Dharmapuram Aadheenam Sri Shanmuga Desiga Gnanasambanda Paramacharya Swamigal Passes Away

The 26th Gurumaha Sannidhanam of Dharmapuram Adheenam Sri Shanmuga Desiga Gnanasambanda Paramacharya Swamigal passed away on Wednesday (Dec 4)in a hospital at Thanjavur. He was 96.

Known as Gnanasambandham before his initiation in to monastic life, Swamigal studied in Thevara Padasalai in Vriddhachalam and worked as honorary professor in the institute in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He was drawn towards religious work at an early age and was part of the management of Chennai Religious Centre.

Swamigal secured his Dheeksha in Dharmapuram Aadheenam in 1951 and eventually succeeded the 25th Guru Maha Sannidhanam on November 11, 1971.

One of the ancient Saivaite mutts in the country, the adheenam, headquartered at Dharmapuram in Mayiladuthurai in Tamilnadu, is more than 500 years old and controls over 27 Saivaite temples, runs several educational institutions and has other properties in various parts of the country.

Swagimal will be creamed in a traditional ceremony on Thursday.

Swamigal contributions include adding hymns to Thevaram. He had also established a religious research Centre with Bharatidasan University.

In Jan 2017, Swamigal named Sri Kumaraswamy Thambiran Swamigal as his successor to the head the Dharmapuram Adheenam.

Kumaraswamy Thambiran Swamigal, who holds a doctorate in Tamil, has published more than 200 research papers in Tamil literature and has briefly served as an Associate Professor in Thirupanandal Kasi Mutt College in Kumbakonam before joining the Dharmapuram Mutt in 2000.