Another dispute revolving around Udupi Sri Krishna Mutt
Tug-of-war for ‘presiding deity’ of Shirur mutt
Udupi, July 03: One more dispute is erupted in the Sri Krishna Mutt and if it is not sorted out harmoniously, there are all chances to move the court.
It is said that the dispute is erupted as the seers of remaining mutts led by Pejawar Mutt swamiji have put a condition before Lakshmivara Theertha Swamiji of Shirur Mutt to accept the junior swamiji to his mutt before handing over the Presiding Deity (Anna Vittala) of the Shirur Mutt from the Sri Krishna Mutt.
Though Vidyadheesha Theertha Swamiji of the Paryaya Palimar Mutt accepted an emergency meeting led by Pejawar Mutt seer was conducted at Sri Krishna Mutt on Sunday, he said that no decision was taken there. As Pejawar seer was in a hurry, no decision was taken in the meeting. Another meeting would be held under the leadership of Pejawar seer in a couple of day and a final decision would be taken, the seer said.
When asked whether they have put a condition to accept the disciple for returning the Presiding Deity, the swamiji said that they have not taken any decision. This issue should be discussed in detail. He could say anything only when the decision was taken, he said.
Normally, the Presiding Deity of Shirur Mutt would be in Sri Krishna Mutt. The presiding deities of all mutts would be in Sri Krishna Mutt when the seers of those mutts were in Udupi and they would offer poojas there itself. Every day, the seers of eight mutts should offer pooja to the presiding deities given by Madhvacharya to his disciples. While the swamijis take tour, they would take the presiding deities along with them, the Paryaya swamiji said.
Since Shirur swamiji remain in Udupi in most of the time, the presiding deity would be in Sri Krishna Mutt. He only offers pooja to that presiding deity. Once the presiding deity was taken to Shirur Rathotsava and brought back to Sri Krishna Mutt, he said.
Shirur seer statement
Responding to the issue, Shirur Mutt swamiji said that they would solve the issue among themselves through dialogues. If not, he would move the court
Seers meeting
Except Kaniyoor mutt swamiji who is in tour and Puttige Seer who is in abroad, other five swamijis participated in the emergency meeting held on Sunday. It is said that when the Shirur mutt swamiji asked to handover the presiding deity, it was discussed in the meeting.
Sources in the mutt said that when Shirur seer was not feeling well a few days back, the presiding deity was handed over to Adamaaru Mutt seer to offer daily pooja as per the tradition. Later, Adamaaru Seer handed over the presiding deity to Palimaru seer who placed it in the Sri Krishna Mutt and was offering daily pooja.
Very recently, when it was asked to handover the presiding deity Anna Vittala, they were dilly-dallying to handover it and this has irked Shirur mutt seer. In view of this, an emergency meeting was called on Sunday. Now, everyone is curious to know the outcome of the next meeting to be held under the leadership of Pejawar seer. If the Shirur mutt seer denied the majority decision of the remaining seers of Ashta mutts, then it is certain that the issue would move the court.
Shirur mutt seer had kindled a controversy by declaring that he would contest the recently held Assembly election. Before that the swamiji also triggered a controversy and conflict with other seers by giving statements on personal life of the swamijis of Ashta mutts. Before dying down these disputes, another dispute erupted.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
JioHotstar to invest Rs 4,000 crore for South Indian content push; unveils 25-title slate
Chennai (PTI): Streaming service JioHotstar on Tuesday announced that it will invest Rs 4,000 crore over the next five years to strengthen South India’s creative economy, unveiling a 25-title slate as part of a major push for regional content.
In one of the biggest announcements by an Indian streaming platform for the southern markets, the company showcased its “South Unbound” vision at a high-profile event here.
Sushant Sreeram, Head – SVOD Business & Chief Marketing Officer at JioStar, said the investment forms part of a broader collaboration with the Tamil Nadu government.
“Earlier today, JioHotstar formalised a Letter of Intent with the Government of Tamil Nadu in the presence of the Chief Minister M K Stalin. This outlines a shared commitment to invest in talent, expand infrastructure and build a future-ready creative economy from the South.
