Senior pontiff of Perur Mutt Shantalinga Ramasamy Adigalar died today following age-related illness, mutt officials said.
Adigalar, 94, breathed his last around 12.15 PM at the mutt premises on the city outskirts, they said.
He was heading several educational institutions, including the Tamil College run by the Perur Adheenam Trust.
Adigalar had also served as a syndicate member of Madras University from 1972 to 1978 and played key role in making Tamil as the official language in Government offices.
A large number of devotees thronged the mutt to pay their last respects to the spiritual leader.