Charukeerthi Bhattarakha Swamiji of Shravanabelagola Jain Mutt Passes Away

Shravanabelagola (Hassan District, Karnataka), 23rd March 2023: His Holiness SwastiSri Charukeerthi Bhattarakha Swamiji of Sri Digambar Jain Math at Shravanabelagola passed away today morning at Shravanabelagola.

As per Mutt sources it is learnt that His Holiness Swamiji fell down in the morning on 23rd March and was then rushed to the Adichunchanagiri hospital at Bellur Cross, where he was declared dead.

His Holiness Swamiji was born on 3rd May 1949 at Varanga in Udupi district of Karnataka. He was known as Ratnavarma in his family life. He became the pontiff of the Bhattaraka Peetha (seat) at Shravanabelagola on 12th December 1969. He was the decendent of Mulasangha Deshigana Kundakunda Acharya tradition’s Nemisagar Varni’s Bhattarakha lineage.

After becoming the pontiff of the Shravanabelagola Digambar Jain Math His Holiness Swamiji had constituted the Sri Digambar Jain Mutt Institutions Managing Committee (SDJMIMC) and had brought about a lot of development work at Shravanabelagola.

The Mahamasthakabisheka Mahotsava of Lord Bahubali on the Vindhyagiri hill at Shravanabelagola that is held once in 12 years were conducted under his guidance & leadership in 1981, 1993, 2006 and 2018.

He was a learned scholar in Kannada, Prakrit and Sanskrit. He was instrumental in setting up the National Institute of Prakrit Studies and Research (NIPSAR) at Shravanabelagola that is focused on the study and research of Prakrit language. He was instrumental in getting the Dhavala works, namely – Dhavala, Jaya Dhavala and Maha Dhavala translated in Kannada language with their detailed interpretation through this institute. He had dreamt of converting NIPSAR as the world’s first Prakrit University and the process was under way. It is an irony that he passed away much before his dreams were realised.

He was instrumental in initaiting the Jaina Adhyayana Kendra at Shravanabelagola with branches in different districts of Karnataka. The district units of Jaina Adhyayana Kendra were conducting research activities related to Jainism in different districts.

An ardent follower of the Digambar Jain ascetic order, he had led the renovation projects of numerous Jain Basadis/temples across Karnataka. He was looked upto with high respect and reverence by scholars and common men world over for his simplicity and erudite knowledge.

He was brought to Shravanabelagola from Adichunchanagiri hospital at 12:30 pm and was kept for public darshan and was later taken in a procession at 4:30 pm and last rites were conducted at Bolubetta in Shravanabelagola.

The team at WWW.JAINHERITAGECENTRES.COM Wishes for the His Holiness Swamji’s soul to attain Sadgathi.
– Jain Heritage Centres News Service