Thursday, February 10 2005 17:54 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kancheepuram: For the first time since the arrest of Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi on November 11, the Seer and his junior Vijayendra Saraswathi met at the court hall of the First Class Judicial Magistrate in Kancheepuram today (Feb 10, 2005).

Even as they met, the news came through that Vijayendra saraswathi had been granted bail by the Madras High court.

Soon after that, the junior pontiff sought blessings from his 'Guru' by touching his feet in the court hall. Mutt Manager Sundaresa Iyer and the junior pontiff's brother R Raghu, both detained under the Goondas Act, also did the same.

While the senior Acharya arrived in a yellow coloured van belonging to the Sanakara Mutt from Kalavai, about 70 km from here, the Junior Seer came along with some other accused in a police van from Chennai prison.

The meeting between the two Acharyas assumes significance in the light of speculations that there was a rift between the two, as the Junior Acharya had not called on his "Guru' while the latter was in prison. However, both have denied any rift.

Those brought from the Chennai prison at about 1110 hrs (IST) were kept waiting in the police van, till the arrival of Jayendra Saraswathi at 1200 hrs (IST) from Kalavai.

Appu, one of the key accused, was brought from Cuddalore prison.

The senior Seer left Kalavai around 1100 hrs (IST) well after the 'Rahukalam (inauspicious time) of 0900 HRS (IST) to 1030 hrs (IST).