. In 2015, the Union government awarded him the Padma Bhushan. He became a supercentenarian on 1 April, 2017.
“Kayakave kailasa” (Work is worship) is one of the philosophies of Sri Basavanna that was sincerely practised by Shivakumara Swamiji who used to work 18 hours a day. His disciples say the swamiji had visited the villagers around Kyatsandra Mutt seeking donations to feed those who came there seeking shelter. Since then, the local farmers in the region have been offering their first harvest to the mutt. “'Take the prasada before you go' were Swamiji's words to anyone who visited the mutt. At the mutt, Sanskrit classes are compulsory for all inmates as Swamiji considered it every Indian’s birthright to learn the ‘language of the Gods’. The seer also believed that farmers are the backbone of our society. During the Mahashivarathri festival, the mutt conducts the annual cattle fair.
Karnataka BJP president B.S. Yeddyurappa said the passing away of the pontiff of the historical Siddaganga Mutt was a great loss to the country. “If any one has served the poor, it is Siddaganga seer. There is a feeling among the people that there cannot be another loyal follower of Basavanna like him. You cannot describe Swamiji's service to the society in words. His spirit will guide us in future, too,” said Yeddyurappa, who also reiterated that the pontiff be bestowed with Bharat Ratna—the highest civilian award in the country.
The chorus demanding Bharat Ratna for the seer grew louder with chief minister Kumaraswamy and deputy chief minister G. Parameshwara, too, urguing the Centre to announce the award at the earliest.