Jayendra Saraswathi
Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal (born July 18, 1935 as Subramanyam Mahadeva Iyer) is the 69th Shankaracharya (guru and head or pontiff (Peetadhipathi)) of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/Jayendra_Saraswathi_3.jpg/220px-Jayendra_Saraswathi_3.jpg)
Subramanyam Mahadeva Iyer was nominated by his predecessor, Chandrashekarendra Saraswati Swamigal, as his successor and was given the title Jayendra Saraswathi on March 22, 1954. He is one of the leading religious figures in Hinduism today.
On account of his sacerdotal office and his profound knowledge of the Hindu religion, he commands wide respect in India, particularly in religious Hindu Brahmin circles. The Kanchi Math has grown into a strong organization under him. Further, the Kanchi Mutt is also widely patronised by many NRIs, particularly from the U.S.A. The Kanchi Mutt runs many schools, eye clinics and hospitals, Shankara Nethralaya[citation needed] in Chennai and Guwahati, Assam, and the Children's Hospital, Hindu Mission Hospital and the Tamil Nadu Hospital. The Jayalalithaa government in Tamil Nadu enacted a law to ban religious conversion, in keeping with the Shankaracharya's oft-expressed concerns.[1] The Tamil Nadu government also started to enforce a pre-existing ban on animal sacrifice in temples,[2] echoing concerns raised by the pontiff.
References
External links
- The Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham
- Complete text of the Order of the Supreme Court of India in dismissing the application of the Government of Tamilnadu in seeking the stay of the Shankarachaya outside the States of South India
- Complete text of the Order of Writ Mandamus issued by the Madras High Court against the Government of Tamilnadu holding that the freezing of the bank accounts by the Police is illegal
- Kanchi Forum an online forum. (a forum for devotees of the acharyas to share their views)
- Cover Story on Jayendra Saraswathi, in Frontline news magazine.
- Consolidated news on Legal proceedings on Sri Jayendra Saraswathi.