34th pontiff of Sri Sode Vadaraja mutt anointed

Sonda, Karnataka, June 14 (UNI) Sixteen-year-old Raghava Tantri was given 'Sanyasa Diksha' and anointed as the 34th pontiff of Sri Sode Vadaraja mutt, one of the Ashta (eight) mutts of Udupi, with the title Sri Vishwa Vallabha Theertha Swamiji, here today.

The religious ceremony in connection with Sanyasa Diksha, which commenced on Sunday with 'Devata Prarthane' and 'Prayaschitha Homa', culminated today with 'Pattabhishekha', 'Mantropadesha' and his renaming in front of the Brindavan of great saint of the mutt Sri Vadaraja Swamigal. The ceremonies were conducted by senior pontiff of the mutt, Sri Vishwothama Theertha Swamiji.

Earlier in the day, the boy took a holy bath at Dhavala Ganga on the mutt premises.

Raghava Tantri is the second son of Padigaru Sreenivasa Tantri and had passed his SSLC exam in first class. He hailed from Padigaru near Udupi.

Sri Vishwothama Theertha Swamiji (72), the 33rd pontiff, took Sanyasa Diksha from his senior Sri Vishwendra Theertha Swamiji in 1943. He had also performed four terms of 'Paryaya' under the biennial Paryaya system among the swamijis of the Ashta mutts at the famous Sri Krishna temple in Udupi.

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