Mutts are not Missionaries but Monastries

The closest translation in english to a Mutt is Monastrey. Adi Shankara's the poet, principal founder, reviver , architect of vedic Dharma after many of his travels, debates and reforms brought out the true meaning of scriptures through his commentaries and removed the ignorance of the different rivaling sects and branches of Santana Dharma philosophy. Eventhough Shankara has praised Buddha in one of his works as an enlightened being, systematic exodus of buddhist philosophy to far east is attributed to Shankara's work and revival of Vedic Dharma.

Shankara traveleld to the todays much disputed Kashmir, and established the authority of Vedic Dharma as Sarvagna Peetha or Seat of the Ominiscent. I am not sure whether he knew what would later to become the fate of Kashmir when he established it for propagation of his message. Maybe India will not give away Kashmir for this sole reason of having to forego the Mutt and may be the unity factor, who knows.

Neverthless in order to strengthen the order and establish the foundation of Advaita or Non Dualist philosophy the four principal Mutts on all directions of the country was established and his followers were ordained to be the principal Acharyas or teachers.

Badri---------North--------Thotaka Acharya ---------Amarutha Peeta
Puri---------East----------Padmapada---------------Shakti Peeta
Dwaraka----- West---------Hastamalaka--------------MahaKali Peeta
Sringeri------South---------Sureshwara---------------Sharada Peeta

The lineage of Acharayas following Sankara as steadily lost focus in the changing world till date as with India, which wants to see herself as a world power of economy and military strength, rather than the spiritual center of the world. The spiritual power and economic and military strength should exist one would think, to protect its borders and its own people from poverty and continue to exist and protect the spiritual richness of this only remaining ancient civilization in existance. But unfrotunately it is going under a dangerous path of acquiring a new image becoming something rather than just being and removing its negativities.

Mutts acquired power by becoming financial and charitable institutions, the same way as world missionaries by selling their philosophies. Afterall how many of these Acharayas are truly enlightened beings? they are just institution heads, otherwise they would have been as Ramana Maharishi, where the world comes in search of the embodiment of truth and not embody truth with one's own.

Kanchi was a never one of the four Peethas of Adi Shankara, however due to a qualified Guru reached its current glory then, currently the way mutts function it looks aMBA would be best suited to run rather than someone holy.