Seer of Fakireshwar Samsthana Peetha at Shirahatti in Gadag district Sri Fakira Siddarama Swami will be weighed in gold to mark his 75th birthday. And, the value of the gold so collected will be converted into a corpus fund to be used for the education of poor students.
Addressing presspersons in Hubballi on Thursday, Sri Fakira Dingaleshwara Swami, who has been appointed as successor to Fakira Siddarama Swami, said that along with Tulabhara of 63 kg of gold, there will be another Tulabhara in coins.
“Elephant named Champika has been serving the Fakireshwara Mutt (Peetha) since long and as it is 60 years old now, we plan to celebrate its 60th birthday along with the 75th birthday of the seer. They both will be weighed in 5,555 kg of coins in a custom-made Takkadi (weighing scale) which will be 20 ft high, 44 ft long and 30 ft wide. After the Tulabhara, the weighing scale will be preserved as a monument on the mutt premises in Shirahatti,” he said.
Sri Dingaleshwara Swami said that Fakireshwar Mutt known for communal harmony has a history of over 500 years with its devotees comprising the likes of Mughal ruler Akbar, Hyderabad Nizam, Mysuru Maharaja, Nawabs of Savanur, Adil Shahi of Vijayapura, Surpur rulers and several others. The mutt has 60 branches and five darghas under it along with various educational institutions.
He said that a series of programmes are being planned throughout the year, including publication of 75 books, mass marriage of 75 couples and discourse for 75 days.
To begin with, a Bhavaikyata Rathayatra will be organised in Hubballi from January 10 to February 1 in various localities. Subsequently, the ratha will be taken to various districts throughout the year, he said.
He said that all the expenses of the year-long programme, including the weighing of the seer in gold, will be borne by the devotees of the mutt spread across several States. The objective of the programme is also to spread the message of communal harmony, he said.
