When Work is Key to Worship: Karnataka Government Employee Runs Mutt on His Salary

For this Karnataka mutt, the head is the one running the place, quite literally.

Veerabhadra Shivacharya Swami, the head of Hiremutt in Lingadahalli village, Haveri district, is an employee of the Hubballi Electricity Supply Company. He has been working as a senior supervisor since 1986. In between, he was promoted to the post of assistant executive engineer, but he turned it down.

Swami took sanyasa when he was a young boy, but didn’t stop his education. He has a diploma in electrical engineering that got him this job. Veerasomeshwara Jagadguru of Rambhapuri Mutt in Balehonnur made him the head of this mutt in 1998.

“After getting this position, I wanted to quit my job at HESCOM. But my colleagues and Rambhapuri mutt seer stopped me from resigning. This mutt had no money then. Although it has a history of 1,000 years, the mutt owns no property. My salary was important to run the mutt. We now run a dasoha (free meal programme) and a school, the money for which comes from my salary,” said Swami.

S C Belakeri, assistant executive engineer at HESCOM, Ranebennur sub-division, said that Swami never sought any exemption, citing his position in mutt.

The people of Lingadahalli say he is always available for them after his shift at HESCOM.

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