Udupi: Sri Vedavardhana Tirtha Sripada, the pontiff of Shri Shiroor Matha, will ascend the Sarvajna Peetha during the Paryaya festival to be held at Sri Krishna Matha on January 18. This marks the 253rd biennial Paryaya festival celebrated at the historic Sri Krishna Matha.

Sri Madhvacharya (1238–1317), who consecrated the idol of Lord Krishna at Udupi, originally established a system of rotational worship with a two-month (bimonthly) tenure. Later, Sri Vadiraja Gurusarvabhauma (1481–1601) extended this system to a two-year (biennial) Paryaya tradition to ensure better administration and allow for long pilgrimages and scholarly pursuits.

The biennial Paryaya system, which began in 1522, has now entered its fifth century. During Madhvacharya’s time, institutional Mathas did not exist in their present form, and greater emphasis was placed on rituals, discourse, and worship practices. Sri Vadiraja Swami later introduced an institutional structure by establishing separate Mathas for the eight pontiffs associated with Sri Krishna Matha, thereby formalising the system.

Sri Vadiraja Swami also introduced several unwritten rules and traditions. He felt that a two-month worship period was insufficient for extensive pilgrimages and spiritual propagation. Hence, with institutional Mathas in place, a two-year Paryaya system was found to be more practical. With the blessings of Sri Madhvacharya at Uttara Badari, Sri Vadiraja Swami formally implemented the biennial Paryaya system while retaining the traditional order of rotation.

The Paryaya rotation begins with Palimaru Matha, followed by Adamaru, Krishnapura, Puttige, Shri Shiroor Matha, Sodhe, Kaniyooru, and finally Pejavara Matha, completing one full cycle of eight Mathas. The order is based on the seniority of the founding ascetics of each Matha. The current Paryaya marks the fifth turn in the ongoing cycle.

Sri Vadiraja Swami and the Paryaya legacy:
Sri Vadiraja Swami of Sodhe Matha initiated the biennial Paryaya system in 1522. After the completion of five Matha Paryayas, he himself undertook the first Paryaya vrata in 1532 at the age of 53. He later conducted Paryayas during 1548–49, 1564–65, and 1580–81. During his fourth Paryaya, he completed 100 years of age. In the fifth Paryaya (1596–97), he entrusted the Peetha to his disciple Sri Vedavedya Tirtha and conducted the Paryaya from Sonda near Sirsi in Uttara Kannada district. Sri Vadiraja Swami attained Brindavana at Sonda at the age of 120.

32nd cycle, fifth Paryaya:
The Paryaya system follows a 16-year cycle, and since its inception in 1522, it has now reached the 32nd cycle. The 31st cycle concluded during the historic fifth Paryaya of Pejavara Matha pontiff Sri Vishwesha Tirtha Sripada (248th Paryaya) in 2016–18. The 32nd cycle began in 2018, and following the completion of the Puttige Matha Paryaya (252nd), the fifth Paryaya of this cycle — the Shri Shiroor Matha Paryaya (253rd) — will commence this year.

The fifth century of the biennial Paryaya tradition has been in progress since 2022, continuing the rich spiritual and historical legacy of Sri Krishna Matha, Udupi.