Fugitive godman Nityananda has announced himself as the 293th pontiff of Madurai Aadheenam. For the unversed, the 292nd pontiff of Madurai Aadheenam Arunagirinatha Gnanasambantha Desika Paramacharya Swamigal, aged 77, passed away at a private hospital here on August 13 after battling respiratory illness. He served as the pontiff for over four decades. Later on August 14, the mortal remains of the pontiff were laid to rest at a piece of land belonging to the Aadheenam at Munichalai. The same day, Harihara Desika Gnanasambandha Paramacharya Swamigal who was named the junior pontiff by Arunagirinatha Swamigal in 2019 was named the 293rd pontiff of the Madurai Aadheenam and he is likely to be coronated soon.However, Nityananada took to social media late on Tuesday to declare that he had assumed charge as the 293rd pontiff of Madurai Aadheenam, creating a buzz. "All the spiritual, dharmic, traditional rituals as per the cosmic laws of Kailasa and official formalities of succession as the 293rd pontiff of the Madurai Aadheenam are completed," he wrote. In his statement, He added that he would continue to bless his followers virtually. It may be recalled that Nityananda issued a similar statement on August 9 when Arunagirinatha Swamigal was hospitalised. In it, the fugitive godman who staked claim as the successor of the 292nd pontiff, wished him a speedy recovery
.Nityananda was formally made the junior pontiff by Arunagirinathar on April 27, 2012. However, he was removed as the junior pontiff on December 19, 2012 by Arunagirinathar himself who went on to appoint and later remove two other junior pontiffs with the issue ending up as legal suits at the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court. In December 2019, Nithyananda declared that he had created a new 'Hindu nation' called Kailaasa and claimed to issue passports, currency and other documents. In his announcement he said, "Kailaasa is a nation without borders created by dispossessed Hindus around the world who lost the right to practice Hinduism authentically in their own countries”. Nithyananda claims that Kailasa is the world's only sovereign Hindu nation. Kailaasa has also been described as a network of non-governmental organizations spanning three continents.