The funeral of Bangaru Adigalar, founder of the Melmaruvathur Adhiparasakthi Siddar Peedam, was performed by his family members at Melmaruvathur in Chengalpattu district on Friday.
The Tamil Nadu government accorded him a farewell with a 21-gun salute. Several political leaders paid their last respects to the Adigalar when the body was kept behind the temple premises for people to pay homage.
Governor R.N. Ravi, along with Ministers K. Ponmudy and T.M. Anbarasan, participated in the funeral in the evening.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin paid homage to the departed seer in the morning.
The body of the Adigalar, 82, was buried in a sitting position on a pedestal, made of sandal wood and various traditional items, on the west side of the meditation hall located behind the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, to cries of ‘Om Sakthi Parasakthi’ and ‘Amma, Amma’ by thousands of devotees.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were among the many leaders who expressed condolences.
In a message on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Mr. Modi said the Adigalar’s life, which combined spirituality and compassion, would continue to guide many. He sowed the seeds of confidence and knowledge in the lives of many through his tireless service to humanity and importance to education, the Prime Minister said.
Mr. Shah, in his message on X, said the Adigalar was known for his “spiritual insights that transcended the realms of ritualistic practices”.
Jharkhand Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan, Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan, and BJP Tamil Nadu president K. Annamalai paid their last respects to the spiritual leader at Melmaruvathur on Friday.
His contributions will live on: RSS
RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat and Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale, in a joint message on X, said Bangaru Adigalar played a remarkable role in “taking sanatana dharma to ordinary people, particularly among women”. They said his contributions to spiritualism, education and healthcare would be remembered forever.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami pointed out that the Adigalar had brought about reforms in spiritualism. His services in the areas of education and health were commendable.
The party’s former coordinator, O. Panneerselvam, said it was hard to fill the vacuum created by the death of the Adigalar. The party’s former interim general secretary, V.K. Sasikala, described the passing of Bangaru Adigalar as an irreparable loss to the world of spiritualism.
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi founder and Chidambaram MP Thol. Thirumavalavan offered his condolences to the family and devotees of the Adigalar. In a statement, he remembered him as someone who had allowed women to perform pujas almost 40 years ago.
“He changed the age-old custom that only men should enter the sanctum sanctorum of a temple by allowing women to perform pujas and he also said women could enter temples and worship the deity even if they were in their menstrual cycle. He also achieved equality between men and women in the realm of spirituality,” he said.
Mr. Thirumavalavan said the Adigalar also established educational institutions that helped in the development of the present day Chengalpattu district. “He refused to follow sanatana dharma and strove to bring about gender equality,” he said.
