Sushmeendra Teertha Swami

The chief pontiff of Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt in Mantralaya, Sri Sushmeendra Teertha Swami, passed away on Saturday following a cardiac arrest. Swami Sushmeendra was 83 and breathed his last at 2.20 pm at a private hospital here. He'd been admitted to the hospital a fortnight ago after he complained of age-related ailments, including breathing problems, according to Rajagopalachari of Raghavendra Mutt. His body was taken to Mantralaya where it will be kept for public viewing between 5 am and 8 pm on Sunday before being taken to brindavana (temporary burial). Born in Nanjangud near Mysore, Swami Sushmeendra at 59 joined the Mantralaya mutt in the temple town on the banks of the Tungabhadra in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh in 1985. He became head of the peetham a year later. "He was instrumental in taking Mantralaya closer to people. There were just about 40 branches when he took charge of the peetham but now there are over 120 across the country. Such is his contribution,'' recalled Rajagopalachari.