Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati passes away at 82

Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati, pontiff of the Kanchi Mutt passed away on Wednesday after a prolonged illness at Kancheepuram. He was 82.

Kanchi Mutt head Saraswathi was suffering from diabetes and had collapsed at the mutt with shortness of breath and was admitted to Chennai's Ramachandra hospital last month.

Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj took to Twitter and expressed grief over the demise of Saraswati.

" My respectful homage to Param Pujya Swami Jayendra Saraswati Ji who has attained mahasamadhi this morning. I was fortunate to have his blessings always," she tweeted.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also expressed grief and tweeted, " Deeply saddened by the demise of Jayendra Saraswati Ji, the Shankaracharya of the Kanchipuram Kamakoti Peetam math. With his demise, we have lost a great saint of present times, who has been a guiding force for the millions. My prayers for the liberated soul."

He was 69th pontiff of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham and was named by Chadrasekharendra Saraswati Swamigal as his successor on March 22, 1954.