BJP’s former Member of the Legislative Council (MLC), BJ Puttaswamy has been appointed the head seer of the newly inaugurated Thaileswara Ganigara Mahasamsthana Mutt, located near Nelamangala in Bengaluru on Monday.
As per reports, the 83-year-old senior politician was appointed as the first pontiff of the newly-opened Bengaluru mutt, which represents the backward caste of Ganigas, at a ceremony on Sunday. The community has a population of around 13 lakh in Karnataka.
Former chief minister BS Yediyurappa, housing minister V Somanna, BJP National General Secretary CT Ravi and many other BJP leaders were present at the ceremony.
Puttaswamy said during the ceremony that, he now chose this way of life and renounced worldly pleasures because he did not have the desire for political power anymore and wanted to serve the Ganiga community for long.
Long-time loyalist of Yediyurappa
Puttaswamy was known to be very close to former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and was a minister in the Jagadish Shettar cabinet.
He has also served as the Vice-Chairperson of the Karnataka State Policy and Planning Commission. Before becoming an MLC, he was the President of Akhila Karnataka Ganigara Sangha.
Earlier this month, Puttaswamy had taken ‘Brahmacharya’(the vows of celibacy) and had acquired the ascetic name Poornanandapuri Swami given by Jayendra Puri, the seer of Kailasa Ashrama Mahasamsthana Mutt, on May 5.
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