"As part of this vision, JioHotstar will invest Rs 4,000 crore to nurture creators, strengthen the production ecosystem and build a pipeline of stories that are ready for India and ready for the world,” he said.
Calling South India the “heartbeat of Indian storytelling”, Sreeram said the investment signalled the platform’s long-term commitment to local creators.
"JioHotstar started as a dream — to build entertainment rooted in India’s storytelling heritage and powered by cutting-edge technology. The resplendent storytelling traditions of the South motivate us to keep championing authentic, rooted narratives while offering greater accessibility and choices for every viewer," he said.
The event was attended by Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, veteran actor and MP Kamal Haasan, senior state officials, and leading stars and filmmakers from across the southern industries.
Deputy CM Stalin said the partnership will generate “1,000 direct jobs and 15,000 indirect jobs”.
“Cinema in Tamil Nadu has always been a force for social change. OTT is not replacing cinema; it is expanding it. Today, a filmmaker in Madurai or Salem can upload a story and reach audiences across the world. The cultural and economic impact of this partnership will be massive," he added.
aasan said Indian media and entertainment was undergoing a fundamental transformation driven not by technology alone, but by the audience itself.
“We gather at a moment when India’s media and entertainment is not merely growing, it is transforming. For the first time, this shift is not driven by device or format, but by the audience itself,” he said, adding that storytelling today is “screen agnostic”.
“Regional is becoming the new national, and ethnic the new international. Stories born in Madurai, Malappuram or Machilipatnam are no longer regional cinema; they are national cultural events,” Haasan said, giving the example of movies such as “Kantara”, “Drishyam”, “Baahubali”, “Pushpa” and Tamil hits like “Vikram”.
The event was also attended by Mohanlal, Nagarjuna, Vijay Sethupathi, Priyamani, Aishwarya Rajesh and others -- along with directors Jeethu Joseph and Ahammed Khabeer
The streamer's ambitious content slate, unveiled as part of its “South Unbound” initiative, includes sequels to blockbuster franchises, new long-format shows, films, adaptations, and high-engagement reality formats.
The Tamil slate features a mix of returning favourites and new originals, led by "Bigg Boss Tamil", now hosted by Vijay Sethupathi, and "Good Wife S2", the legal drama starring Priyamani.
The lineup also includes "LBW – Love Beyond Wicket", a relationship drama; the family comedy "Cousins and Kalyanams"; the psychological drama "Resort"; and "Heartbeat S3", which brings back Anumol, Karthik Kumar and Deepa Balu.
Other Tamil offerings include "Lingam", an action-drama; "Love Always", a multigenerational love story; the marquee title "Kaattaan" starring Vijay Sethupathi and Milind Soman; and "Second Love", a non-fiction relationship series.
In Telugu, the platform returns with "Bigg Boss Telugu" hosted by Nagarjuna, alongside new originals such as "Moodu Lantharlu" starring Aishwarya Rajesh; the police procedural "Vikram on Duty"; "Varam", a mystical relationship drama; and the hit comedy-drama "Save The Tigers S3" with Chaitanya Krishna.
The slate further includes "Vishakha", the Telugu adaptation of "Aarya" led by Kajal Aggarwal; the relationship-based non-fiction format "Mad for Each Other"; and the Telugu debut of the iconic adventure franchise "Roadies".
From Malayalam, the platform brings back "Bigg Boss Malayalam" hosted by Mohanlal; "Kerala Crime Files S3" featuring Aju Varghese; the mystery drama "Secret Stories: Roslin"; "Anali", "1000 Babies S2" with Neena Gupta and Rahman; and the hard-hitting drama "Pharma" starring Nivin Pauly.
The Kannada lineup includes "Bigg Boss Kannada" hosted by Kichcha Sudeepa; "Batchmates", a nostalgic friendship drama; and the food-and-humour-based non-fiction series "Comedy Cooks".
Across languages, the platform also announced new films such as "Lucky The Superstar", featuring GV Prakash, Anaswara Rajan and Meghna Sumesh, and "Kenatha Kaanom", positioned as broad-appeal mainstream entertainers.
