Photographs challenge Siddaganga Mutt’s claims on Kheny’s presence, gold karadige
Bengaluru
Photographic records have emerged appearing to contradict key assertions made by the Siddaganga Mutt regarding NICE promoter Ashok Kheny’s presence at the Kriya Samadhi of the late Sri Shivakumara Swamiji in January 2019 and the presentation of a gold karadige to the seer.
The photographs have surfaced amid a dispute over statements made by Kheny concerning his association with the late seer and the Mutt.
In a clarification issued on September 29, the administrative authorities of Siddaganga Mutt stated that Kheny was not present during the final rites or Kriya Samadhi of Sri Shivakumara Swamiji in January 2019.
The Mutt also stated that it had no record or information indicating that Kheny had presented a gold karadige — a sacred box containing the Linga — to the late seer. According to the clarification, the present pontiff, Sri Siddalinga Swamiji, attributed the karadige to another devotee, Hulukunte Somanna.
However, two contemporary photographs now provide a different account.
One of the photographs shows Kheny at the Kriya Samadhi site in Tumakuru during the rituals following the death of Sri Shivakumara Swamiji. Kheny is seen standing before the mortal remains of the seer, with his hands folded in reverence, alongside other seers and dignitaries.
The second photograph records M. Rudregowda, then Chief Financial Officer of Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE), presenting a gold karadige to Sri Shivakumara Swamiji.
A Kannada inscription accompanying the framed photograph identifies the offering as having been made on behalf of Kheny and the NICE organisation.
The photographic record is consistent with Kheny’s earlier assertion that the gold karadige was presented to the seer through a representative of his organisation. This could explain why Kheny’s name may not have appeared in the Mutt’s primary donor records if the offering was recorded under the name of the person who physically handed it over.
The emergence of the photographs also raises questions about the completeness of the archival records relied upon for the Mutt’s September 29 clarification.
The final rites of Sri Shivakumara Swamiji in January 2019 drew millions of devotees, political leaders, state dignitaries and spiritual heads to Siddaganga Mutt. In such circumstances, maintaining comprehensive records of every individual who attended the ceremonies could have presented an administrative challenge.
Similarly, the Mutt has received a large number of devotional offerings over several decades. An offering delivered through an intermediary could potentially have been documented under the representative’s name rather than that of the person or organisation on whose behalf it was made.
Reacting to the developments on social media, Kheny reiterated his association with the Mutt and called for verification of facts before public statements were issued.
“Everyone across the state’s various Mutts, Mosques, and Churches is well aware of my service and association with them. I believe in service, not publicity. A little verification would have been necessary before issuing any press release. It is okay even now—I remain a strong and devoted follower of the Mutt,” Kheny, founder and managing director of NICE, said.
Public complaints have also been filed over Kheny’s earlier remarks.
The emergence of the photographs, however, places the focus on reconciling the available visual documentation with the Mutt’s archival records. A verification of the original photographs, their inscriptions and the Mutt’s contemporaneous records could establish how Kheny’s attendance and the gold karadige offering were documented at the time.