Chennai: Kanchi mutt head Sri Jayendra Saraswathi, considered one of the most influential spiritual leaders of his time but whose arrest in a murder case, left his devotees shocked, died here on Wednesday.
“As usual he got up early and after his puja, the acharya gave darshan to devotees around 7 am. At half-past seven, he swooned and immediately the doctor at the mutt attended on him. He was rushed to the ABCD Hospital (Adi Bhagavadpada Cardiac and Dialysis Centre, a facility sponsored by Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam) where he was declared dead at 9 am,” said K. Nagarajan, president of Jan Kalyan, the social and spiritual service arm of the Kanchi mutt. Sri Jayendra was instrumental in launching Jan Kalyan.
In 2004, on the eve of Deepavali, Sri Jayendra was arrested in connection with the murder of Varadaraja Perumal temple manager A. Sankararaman during the Jayalalithaa regime sending shock waves.
Later, the trial court acquitted him and others including junior pontiff Vijayendra Saraswathi in the case.
The seer’s body will be kept for public view till Thursday morning after which the last rites will be conducted amid Vedic rituals. The rites have been described as “Brindavana Pravesha Karyakramam” in Vedic parlance. The saint will be laid to rest next to his predecessor, the Maha Periyavaa, on the mutt premises on Thursday, its manager Sundaresa Iyer said. Junior pontiff Vijayendra Saraswathi will succeed Jayendra Saraswathi.
