Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi, the 69th pontiff of the Sankara Muth in Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu, passed away at a private hospital in Kancheepuram on Wednesday. He was 82.
The seer was admitted to a hospital near the Sri Kamakshi Amman temple on Tuesday due to breathing problems.
The Sankaracharya's original name was Subramanyam Mahadeva Iyer. He assumed charge as the Peetadhipathi of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham on March 22, 1994, after the demise of the then Peethadhipathi Chandrasekharendra Sarawathi Swamigal.
On hearing the news of the Sankaracharya's demise, Telangana Governor E S L Narasimhan expressed grief and sorrow.
The Governor conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the countless devotees of the seer, and said that it was an irreparable loss to humanity at large.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, too, expressed his condolences on the demise.
The CM recalled the services rendered by Jayendra Saraswathi for the development of the Kanchi peetham. The CM directed the Endowments Commissioner to depute a senior officer from the department on behalf of the Telangana government to attend the post-death rituals of the late pontiff.