Jogi mutt gets a new king

Mangaluru: Thousands of devotees thronged to witness the religious rituals held as part of the crowning of Yogi Sri Nirmalnathji as the new Raja or Matadhipati of Kadali Sri Yogeshwar (Jogi) Mutt on Monday.
Devotees, especially from Jogi community across India, offered prayers on the occasion of Pattabhishekha rituals held for the new Matadhipati of the mutt.
Yogi Nirmalnathji took over the reigns of the mutt, which has a history that goes back to 1,000 years-- from Sri Rajyogi Sandhyanathji, the incumbent seer. The rituals of pattabhishekha take place at the historic mutt once every 12 years. After the pattabhishekha rituals of Nirmalnathji on the auspicious Mesha Lagna at 9.25 am, the outgoing Matadhipathi Sandhyanathji performed the traditional figurative ritual known as 'jala samadhi' on the sea shores at Thannirbavi. The seer had a holy dip in the sea and puja and later proceeded to the mutt.
The new Matadhipathi performed rituals to allow Sandhyanathji to commence his journey.
The new Matadhipathi, who was elected during the Kumbh Mela, had traversed over 1,100km from Nashik in Maharashtra to Mangaluru by foot in a 'zhundi' to reach the mutt. Over 500 yogis, who are a part of the zhundi, too witnessed the rituals.
Traditionally, Kadali Matadhipathis have a major role to play in the religious rituals and festivals being held at Kadri Sri Manjunath Temple, which is a prominent shrine in South India. One of the major rituals followed in Kadri Temple is that the Matadhipathi of Kadali Mutt should lead the rathotsava festival.
The Matadhipathi sitting on a horseback will precede the Brahmaratha during the festival every year.
This tradition is being continued in the temple ever since the mutt was under Sri Matsyendranatha and Sri Gorakshanatha.
Tradition has it that while seers belonging to all 12 sects of Nath Panth select the raja, only seers from Bairag, Kaplani, Nateshwari and Ganganath sects are eligible to become the Matadhipati. Senior vedic scholar Vittal Das tantri led the religious rituals of the anointing ceremony known as 'Paryaya Raja Pattabhisheka'. The seers of the 12 sects select the 'Raja' in Triambakeshwar (Nashik) during the Kumbh Mela in the presence of office bearers of Akhil Bharath Varshiya Awaduth Yogi Maha Sabha Bhek Bharaha Panth. Each of the four sects gets its turn after 48-years. The incoming 'Raja' is from the Bairag sect.
Zhundi Samiti president Mahantha Sri Soorajnathji said, "Indian tradition is the foundation of prosperity in the world. People need to follow the 'Shreshta Parampara' of our nation."