Sanskrit scholar Manikya Somayajulu no more

Hyderabad: Prominent Sanskrit scholar and a life-long teacher of Vedas Madugula Manikya Somayajulu passed away on Monday evening at his residence in Sadasivapet village of Sangareddy district. He is 81 years old. Suffering due to illness for some days, Somayajulu thought his end had approached. He took sanyasa in the early hours on Monday bearing the sanyasin name of Sri Brahmananda Tirtha Mahaswamy.

Somayajulu had established many veda schools in Telangana and taught for six decades. He taught the youngsters in Varanasi for three years. He stayed in Kasi with his wife Lalitha. He mobilized resources to buy 400 yards on the bank of  Ganges and organized Bhoodan programme there. Somayajulu was present at all the three yagas or yagnyas conducted by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR). He was there in 2015 when KCR performed Ayuta Chandi Yagam. Maharudra Sahita Sahasra Chandi Yagam was also performed by KCR in the presence of Somayajulu. When KCR performed Rajasankalpa Yagnya at his Yerravalli farm, Somayajulu was very much there. He was felicitated by golden bracelet by the chief minister.

Somayajulu was born in Patlloor village. His father  Madugula Purushotham Somayajulu was also a scholar. He studied at his village and also at the Brahmana Gurukula School at Papayapalli village in Guntur district.