From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Jan 25: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to confer the country’s highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna to Sri Sri Sivakumara Swamy of Siddaganga Math in Tumakuru.

The Siddaganga Math is the most popular religious centre of the politically powerful Lingayat community and Sri Sivakumar Swamiji is known as ‘Walking God’ for his devotees and admirers not just of Tumakuru but all across the State and even outside Karnataka.

Sri Sivakumar Swamiji, who was born on April 1, 1908, will be completing 110 years on his next birthday.

File Photo

The Siddaganga Math under Sri Sivakumar Swamiji’s benign and enlightened leadership has been rendering yeoman service in the field of education and was involved in many philanthropic activities for several decades.

The Siddaganga Math runs 130 educational institutions across the State.

"The institutions (run by the Math) are providing education ranging from Sanskrit studies to engineering and technology, thus making rich contribution to the educational development of the people,”’ the Chief Minister said in a letter written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Around 9,000 students and hundreds of pilgrims are being fed every day in Siddaganga Math, which has more than 600 years of recorded history.

The stewardship of the Math has been in the hands of the Swamiji since 1941, the Chief Minister said.

"Even at the age of 110 years, the seer continues to guide the Math, which has been doing exemplary service to the community at large, the poor in particular, without any discrimination of religion or caste,’’ the Chief Minister said in his letter.

It may be recalled that former Chief Minister S M Krishna, who had joined BJP last year, had also publicly appealed to the Prime Minister to confer Bharat Ratna award to the seer.