Singing swami renounces sanyas, weds lawyer half his age

It is not not just kings who abdicate their throne for the sake of the lady they love.

Vidyabhushana, the erstwhile head of the Kukke Subramanya Mutt in Karnataka, has also done it.

The 46-year-old swamiji relinquished as the head of the mutt and renounced his sanyas to marry 23-year-old Rama, a lawyer from Bellary. It was not easy for the swamiji to quit his three decades of ascetic life to take to grahasthashrama and enjoy the pleasures of life. But he could not resist the charm cast on him by a woman more than twenty years younger than him. It was a case of love at first sight.

The swamiji met Rama after he was invited to perform a pooja at her home in Bellary. While Rama had to face violent protests within the family which objected to her marrying a swamiji who was more than twice her age, Vidhyabhushana's dilemma was different. He had to make up his mind to give up the spiritual life and renounce the office of head of the mutt which naturally drew criticism from the mutt's orthodox followers.

But finally cupid won.The swamiji and Rama were married in Mandya district on Wednesday in the presence of a select gathering which included the swamiji's mother Mandakini.

The swamiji, who is also known as the singing swamiji for his melodious rendering of bhakti keerthanas of Purandarasa and other saints, has 90 cassettes to his credit .

He performed in Bangalore on Friday night. His wife Rama was there in the front row to hear her husband sing.

The mutt's orthodox followers may not forgive Vidhyabhushana for what he has done. But his fans are different. On public demand, the couple exchanged garlands again.

UNI