The three-day Sri Raghavendra Swamy Aradhana programme at Sosale Vyasaraja Mutt in T. Narsipur witnessed ugly scenes with heated exchange of words between a section of the Mutt followers and the incumbent head, on Saturday. The three-day religious programme was to conclude on Saturday. However, the situation took an ugly turn when a group of devotees of the Mutt arrived from Bengaluru and challenged Vidyamanohar Tirtha Swami on the succession issue.
Their immediate grouse was that a successor was chosen against the wishes of the devotees who wanted the elevation of another seer, Prahaladhacharya, as the head. Sources said there were heated arguments on the Mutt premises for sometime after which one group dispersed and the rituals pertaining to the Aradhana continued. The present seer, Vidyamanohar Swami, is embroiled in a court case pertaining to embezzlement of mutt properties following a complaint by the devotees and was also arrested by the police in this connection earlier. A section of the devotees had also demanded that the seer step down and renounce his seat as the head of the Mutt which has a history of many centuries.
