Caveat filed by Shiroor mutt, null and void in event of his death

Udupi, July 23: A caveat filed by late Lakshmivara Tirtha Swamiji, seer of Shiroor mutt, stood void following his demise. The Shiroor mutt seer had filed a caveat in connection with mutt's deity.

A few days before he was preparing to file a criminal case over the issue of the seers of Ashta Mutts not returning the idols of the presiding deity of Shiroor Mutt to him. Lakshmivara Tirtha Swamiji had given the idols of presiding deity of the Shiroor Mutt to the junior seer of Admar Mutt and urged him to keep them at the sanctum sanctorum of Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple on account of his ill-health.

On his recovery, he sought the idols from the Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple. But the seers of the six of the Ashta Mutts refused to give it, which was a breach of trust, he said.

The seer grabbed attention after he had announced that he would contest as an Independent candidate or from the BJP, if given a ticket, from Udupi Assembly constituency in the recently concluded Karnataka assembly elections. However, he withdrew his nomination. After withdrawing his nomination to contest as an Independent, Lakshmivara Tirtha Swamiji has not been seen in public for a while.

Lakshmivara Tirtha Swamiji (55) was the 30th pontiff of the mutt. He was initiated at the age of 8 years in June 1971. He passed away in Kasturba hospital on Thursday. The seer was brought to Kasturba hospital at 1.05 AM from a private hospital in Udupi.