Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam to induct 71st acharya on Akyasha Trithiya

Pushpa Narayan / TNN / Updated: Apr 25, 2025, 23:21 IST

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The Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam has chosen a young Vedic scholar from Andhra Pradesh to be its next pedathipathi. The anointment ceremony for the 71st Shankaracharya is scheduled for Akshaya Trithiya, April 30. Sankaracharya Vijayendra Saraswathi announced the sanyasa deeksha for the new pontiff, continuing the tradition of inducting young acharyas into the mutt.

Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam to induct 71st acharya on Akyasha Trithiya

Vijayendra Saraswati

CHENNAI: The Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam has identified a youth from Andhra Pradesh as its next pedathipathi (head) and his anointment as the 71st Shankaracharya will be held at 6 am on Akshaya Trithiya, April 30.
An announcement from the mutt said that Kanchi Shankaracharya Vijayendra Saraswathi would bless sanyasa deeksha to Duddu Satya Venkata Surya Subrahmanya Ganesha Sharma Dravid in Kancheepuram on the Akshaya Tritiya day.

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Ganesha Sharma Dravid, a Rig Vedic scholar from Annavaram Kshetra in Andhra Pradesh, served at Sri Gnana Saraswathi Devasthanam in Telangana. He completed Yajurveda, Samaveda, Shadangas and Dashopanishat and pursued sastric studies, according to the announcement signed by administrative head of the mutt (srikaryam) Challa Viswanatha Sastry.

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Arrangements for the anointment would begin on April 27, sources said. On Thursday, Vijayendra Saraswathi informed close devotees of the mutt about his plans for anointing a successor. Forty-two years ago, on May 29, 1983, a 14-year-old Sankaranarayanan was inducted into the mutt as Vijayendra Saraswathi, the 70th pedathipathi. In 2018, he succeeded Jayendra Saraswathi in the affairs of the mutt.
Acharyas of the mutt perform the pujas for the deities, including Chandramouleshwara and Tirupurasundari, besides taking care of the daily administration.

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