LI Network
Published on: January 10, 2024 at 11:00 IST
The Karnataka High Court has rejected a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed against His Holiness Sri Sugunendra Theertharu of Puttige Mutt, Udupi, emphasizing that merely traveling overseas cannot serve as a valid reason for denying the performance of pooja (worship) at the Udupi Temple.
Gururaj Jeevan Rao, representing himself as a public-spirited individual from Kulai, Dakshina Kannada District, approached the writ court, seeking State intervention in forming committees or establishing guidelines for conducting ‘paryaya’ in Ashta Mutt at Udupi, advocating for justice and fairness.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Prasanna B. Varale and Justice Krishna S. Dixit dismissed the petition, asserting that an overseas trip by a pontiff does not warrant denying them their rightful religious practices or responsibilities.
The petitioner’s counsel argued that the pontiff’s travel to the United States in 1997 breached traditional practices of the Mutt, disqualifying him from touching the idol of Lord Krishna or assuming the role of “The Pariyayam Swamy.”
The High Court, referencing the constitutional rights to travel abroad under Articles 19 and 21, highlighted that a pontiff, being a citizen, holds the right to travel internationally. Therefore, the State cannot create guidelines disqualifying a pontiff solely based on overseas travel.
Acknowledging the religious significance and traditions of the paryaaya system at Udupi’s Ashta Mutts, protected under Articles 25 and 26, the Court emphasized that matters of religious practice and ceremonies fall within the Mutt’s domain and are beyond the Court’s interference.
The Court concluded that religious matters should be left to the Mutt’s discretion, thereby dismissing the petition, considering these affairs beyond the court’s jurisdiction.