Siddalinga Mahaswami
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A brief biography/ 2019
From: Sandeep Moudgal, Protege of Karnataka's 'walking god' to succeed him as new head of mutt, January 21, 2019: The Times of India
For close to a decade, 55-year-old Siddalinga Mahaswami has been the “de-facto” head of the richest mutts in Karnataka.
Following the demise of the 111-year-old Shivakumar Swamiji, Siddalinga Mahaswami will now be officially taking over the reins of the prominent Lingayat Siddaganga mutt in Tumakuru.
The "home-grown seer", Siddalinga Mahaswami was an ardent follower of Shivakumar Swamiji and even completed his studies at the popular Siddaganga mutt institutions.
Siddalinga Mahaswami was called by his maiden name Vishwanatha and was born to Sadasivaiah and Sivarudramma in Magadi on July 22, 1963.
His holy name was derived from Yediyuru Siddalingeshwara, the deity of a temple in Kunigal.
He completed his primary education at his birth place, Kanchugal Bandemath and finished high school at the Degulamath in Kanakapura.
While studying in high school, the local seer Mahalinga Swamiji of Kanakapura asked his parents to send him to the Sree Siddaganga Gurukula where he came under the care of Dr Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamiji and stayed in the old mutt premises.
He began learning Sanskrit and also pursued his college education at the mutt.
Siddalinga swamiji completed his bachelors and later his masters in arts, specialising in Economics.
During the same period he also entered into the spiritual education system of the mutt and after his studies, entered full time in the services of Shivakumar swamiji.
On January 26, 1988, he entered the virakthashrama in the true tradition of Sree Siddaganga Math.
In the mid-1980s, the math saw some turbulent times as the then junior seer, Gowrishankara Swamiji, and the mutt were entangled in controversies over misappropriation and pilferage of resources.
Gowrishankar swamiji in 1988 was thrown out of the Siddaganga mutt on accusations of serious charges, including sodomy of a 12th standard student, which was eventually dismissed by the Supreme Court in 2008.
Stepping into Gowrishankar’s shoes, Siddalinga swamiji took over as the junior seer on March 31, 1988.
Over the last six to seven years, Siddalinga swami had taken over the reins as president of the mutt and its educational institutions owing to the ill health of Shivakumar swamiji.
Interestingly, Siddalinga Mahaswami had become the “point man” for all political leaders who sought the “blessings” of Shivakumar swamiji and the backing of the powerful Lingayat mutt during elections.
During the heights of the Veerashaiva-Lingayat controversey, Siddalinga Mahaswami maintained distance from both sides and ensured that the mutt was not embroiled in any controversy.
Running 125 educational institutions under the Sree Siddaganga Education Society, the mutt is considered to be one of the richest in Karnataka, wielding considerable influence in the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community.
However, according to one swamiji associated with the Siddaganga mutt, there is no actual monetary calculation of the assets and the mutt continues to be run on a concept of Dasoha (serving people with food, education and shelter).
