Madras High Court directs Tamil Nadu government to constitute panel to identify, list temples as per agama rules

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Synopsis

These directions were passed in a plea filed by Jagadguru Rambadracharya and others challenging the archakas' appointment rules framed by the State government.

A Madras High Court bench headed by Chief Justices Munishwar Nath Bhandari, on Friday, directed the Tamil Nadu government to constitute a panel to identify and list temples based on their Agama practices. The court has said that the committee should be headed by retired judge, knowledgeable about Hindu religious practices.

The court has said that the list will be used as a guide for appointment of archakas. These directions were passed in a plea filed by Jagadguru Rambadracharya and others challenging the archakas' appointment rules framed by the State government.

Jagadguru Ramabhadracharya is the founder and the head of Tulsi Peeth, a religious and social service organization in Chitrakuta in Madhya Pradesh. He is also the lifelong Chancellor of the Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University.

Jagadguru was awarded the Sahitya Akademi award for Sanskrit and was bestowed with Padma Vibhushan in 2015. He deposed as an expert witness in the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi case and described the boundaries of the Janma Bhoomi as mentioned in the Ayodhya Mahatmya section of Skanda Purana.

In the plea filed by Jagadguru and others, it has been contended that the Tamil Nadu Government and the HR&CE Department are attempting to dilute the provisions of Agama with the view to completely extinguish the Hindu Agamic knowledge systems that have been preserved and nurtured for thousands of years by Sages, Gurus and scholars.

Furthermore, it contends that in Tamil Nadu temples, people from all the communities are working as Archakas already, depending on the customs and traditions of the temples. The government’s move to appoint Archakas defying temple traditions amounts to interference in the religious affairs of Hindus.

Case title: Jagadguru Ramabhadracharya Vs State of Tamil Nadu