In a significant ruling, the Odisha High Court on Friday set to rest the controversy surrounding the Car Festival of lord Jagannath at Puri over whether devotees should be allowed to climb the chariots and touch the deities.
Disposing of a PIl on the issue, the HC ordered that the stand taken by the Temple Managing Committee to go by the opinion of the Shankaracharya of Puri on the issue has to prevail as far as rituals during the Rath Yatra are concerned.
The Shankaracharya was of the view to have a blanket ban on any unauthorised persons climbing the chariots and touching the deities during the nine-day-long Rath Yatra. The State Government, on the other hand, in an attempt to invalidate the opinion of the Shankaracharya and reverse the decision of the Temple Managing Committee, was contemplating for a partial ban on the devotees.
Delivering a blow to the Government for complicating the issue and diluting the opinion of the Shankaracharya, the HC observed, “Any contrary opinion of the State Government will obviously be inoperative.”
The High Court, however, asked the Government to maintain law and order and provide necessary assistance for smooth conduct of the festival in accordance with the decision of the Temple Managing Committee.
Declining to go into the correctness of the Shankaracharya's opinion, the Division Bench of Chief Justice AK Goel and Justice AK Rath said that is neither the subject matter for consideration of the Government nor the same is for deliberation before the court.
Earlier arguing the case, the petitioner's counsel Jayant Das had told the court that as per the provisions of the Shree Jagannath Temple Act of 1955, the issue of religious rituals is the statutory duty of the Managing Committee and the Government cannot substitute its views on the subject of religious rituals. “Power of the State (Government) extends only to secular functions and not to religious rituals,” the senior counsel argued.
The Government's committee, headed by Puri MlA Maheswar Mohanty, later met in Bhubaneswar and discussed the High Court's verdict. Mohanty told reporters that the HC's direction is clear and it would be implemented by the Government.
law Minister Arun Sahoo also said that since the High Court has given a clear-cut direction, the State Government would implement it in letter and spirit.
leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra and BJP legislature Party spokesman Basanta Kumar Panda welcomed the HC's order.