Paryaya Admar Mutt seer Eshapriya Theertha Swami said that the Mutt has taken a loan of Rs 15 lakh for the maintenance of Srikrishna Mutt during the lockdown period.
Speaking to reporters, he said, “We had sought Rs 1 crore loan. Now, Rs 15 lakh has been received. In case of necessity, a loan will be availed in future.”
This is not the first time that a loan is being borrowed by the Mutt. In the past, during the paryaya of Admar Mutt, Vibhudesha Theertha Swami had availed Rs 60 lakh loan for the maintenance of the Mutt. By the end of Paryaya tenure, he had a burden of Rs 25 lakh loan, which he paid over a period of time.
Availing a loan does not mean that the Mutt is facing a shortage of funds. “There is capital in the name of Mutt, which is not being used presently. If we have a burden of loan, then the responsibility to repay the loan too arises. Hence, we have availed loan,” he clarified.
He said that the total expense in the past five months is Rs 1.5 crore. There are 300 employees working at various levels. The expense per day will be around Rs 30 to 40 lakh. He said the Paryaya seer will be responsible for the smooth conduct of the temple affairs.
No darshana
The seer said that Krishna Mutt will not be opened for devotees till Covid-19 is brought under control.
A decision will be taken depending on the situation in future.
Simple Ashtami
The seer said that in the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Mutt has decided to celebrate Sri Krishnashtami in a low key affair with all spiritual rituals on September 10.
Leelothsava popularly known as Vittla Pindi will be celebrated on September 11. He said that the celebration will take place with a limited number of devotees. The festival will be celebrated to ensure that religious customs and traditions are not missed out.
The pandemic has cast a shadow on many festivals so far and the natural fun and frolic associated with Sri Krishnashtami and Leelothsava will be missing this time.
There is a live telecast of the ceremony ‘Arghya Pradhanam’ (offering of milk and holy water along with ‘Bilvapatra’) which will happen on the intervening night at 12.16 on September 10.
There will be no ‘Muddu Krishna’ competitions which used to be one of the most attractive parts of the celebration. Muddu Krishna competitions may be held in the future once everything comes back to normalcy.
He said that the celebrations on September 11, will also depend on the directions and guidelines issued by the district administration.