Kanchi Seer may not go to Jaffna

Chennai: Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal of the Kanchi mutt is  unlikely to go to Jaffna in response to a reported invitation by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to attend an international Buddhist conference for Buddhist Tamils in the Island’s north on May 20, to foster religious harmony.

While confirming that two representatives of the Sri Lankan Government had called on the Kanchi acharya a few days back, seeking his suggestion and advice on religion-related matters including training of Hindu priests, a source close to the mutt on Friday virtually ruled out of the seer travelling to Jaffna for the conference.

“It is highly unlikely that the acharya will go to Sri Lanka as our pontiff usually does not undertake any tour that involves crossing the sea,” the mutt source told DC. Sri Jayendra Saraswati at best goes to Nepal on religious pilgrimage as there is a land route from India, the source said.