Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati final rites underway: Pontiff to be interred at math.

NewDelhi: The final rites of Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati are underway. He is set to be interred at the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham on Thursday. The 69th head of the math died of a cardiac arrest on Wednesday morning. He was 82.

Here are 10 developments:

1.   As a sanyasi, Jayendra Saraswati will not be cremated. He will instead be interred in a samadhi, that is referred to as an ‘adhishthanam’. A Shiva lingam will be consecrated on top. It will then become a permanent shrine.
2.   The process of interment is called ‘Brindavana Pravesha Karyakramam’. It is expected to begin around 8 am.
3.   Jayendra Saraswati will be interred right next to the previous Shankaracharya Chandrasekharendra Saraswati, the 68th head of the Kamakoti Peetham.
4.   Vijayendra Saraswati, who succeeded as the head of the math, is learnt to have insisted that his guru be interred next to Chandrasekarendra Saraswati, who is referred to by followers as the ‘Mahaswami of Kanchi’.
5.   Among the dignitaries on the protoco list to attend the final rites are President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, various Union Ministers, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and various state ministers, among others.
6.   Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit will also attend. He happens to be among the last people to have met Jayendra Saraswati. He had visited the seer on Tuesday night.
7.   Jayendra Saraswati’s body was placed in the hall of the Kanchi math in a seated position, for devotees to catch a final glimpse.
8.   The math remained open all night for visitors to pay their respects.
9.   More than a lakh people have visited the math to pay their respects since Wednesday morning, said the manager of the Kanchi math.
10.  Most shops in Kanchipuram remained shut as a mark of respect.