In the 1700s, the town of Kaiwara became the blessed site of the birth of Sri Yogi Naraeyana Yathindra. It is in his honour that the Sri Yogi Naraeyana Mutt was built. Thataiya strongly condemned the ritualistic marriage of idols and believed that greater good lay in funding the marriage of the underprivileged. The Mutt has carried forward this belief by conducting thousands of marriages every year, at a highly subsidised rate. The Mutt also conducts over 100 free mass marriages for the underprivileged, annually. The sheer number of marriages facilitated by the Mutt every year have led to Kaiwara getting the moniker of ‘Kalyana Nagari,’ or ‘The Town of Marriages.’ Under the able guidance of Dr M R Jayaram, the Mutt has undertaken the restoration and renovation of several temples, including Kaiwara’s Sri Amara Naraeyana Temple, Sri Bheemalingeshwar Temple and Sri Vaikuntam Temple. The Sri Lakshmi Venkataramana Temple in Alambagiri, the Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple and the Sri Venugopala Temple in Srinivaspur Taluk, and the Sri Ennanguru Eshwara Temple near Vijayapura have also been renovated by the Mutt. To take forward Thataiya’s mission to end ignorance and illiteracy, the Mutt conducts regular lectures and seminars (pravachana ghostis) as well as weekly sankeerthanas (musical discourses). In addition to this, the Mutt also distributes robes and sarees to sanyasi saints, and conducts special poojas once a year, to commemorate the anniversary of Thataiya’s jeeva Samadhi. The Mutt runs a ‘kalpavriksha yojana,’ under which it offers devotees saplings of fruit-bearing plants. Additionally, in collaboration with the Karnataka Forest Department, the Mutt has created 922 acres of forest area (tapovana), in what was once barren land on the hills of Kaiwara. The sage’s strong desire to ensure the upliftment of the poor has led to the Mutt offering free food to all visitors. Nutritious meals, prepared in the clean kitchen, are served in the large dining hall on the Mutt premises. Called ‘Annadanam,’ this initiative feeds over 2000 people, every day. The Mutt has the proud and unique distinction of building the biggest yagashala of India in Kaiwara. The yagashala, a place where yagnas, rituals and poojas are conducted, has also been highly appreciated by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD). The TTD has even conducted chaturveda yagnas, in this yagashala. Set up by the Ramaiah Group, Spandana is a school that caters to intellectually challenged children in Kaiwara. The Sri Yogi Naraeyana Mutt offers students of the school a free, nutritious lunch and also provides them with learning material such as books and bags.