Karnataka High Court dismisses plea against Sugunendra Titha of Puthige Mutt taking over paryaya
Bengaluru: The High Court of Karnataka on Monday dismissed a PIL petition, which had sought a direction to restrain Puthige Mutt seer Sugunendra Tirtha from taking over the paryaya of Krishna Mutt, Udupi.
A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Prasanna B. Varale and Krishna S. Dixit, dismissed the petition filed by Gururaj Jeevan Rao of Bengaluru. While orally observing that the courts cannot interfere in such religious matters, the Bench said that it would release the order with reasons later.
The petitioner had contended that Sugunendra Tirtha is “disqualified’ from worshipping the Krishna idol as he had crossed seas and travelled abroad in breach of the customs of the ashta mutts.
“A peethadhipati of ashta mutts shall be forbidden from travelling across the sea. If any peethadhipati crosses the sea, he is restrained from touching the Krishna idol which is a disqualification to worship the idol,” the petitioner had contended.
