On Wednesday, the Supreme Court declined to modify its September 25 order, which had instructed the Tamil Nadu government to uphold the current requirements for the selection of 'archakas' or temple priests in temples following the 'Agamic' tradition within the state.
A bench comprising Justices A S Bopanna and M M Sundresh prima facie did not agree to submissions of senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for the Tamil Nadu government, that the state was entitled to appoint ‘archakas’.
“The appointment of ‘archakas’ is a secular function and the state is entitled to appoint them,” the senior advocate said.
The contention made is that the state government is deviating from the procedures outlined in the 'agama' traditions when appointing 'archakas' in temples affiliated with a specific denomination, as observed by the bench.
Case Brief -
During the proceedings, the Supreme Court was examining petitions claiming that the state government is disrupting the traditional hereditary system of appointing 'archakas' in 'Agama temples.' This disruption allegedly occurs by permitting individuals from different denominations to become 'archakas' after completing a one-year certificate course for 'archakas' in schools operated by the Tamil Nadu administration.
On September 25, the bench issued an order maintaining the status quo, which, according to the state government, would put a stop to their plan to appoint 2,405 'archakas' in temples throughout the state.
The Supreme Court has scheduled further hearings for these petitions on January 25, 2024. Additionally, it clarified that it will not intervene to halt the ongoing legal proceedings in the Madras High Court related to similar issues.
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