No stay on appointment of new pontiff to Andavan Ashramam

A division bench of Justice V Parthiban and Justice Krishnan Ramasamy while refusing to stall the appointment of Yamunachariyar as the 12th pontiff of Srirangam Srimath Andavan Ashramam located in Mylapore, Chennai, wondered as to how such a relief could be sought through public interest litigation (PIL). The bench also noted that when lakhs of devotees are eagerly waiting for the ceremony, it cannot be stalled at the instance of one follower.

S Venkata Varadhan one of the followers of the mutt moved the PIL claiming that the ‘ashrama sweekaram and pattabhishekautsavam’ of Yamunachariyar scheduled on October 20 and 21 at Srirangam Periya Ashramam is being made in violation of the will executed by late 11th pontiff ‘Srimath Srimushnam Andavan’ and the general customs of the mutt. He wanted the High Court to interfere and stay the appointment.

However, the special bench constituted to hear the plea on an urgent basis said, “When the challenge is primarily based on the will executed by the 11th pontiff, the same can be challenged only in a civil court and not before the High Court.”

Moreover, when the mutt and its activities cater to only a particular community, such issues can be construed as private and not public, the bench said and posted the plea after two weeks for the mutt and the Hindu religious and charitable endowments department to the file their reply.

During the hearing, senior counsel for the petitioner Chitra Sampath contended that the issues pertaining to the mutt can be challenged through PILs as it is a public religious entity.

“We are not challenging the Will or the qualification of the person to be appointed as the pontiff. We are only aggrieved that the terms of the Will and the customs of the mutt are not followed in the appointment,” she said.

The followers of the mutt are not only in Tamil Nadu but across the world. The pontiff is the custodian of the funds and properties donated by the followers, therefore the mutt’s functions would definitely pass the muster of public interest, she added.