Sri Sushreendra Teertha anointed as Puttige Mutt Junior Seer

Udupi:  Sri Sugunendra Teertha Swamiji of Puttige Mutt anointed a 29-year-old Electronics and Communications Engineer as his successor on Monday. The Puttige Mutt is one of the eight Mutts of Udupi that follow the Dwaita philosophy of Sri Madhwacharya.

Prashanth Acharya (now Sushreendra Teertha Swamiji) was an engineering graduate and was working as a  team leader in a software company in Bengaluru for the past three years.

However, as he was more interested in spiritual life, he decided to take a plunge into sainthood.

Sushreendra Teertha Swamiji was anointed after he accepted the sanyasa deekshe at the Moola Puttige Mutt here on the banks of the Swarna. He is the 31st Seer in the Guruparampara (lineage) of the Puttige Mutt.

Rituals such as Avagahana snana, Loukika vastra visarjana, Kashaya vastra sweekar, Danda sweekar, Pranava mantra (acceptance of sanyasa ashram) were held.  This was followed by the Pattabhisheka ritual held in front of the devotees of the Mutt amid chanting of mantras. All the rituals were conducted by Herga Vedavyasa Bhat.

Addressing the devotees, Sugunendra Teertha Swamiji said that many were surprised that he had suddenly taken a junior seer. But the process of finding the junior seer had begun eight months ago. He had told Sushreendra Teertha about the tough life a sanyasi had to lead. Sushreendra Teertha also desired to worship Lord Krishna in Udupi. Sushreendra Teertha will study Vedas and religious texts for the next 12 years.

Sushreendra Teertha is the eldest son of Gururaja Acharya and Vinuta Acharya of Udupi. He had his early education at Indrali English Medium School, Udupi, and Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Vidyakendra, Alike.

He did his PU at Manipal Junior College and graduated in engineering from Sahyadhri College of Engineering in Mangaluru. He had worked in three software companies in Bengaluru. His younger brother, Pradyumna, an engineer, works in Pune.

Sri Sugunendra Teertha had taken ‘sanyasa ashram’ when he was eight years old. The other engineer-Seer in the Ashta Mutts is (BE Mechanical Engineering) S. Shreesha, who was anointed as a successor of Admar Mutt in 2014 and became Eshapriya Teertha.

Puttige Mutt has eight branches, including in the  United States of America, Australia and New Zealand.