Udupi: The Pejawar Mutt performed ‘Chappara Muhurta’, one of the preliminary rituals before the onset of next Paryaya festival, on Sunday.
The Paryaya utsav this year holds a lot of significance because, Vishwesha Tirtha Swami of Pejawar Mutt will be ascending the Paryaya Peetha at the 800-year-old Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple on January 18, 2016, for a historic fifth time. This is an opportunity that no seer of the Ashta Mutts has ever realised as it is said that most of the seers have ascended only four times since biennial Paryaya system began in 1522.
This year the Paryaya Durbar function, which is usually held at the Rajangana Hall, is being held at Rajangana Parling Lot as the mutt is anticipating a participation of over 10,000 people, which cannot be accommodated in the hall.
After offering prayers at the Chandramouleshwara Temple, Ananteshwara Temple and the Sri Krishna Mutt, an arecanut pole was installed behind the Rajangana Hall. Normally only one arecanut pole is installed to mark the Chappara Muhurta behind the hall. However, since the Paryaya Durbar function will be held at the Rajangana Parking Lot instead of the Rajangana hall, another arecanut pole was installed as part of the ‘Chappara Muhurta’ there also.
The Chappara Muhurta is not among the four major preliminaries such as the Baale Muhurta, Akki Muhurta, Kattige Muhurta and Bhatta Muhurta. The Bhatta Muhurta will be held on December 24, he said.
The temple has made buffet lunch arrangements would be done for about one lakh devotees attending the Paryaya festival at this four-acre land. A kitchen would also be set up here. Nearly 12,000 litres of milk would be used to prepare ‘Haalu Payasa’, a sweet dish. All this was expected to cost about Rs. 1 crore, he said.
Vinaykumar Sorake, Urban Development Minister, Oscar Fernandes, MP, and A.G. Kodgi, former MLA, were present.