HC orders status quo on recitation of hymns inside Devarajaswamy Temple in Kancheepuram

The Madras Excessive Courtroom on Monday ordered upkeep of establishment as on Saturday with respect to recitation of hymns contained in the Devarajaswamy Temple in Kancheepuram since an order handed on Sunday by the Govt Trustee, allowing the Tenkalai sect alone to recite hymns in reward of Manavala Mamunigal and stopping the Vadakalai from reciting hymns in reward of Vedanta Desikar, had been put to problem.

Justice S.M. Subramaniam partly heard arguments superior by Advocate Normal R. Shunmugasundaram in addition to senior counsel G. Rajagopalan, representing writ petitioner S. Narayanan of Vadakalai sect, and adjourned the case to Tuesday for additional listening to. Until then, he ordered upkeep of establishment because it prevailed earlier than the passing of the Govt Trustee’s order which had been challenged earlier than the court docket.

In his affidavit, Mr. Narayanan stated, there was an incredible urgency in listening to the writ petition for the reason that Brahmotsavam of the temple was on and the Vadakalai sect alone had been denied its proper to recite Desika Prabandam, Ramanuja Dayapathram, Vaazhi Thirunamam and different hymns in reward of its religious guru. Although a request was made to the court docket to listen to the writ petition on Sunday itself, such plea was not entertained, he stated.

Although the Govt Trustee, an officer within the rank of Assistant Commissioner in Hindu Spiritual and Charitable Endowments division, had, in his order, claimed {that a} sequence of court docket orders handed since 1910 allow solely the recitation of Srisaila Dayapathram in reward of Manavala Mamunigal, the writ petitioner refuted such declare and contended that the temple itself belongs to the Vadakalai sect and therefore the latter couldn’t be denied their proper.

The petitioner stated that the Sampradhayas (customs) of the temple move from Thathacharya neighborhood who belong to the Vadakalai sect. The temple was renovated by the Cholas in 1053 however throughout the Mughal invasion in 1688, the primary deity was despatched to Udayarpalayam. The deity was introduced again to Kancheepuram solely in 1711 and it was since then the Tenkalai sect had begun to assert rights over the temple.

“On the stated cut-off date, one of many pontiffs in Srirangam space by identify Atanjeer is believed to have threatened the folks belonging to Thathachar sect calling upon them to signal an settlement by which the stated Jeer, belonging to Tenkalai, had demanded for rights to sing Prabhandam in Kancheepuram temples failing which he wouldn’t return the idol. It’s by way of this alleged settlement that the current Tenkalai sect is claiming rights within the temple,” the petitioner stated.

Additional, referring to a number of instances filed since 1844, the petitioner insisted that each Vadakalai and Tenkalai should be given the correct to recite hymns.