Amidst the shadow of the pandemic, Udupi is all set to celebrate the paryaya mahotsava in a simple manner on January 18.
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Paryaya denotes the transfer of power of the exclusive right of worshipping Lord Krishna and managing Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple from one seer to another seer of the Ashta Mutts once in two years. The present one (2022-24) is the 251th paryaya. The biennial paryaya system began in 1522.
Vidyasagar Tirtha, the seer of Krishnapura Mutt, will ascend the ‘Sarvajna Peetha’ for the fourth time. Ishapriya Tirtha, junior seer of Admar Mutt, will descend the Paryaya Peetha at the 800-year-old Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple on Tuesday. It was his first paryaya.
As the preparations for the paryaya mahotsava began about two months ago, final preparations were witnessed in Sri Krishna Mutt and at Krishnapura Mutt on Sunday.
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Civic workers of Udupi City Municipality conducted the cleaning and sanitisation works at bus stands, streets and the toilets in the city. The civic workers also cleaned the Car Street area on Sunday. Mobile toilets were kept at six places in the city for the convenience of the devotees visiting Udupi on two days.
The religious events begin with the paryaya seer taking a holy dip at Dandatheertha in Kaup at 2.15 a.m. on Tuesday. Later he will offer a puja to Kalyeeamardana Krishna at Jodukatte.
Later, the seer visits various temples, including Sri Krishna Mutt.
The mahotsava consists of a series of religious events culminating in the ceremonial transfer of the ‘Akshaya Pathra’ at 5.45 a.m. Vidyasagar Tirtha will ascend the Sarvajana Peetha at 5.55 a.m. on Tuesday.
The paryaya darbar will be held in all its customary grandeur at 6.45 a.m. at Rajangana on Tuesday in the presence of all seers of eight mutts. It will conclude at 8.30 a.m. Superintendent of Police N. Vishnuvardhan has requested the devotees to remain at home and watch the proceedings on social media platforms to avoid rush in the city.
During his paryaya, Ishapriya Tirtha, the junior seer of Admar Mutt, had changed the pathway for the darshan of Lord Krishna at Sri Krishna Temple/Mutt. The new pathway started from the mutt’s north entrance near Rajangana. Devotees will cross the “Kattige Ratha” and the golden roof atop the sanctum sanctorum before coming down the steps to have their darshan at Navagraha Kindi.
Devotees then have to climb a flight of steps to go to the dining hall and then, exit from the temple.