`Duplicate' Sankaracharya ordered to leave Puri

`Duplicate' Sankaracharya ordered to leave Puri
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Puri, January 23: Swami Adhokshyananda Maharaj, who had recently claimed himself to be the real Sankaracharya of Gobardhan Math in Puri, was ordered by the subdivisional magistrate (SDM) here on Saturday to move out of the temple town.

The SDM, Dhiren Patnaik promulgated an order under which the Swami was restrained from entering Puri to avoid breach of peace.

Swami Adhokshyananda had reached here on Friday to lay claim to the Sankaracharya's peeth. Their arrival created a sensation here with a large number of members of Aditya Bahini, a youth organisation floated by the present Sankaracharya of Puri, Nischalananda Saraswati, opposing the swami's move. The organisation also approached the district collector and the superintendent of police demanding that the `duplicate' Sankaracharya be arrested.

Nischalananda Saraswati, who was ordained as head of the Gobardhan Math on February 19, 1992 in presence of his predecessor and former seer Niranjan Dev Teerth, was recognised by the state's endowmentcommissioner in 1996.He said that the fake Sankaracharya should be excommunicated and jailed. He should also undergo psychiatric treatment, the Sankaracharya said. Stating that duplicate Sankaracharyas had also been floated at Sringeri, Dwaraka and Joshi peeths, the Puri seer said it was the duty of the public to stop this vandalism. The Swami is said to have left for Bhubaneswar.