Idols handed over to Sudheendra Theertha

KOCHI: The restoration of the age-old priceless idols of the Shree Kashi Samsthan to Kashimath Samsthan Matadhipathi Sreemad Sudheendra Theertha has brought immense spiritual solace to the Gowda Saraswatha Brahmin community across the sate.The idols recovered from Raghavendra Theertha were handed over to  Sreemad Sudheendra Theertha at the Dahisar Shree Kashimath in Mumbai on Thursday.The Kadappa court had earlier handed over the idols to G G Prabhu, who had been given the power of attorney by the Swamiji.Various courts had directed Raghavendra Theertha, the ousted Shishya, to hand over the idols and other paraphernalia. But he challenged these orders and disappeared from Elamakkara in March this year.It was on October 30 that he was picked up by the Kadappa police in suspicious circumstances not connected with the Kashimath case. The police also seized the idols.Though he was released on bail from Kadappa Central Prison, the idols were not given to him as the Kerala police by then had reached Kadappa and informed the Kadappa police about the case of the missing person registered with the Ernakulam Central Police Station. Sudheendra Theertha Swamiji also approached the Kadappa court and sought the custody of the idols. The release order was passed by the Kadappa court a few days ago. ‘’We are very much happy that at least the ages-old deities have been handed over to Sudheendra Theertha Swamiji,’’ Ernakulam Thirumala Devaswom managing adhikari P Rangadasa Prabhu said.‘’The whole community is rejoicing now. But there are  more than 600 antique and rare pooja articles which were yet to be recovered from Raghavendra Theertha. We hope the Kerala police will conduct a thorough investigation and recover all the paraphernalia from him.  Only then the community will feel that justice had been meted out to the Gowda Saraswatha Brahmin community,’’ GSB devaswoms and organisations confederation convenor (Kerala) V Shantaram Kamath said. In a related development, the Kerala High Court dismissed the revision petition filed by Raghavendra Theertha against the Ernakulam District Court order for returning articles.