The Supreme Court on Friday allowed devotees of ‘Shwetamber Jain’ community to offer Paryushan prayers for two days in three temples in Mumbai on the condition of “strict compliance” with the standard operating procedures meant to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.
Making exception for the three Jain temples located at Dadar West, Byculla and Chembur in Mumbai, a bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde said however that the permission for “Ganpati’’ festival will have to be taken on a case-to-case basis from the Maharashtra Disaster Management Authority.
“Upcoming Ganpati festival in Maharashtra is altogether different and it will become uncontrollable and we understand the situation for that but in this case the situation is different,” said the Bench, also comprising Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian.
It said no permission for prayers would be given for any other temple in Mumbai.
The apex court, in a hearing conducted through video conferencing, granted “reprieve” on the plea of “Shri Parshwatilak Shwetamber Murtipujak Jain Trust” which has challenged the Bombay High Court order.
The Bench was hearing an appeal against the Bombay High Court order which had said that it did not wish to interfere with the state’s decision not to permit Jain temples in Mumbai to open for devotees to mark the eight-day Paryushan festival from August 15 to 23 in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The top court considered the undertaking of the Jain trust that it will abide by the Centre’s guidelines and the SOP in allowing devotees inside the temples for two days of the rituals.
“Having carefully considered the rival submissions, we are of the view that a small reprieve can be granted to the petitioners, without making it as a precedent. After all, the petitioners are not seeking to hold any festivities in congregation,” the Bench said in the order.