Don’t interfere in rituals outside temple premises, Madras High Court tells HR&CE

CHENNAI: The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) Department should not stop any person well-versed with rituals and mantras from performing parikarams, poojas and prohithams outside the premises of any temple in the State, held the Madras High Court.

“It is beyond the purview of the HR&CE Department to interfere and stop the prohithars engaged by the devotees on their own from performing poojas and parikarams outside the premises of temples,” said Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy while disposing of a petition moved by a person claiming himself as prohithar.

The devotees who intend to perform worship or any ceremony should not be fleeced by unauthorised elements. On this account, the temple is very much entitled to regulate the poojas and ceremonies inside the temple, said the judge.

However, in the case of prohithars performing poojas privately, the temple authorities need not interfere, as long as they do not claim themselves to be associated with the temple or do things on their own in any other land not belonging to the temple, the judge said in the order.

In his petition, P Karthikeyan claimed himself as a prohithar performing poojas and parikarams near Sangameswarar temple at Kooduthurai in Erode, which devotees consider as Thiruveni Sangamam of South India.

The place is very popular among the believers, especially to perform pitru pariharam and navagraha thosam, on all the days particularly on the eve of Adi Amavasai, Thai Amavasai, and other special occasions, said the petitioner.

Though he is not associated with the Sangameswarar temple, he was performing poojas and rituals for the devotees who engage him outside the temple premises, said the petitioner. He also claimed that he was qualified for performing the prohitham, rituals, and related ceremonies.

However, the executive officer of Sangameswarar temple interfered and stopped him from performing the poojas and parikarams for the devotees who engaged him.

In response, the HR&CE Department submitted that it was the duty of the executive officer and temple authorities to regulate poojas performed within temple premises to ensure that devotees were not being fleeced by unauthorised persons. Therefore, agreements are entered into after ensuring that proper rites are being conducted and the persons have adequate knowledge about the mantras and other rituals, said the department.