Longing for heir, Karnataka pontiff fathers 9th child at 82

KALABURAGI: The pontiff of a religious mutt in the north Karnataka city of Kalaburagi has fathered a boy at the age of 82. The boy , born in a Mumbai hospital, is his ninth child.

Sharanabasappa Appa, the peetadhipathi of the Sharana Basaveshwara Samsthana in Kalaburagi, had the boy from his second wife on Wednesday afternoon. The pontiff has five daughters from his first wife and three daughters from his second wife who is 48 years old.

News of the boy's birth became the talk of the town and dozens of people thronged the mutt to catch a glimpse of the newborn. They were turned away by mutt officials who said it would be days before the baby was brought home. Confirming the boy's birth, the pontiff 's nephew, Lingarajappa Appa, said, "The baby was born in a hospital in Mumbai. We are happy."

Mutt insiders said the pontiff had been longing for a son as he wanted a male heir to take over the reins of the mutt, which has properties worth around Rs 100 crore. The mutt is highly influential in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region and neighbouring states of Maharashtra and Telangana. It counts lakhs of devotees in Bidar, Haveri, Raichur and Koppal in Karnataka; in Sholapur and Latur in Maharashtra.