Tiruchiswami Attains Mahasamadhi; Sri Jayendra Puri Swami succeeds great saint who passes away at age 75

By evening on January 14, 2005, this ashram-temple complex had swelled into a sea of devotees. The atmosphere at the temple and ashram was unusually serious and solemn. The architect of this spiritual sanctuary and pontiff of Sri Kailash Ashrama Mahasamsthana, Sri Sri Tiruchi Mahaswamigal had at age 75 attained Mahasamadhi, as is termed the dropping off of the physical body of a great soul. In failing health for some years, Swami suffered an apparent stroke on the morning of the 14th and died soon afterwards, at 1:30 pm. His body was transported to the ashram from Mallya Hospital and prepared for internment beneath the massive Sri Chakra (see photo below) in a chamber built for this purpose at his direction a few years ago. Prominent swamis, including Sri Balagangad-haranathaswami and Koviloor Swami, and political leaders, including former Indian prime minister, Deve Gowda, and Karnataka state chief minister Dharam Singh, rushed to the ashram for the ceremonies. In attaining Mahasamadhi, Tiruchi Mahaswamigal was not just leaving behind a great institution but a perfectly groomed successor in Sri Sri [Jayendra Puri] Swamiji. Already on the 15th, everything was in routine at the ashram. Pujas at the temple, administrative activities, and hospitality to every visitor, everything was taken care of. Swami Jayendra Puri, besides giving darshan to devotees, was continuously receiving and attending to pontiffs of other monasteries who came to offer their respects and devotees who came from far off places on hearing of the great passage. Conducting himself with poise, Jayendra Puri Swami was seen consoling devotees while resolutely fighting back tears from his own welling eyes. Tiruchi Mahaswamigal was a stickler for principles. His advice to his successor was dharma prachara (propagation of righteous living). "This was the word he always used. 'Follow Vedas and be immersed in Bhagavanthana chintana (thought of God)--do not deviate from the dharma' was his advice," recounted Jayendra Puri Swamiji. "His way of looking at things was philosophical--he'd say, 'What is the use of discourses? Have you attended to the personal need of the tormented devotee who is seeking your darshan?' Swamiji took personal interest in the well being of the devotees. He knew every devotee's family tree at least three generations upwards and down to present. There was a personal touch he lent. He knew the sampradaya (tradition) to which the devotee belonged and spoke to each devotee in his