MHC rejects Thengalai sect's plea to restrict sathumurai to Sri Thatha Desigan

CHENNAI: Upholding the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR and CE) order, the Madras High Court (MHC) refused the contention of the Thengalai sect of Sri Devaraja Swamy temple, Kanchipuram, seeking not to perform the Sathumurai festival for Sri Lakshmi Kumara Thatha Desigan as being celebrated for other Alwars and Acharyars.

Justice SM Subramaniam wrote that the HR&CE order has elaborately considered all the issues, customs, and usage prevailing in Sri Devaraja Swamy Temple at Kanchipuram with reference to the Sathumurai festival to Sri Thatha Desigan, hence the petition deserves no acceptance and is rejected.

Petitioner T.A.Ranganathan from Kanchipuram moved the MHC seeking to restrict the sathumurai festival being conducted for Sri Thatha Desigan at Sri Devaraja Swamy temple, Kanchipuram, par with other Alwars and Acharyars.

The petitioner contended that the Vadagalai sect violating the dictum of a court order for their advantage and a new procedures set up by the Thathacharyars sect for performing the Sathumurai festival to Sri Thatha Desigan. There are no materials on record available to establish such procedures were being followed earlier, as performed now by Thathachariyar Sect in Sri Devaraja Swamy Temple, said the petitioner. The HR and CE order issued in 2011 is running counter to the custom and usage as determined by the board of commissioners passed in 1941, said the petitioner.

The counsel appeared for Sri Thatha Desiga Thiruvamsathar Sabha, stated that the Sathumurai festival to Sri Thatha Desigan being celebrated by the Thathacharyars Sect for past more than 300 years. The order passed in 1941 is inapplicable with respect to the performance of the Sathumurai festival to Sri Thatha Desigan Therefore, the petitioner is attempting to misinterpret the scope of the order passed in 1941, he added.

The counsel appeared for Sri Devaraja Swamy temple, contended that the performance of the festival of Sri Thatha Desigan Satrumurai is fully governed by custom and usage followed in the temple for more than 150 years and not by the orders referred by the petitioner. Thus, the respondents are bound by customs and usage followed in the temple for centuries and have no authority to deviate from the same, submitted the counsel.

After the submission, the judge upheld the order passed by the HR and CE in 2011 and rejected the petition.