Anointment of 71st Shankaracharya of Kanchi Kamaoti Peetam to be held on 30 April
The Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam has announced that the anointment (Sanyasa Deeksha) of Sri Ganesha Sharma Dravid as the 71st Shankaracharya will be held at 6 am on the occasion of Akshaya Trithiya on April 30.
This also coincides with the 2534th Jayanti Mahotsavam on 2 May of Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya who established Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam at Kanchipuram in the year 482 BCE.
A press release from the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam said,”Sri Ganesha Sharma Dravid, is a Rig Vedic Scholar (Salakshana Ghanapati) from Annavaram Kshetra, Andhra Pradesh and served at Sri Gnana Saraswathi Devasthanam, Basara, Nirmal District, Nizamabad, Telangana.”
“He has had the blessings and continuous grace of Pujya Shri Shankaracharya Swamigal of Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, right from his time of initiation into Vedic studies in the year 2006. With blessings of His Holiness, Sri Ganesha Sharma Dravid in addition to Rig Veda has also completed Yajurveda, Samaveda, Shadangas, Dashopanishat and has been pursuing Shastric studies,” the release added.
It may be noted that 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 and presided over the affairs of the mutt.