Chennai sources have reported that Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi, the 69th pontiff
of the Kanchi Mutt, died on Wednesday in Tamilnadu's Kanchipuram and he was 82.
According to sources he had been admitted to a hospital after he complained of
breathing problems. He had been in poor health for much of last year.
He was born Sri Subramaniyam on July 18, 1935, Jayendra
Saraswathi was head of Mutt or Hindu monastery established by Adi
Shankaracharya in the 8th century and had a huge following in South India and
currently the Mutt runs several schools, eye clinics and hospitals. Accordingly
he had been named as the successor to the Mutt by Sri Chandrasekarendra
Saraswati Swamigal and was given the title Sri Jayendra Saraswathi on March 22,
1954.
Meanwhile Vice President Venkaiah
Naidu and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley were among those who expressed their
condolences. Further being the head of
a highly respected and traditional spiritual institution, Jayendra Saraswathi
had commanded great respect, especially in the Brahmin community and is also
widely believed to have enjoyed a good rapport with many high-level politicians
across the country.
