Sri Ramachandra Theertharu (UTTARADHI MUTT)

Sri Ramachandra Theertharu was a great exponent of Dwaitha Vedanta. He spent a long time in Srirangapatnam and surrounding areas propagating the Madhva Philosophy. Once he fell seriously ill and ordained one of his disciples Kambhaluri Narasimhacharya to sanyasa with a view of installing him to the pontifical seat before he passed away. He was named Sri Vibhudendra Theertharu. However, Shri Ramachandra Teertharu got well and had postponed to install him on Vedanta Samrajya of the Math. He gave Sri Vibhdendra Theertharu some minor idols and saligramas for daily worship, but none from the pooja box of the Mutt and sent him on tour for propagation of Madhva Philosophy with specific instructions that he would send for him at the appropriate time. However, when Shri Ramachandra Tirtha was at Yaragola, he fell ill again and the time came for formally handing over the Math. Sri Vibhudendra Theertharu, who was on the tour, could not come back to Yaragola in time. Sri Ramachandra Theertharu, therefore was compelled to ordain Sri Vidyanidhi Theertharu as his successor. Sri Ramachandra Theertharu did not want to deprive Sri Vibhudendra Theertharu from the pontification of the Uttaradi Mutt. He therefore asked Dharmanna and other villagers of Yaragola to intern the pooja box after his Nirvana in a deep pit, with clear instructions that if Sri Vibhudendra Theertharu came within six months of his passing away, he would take it out and succeed him. If however he did not turn up within the specified time, the pooja box should be handed over to Sri Vidyanidhi Theertharu, who would be the next Peethadhipati and rightful successor to the seat of Uttaradi Mutt. When Sri Vibhudendra Theertharu did not turn up after six months, Dharmanna and others requested Sri Vidyanidhi Theertharu to take the pooja box to perform the usual pooja. When Dharmanna and others were ready to dig to take out the pooja box, suddenly Sri Vibhudendra Theertharu made his appearance and demanded to deliver the pooja box to him with out any delay. Then Dharmanna regretted to hand over the pooja box to Sri Vibhudendra Theertharu since he did not abide by the condition imposed by his Guru Sri Ramachandra Theertharu. When Sri Vibhudendra Theertharu persisted strongly, Dharmanna and others decide to leave every thing to the God himself, by imposing one condition that the two saints should offer the prayers one after the other and it would be taken over by him at whose prayers the earth whose under the pooja box was kept sunders. The two saints agreed to the suggestions made by Dharmanna and others. Sri Vibhudendra Theertharu being the senior saint first offered the prayers for three days. Nothing had happened. On the fourth day it was the turn of Sri Vidyanidhi Theertharu. He prayed to God by chanting the portion of fifth skandha of Bhagavata Purana. After a few minutes suddenly the soil where the pooja box was kept sundered and came up a few inches above the surface of the ground. Then the villagers of the Yaragola asked Sri Vidyanidhi Theertharu to take over the pooja box and the samsthana of the Uttaradi Mutt. Thus the Uttaradi Mutt was presided by the Sri Vidyanidhi Theertharu, the rightful successor of Sri Ramachandra Theertharu. Sri Vibhudendra Theertharu started another math known as Kumbhakonam Math which after the advent of his sixth pontifical successor Shri Raghvendra Theertharu came to be known as Shri Raghavendra Math of Mantralaya. Yaragola comes under Gulbarga District. It is neary about 65 K.ms from Gulbarga and 20 kms from Yadagir.