Kancheepuram (Tamil Nadu): The three-day 68th Jayanthi festival of Sankaracharya of Kanchi Mutt Jayendra Saraswathi commenced on July 26 with religious fervour.

The acharya along with his junior Vijayendra Saraswathi performed 'kanakabhishegam' with 130 gold coins to the presiding deity of the famous Kamakshi Amman temple.

He presented a gold pot weighing 660 grams to the temple to be used for daily "abishekam". The seer also offered gold plated silver crowns to the deities of Lakshmi and Saraswathi and the utsav idol.

Later, he offered worship at the Ekambareswar temple.

A week-long "homam" and "sahasrakalasa abishekam" organised by the Sankara Bhaktha Janasabha concluded on July 26.

Several VIPs, including Union Minister of state for Rural Development Subash Maharia and Tamil Nadu PWD Minister O Panneerselvam and Hindu Religious Charitable Endowment Minister P C Ramaswami, visited the mutt on July 26.

Meanwhile, a mutt spokesman said that Chief Minister Jayalalithaa would arrive on July 27 to worship at the Kamakshi Amman temple and later would meet the Sankaracharya.

PTI