On 7 July 1989, in accordance with the guru-shishya tradition, the then guru, Sudhindra Thirtha, initiated a follower into sanyasa so that in due course they would succeed him as the 21st guru. For reasons not fully known, serious differences between Sudhindra Tirtha and his appointed successor, Raghavendra Tirtha, became apparent around 2000–2001 amidst concerns about insubordination and integrity.
On July 7, 1989, in accordance with the guru-disciple tradition, the former guru, Sudhindra Thirtha, initiated a disciple into sanyasa so that they would eventually succeed him as the 21st guru. For reasons unknown, significant disagreements between Sudhindra Thirtha and his appointed successor, Raghavendra Thirtha, emerged around 2000-2001 due to issues of disobedience and integrity.