Jayendra Saraswathi's final rites underway; Tamil Nadu governor, Union ministers pay last respects

The final rituals for burying the mortal remains of Jayendra Saraswathi in the premises of the Kanchi Sankara Mutt began on Thursday morning in the presence of some of his family members. Saraswathi will be interred next to the burial site of his predecessor within the mutt premises in Kanchipuram. The rituals began at 8 am with an ‘abishekam’ followed by an ‘aarthi.’ Vedic pundits from across the country are chanting portions from all the four Vedas and a special worship is being held. Later, the mortal remains of the Seer will be taken from the main hall where it has been placed for public viewing, to Brindavan Annexe, the burial site of Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi, senior pontiff. A big bamboo basket with the body in a seated posture will be taken to the annexe and lowered into a 7x7 feet burial pit. “The burial pit is ready and as soon as the body is lowered, deities in a particular form called ‘Saligrama’ will be placed over it,” a senior mutt official in charge of the burial arrangements told PTI on Wednesday. The pit will be filled with herbs, including ‘Vasambu,’ salt and sandalwood. [caption id=“attachment_4371875” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Kanchi seer Jayendra Saraswathi. PTI[/caption] Later, rituals such as ‘Kabaalamoksham’ wherein a coconut will be placed on the head and symbolically broken, will take place. Such rituals mark the completion of the burial. Two renowned ‘sthapathis,’ Nandakumar and Shiva have been deployed to construct the mausoleum, the mutt official said. A tulasi pot will be placed over the burial chamber, allowing sufficient place for devotees to go around it and pay their respects. The burial is expected to end by 11 AM, he added. Security has been tightened in and around the mutt premises in Kanchipuram. Devotees have been thronging the mutt to pay tributes to the religious leader. In the morning, Tamil Nadu governor Bhanwarilal Purohit, Union ministers Pon Radhakrishnan and DV Sadananda Gowda paid their last respects to the departed soul. Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam, state education minister KA Sengottaiyan, former AIADMK minister KP Munuswamy and senior government officials paid their respects on Wednesday. The seer, who had been unwell for the past few months,had complained of uneasiness this morning and was rushed to a nearby medical facility sponsored by Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. Jayendra Saraswathi died of cardiac arrest, said sources at the Adi Bhagavadpada Cardiac and Dialysis Centre. With inputs from PTI