By Acarya Dasa, Leader of All India Padayatra
SIDDAGANGA MATHA
Siddaganga Matha is a well-known and well established Virashaiva matha located in Tumkur Taluka, in the Tumkur district of Karnataka. This matha has opened a free boarding school for poor children more than half a century ago. This gurukula now houses over 10,000 children from five to fifteen years old, irrespective of their caste, creed and religion. The devotees offer donations in cash and bhoga to the gurukula. The matha also runs medical and engineering colleges.
Dr. SHIVAKUMARA SWAMI
Born on April 1, 1907 at Virapur near Magadi Taluka, in the Ramanagara district of Karnataka, Shivakumara Swami became a Lingayat monk in 1930. He studied English in college and is proficient in Kannada and Sanskrit. He is a Hindu religious figure and the head of the Sri Siddaganga Matha which provides education to many people.
A certificate of approval from Dr. Shivakumara Swami is much valued in Karnataka’s public life and people rush to him when in trouble. Even at the age of 111, Swamiji listens to them and gives them advice. All Karnataka political leaders and their bosses from New Delhi always visit and take his blessings during elections. Prime Ministers and party presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and many other politicians stop at Siddaganga Matha in Tumkur, 70 km from Bengaluru. Swamiji welcomes everyone. He is the most revered person and people call him a “walking god”.
PADAYATRIS VISIT THE MATHA
The followers of Swamiji wholeheartedly welcomed us. Swamiji was pleased to have darsana of Their Lordships Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundara. He has a great reverence for our movement and appreciates ISKCON devotees working hard to spread the holy name all over the world. In Karnataka people respect and worship the oxen. After darsana of Their Lordships, they washed the hooves of our oxen, performed arati and fed them bananas and jiggery prasadam.
Swamiji instructed the gurukula children to attend all the programs organized by the padayatris. All of them had darsana of Their Lordships. Sankirtana was a special attraction for the children who chanted and danced with full enthusiasm.
As it was Saturday and Sunday, children would come in batches and join us during kirtana. All around us we could see children flooding and approaching for darsana. It was a great pleasure to watch the happiness on their faces as they enjoyed dancing while listening to the holy name.
We stayed in the matha for two days. Swamiji and his followers appreciated our services. Nine years ago we also visited this matha. As we were about to leave, Swamiji said, “Keep visiting our matha and you can all stay here with us as many days as you want. The presence of Their Lordships has brought auspiciousness to our matha.”
Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundara ki…jaya!
