Siddaganga seer’s condition shows slight improvement

TUMAKURU: Centenarian seer of the Siddaganga Mutt, Sri Shivakumara Swami, whose health condition had been critical, showed some signs of improvement on Friday, much to the joy of his devotees. The seer was taken off the ventilator for about one hour on Friday evening.

Doctors attending on him have been keeping a close watch and have been putting the seer back on ventilator whenever he finds it difficult to breathe on his own. “The pontiff has always proven us wrong,” junior pontiff Sri Siddalinga Swami said quoting one of the doctors.

Except for the dip in albumin levels, which has not shown any signs of improvement, all the vital organs including the kidneys, heart and liver are functioning normally, said Dr Paramesh S, a personal doctor of the pontiff. “The immune system has been responding to the treatment as the effusion in the lungs has declined as well the infection”, observed district surgeon Dr T A Veerabhadraiah.

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who called on the seer at the mutt, said, “ It’s no less than a miracle as the swamiji has been responding to the treatment at the age of 111.” Former minister N Mahesh, who also visited the seer, claimed that the latter raised his eyebrows when he touched his toe. “This means the swamiji has been conscious and is on the recovery mode”, he said. On Friday, there were fewer VIPs visiting the mutt. BJP state chief B S Yeddyurappa among others, who were scheduled to pay a visit, postponed it.

Highest honour
The JD(S) and Congress leaders have scaled up their demand for Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award, to the pontiff. Recalling that around 40 legislators cutting across party lines had gone to previous Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with an appeal to recommend the award for Swamiji, Tourism Minister Sa Ra Mahesh  said Siddaramaiah had said that it does not fall in their purview. However, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has decided to urge the Centre to confer the highest civilian award on the  seer.

Prayers held for seer’s recovery
Kolar: Thousands of people offered prayers for speedy recovery of Siddaganga seer Shivakumar Swamiji at various temples on Friday as the seer’s condition remained critical. Special puja was offered in the name of Swamiji in Sri Kolaramma Temple in which Raitha Sangha leaders and various organisation members participated in it. They broke 108 coconut. While speaking to media persons, the organisers said they will continue to offer prayer for the speedy recovery of the Swamiji. They wanted the Central government to take steps  to confer Bharat Ratna on the Swamiji who has served for the upliftment of lakhs of people.