The Gajapati King of Puri Divyasingha Deb today urged the Odisha government to implement the decision of the Shankaracharya of Puri Nischalananda Saraswati's prohibiting the devotees from climbing the chariots and touching the deities during the car festival.
"As devotees of the Lord, we must faithfully follow and abide by our sacred scriptures and traditions as interpreted by Shankaracharya, our highest spiritual and religious preceptor," Deb said urging the Odisha government to implement the Shakaracharya's decision.
Stating that Shankaracharya, Puri was the highest authority for deciding religious matters relating to the Temple, the King said "Neither the government nor any other body has any jurisdiction to review, modify or in any manner interfere with religious decision of Shankaracharya which must be implemented forthwith."
He said non-compliance of Shankaracharya's view on the matter of climbing the raths and touching deities would violate provisions of the Sri Jagannath Temple Act.
"Non-compliance of Pujyapada Shankaracharya's decision by Odisha government will not only violate section 15 (1) of the Sri Jagannath Temple Act, 1955, but also infringe upon the constitutional guarantee of free of religion enshrined in Article 25 and 26 of our Constitution," Deb told reporters here amid raging controversy over allowing the devotees to climb the chariots.
"Section 15 (1) of Sri Jagannath Temple Act mandates that rituals (seva-puja) in Sri Mandir must be performed in accordance with the Record of Rights (RoR)," Deb said
Deb also made it clear that Odisha government has no right to interfere in the religious affairs of Sri Jagannath Temple and the rituals associated with it.
The Puri king, who is also Chairman of Sri Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, was speaking on the dispute arising over Daitapati priests strongly opposing Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati's decision of prohibiting the devotees from climbing the chariots and touching the deities.
Though 35 of the 36 Nijogs (association of priests) supported Shankaracharya's decision, only Daitapati Nijog, who plays a crucial role in conduct of the annual rath yatra, was opposed to it.
The state government had earlier announced its decision of not allowing the devotees to climb the chariots for three days of the festival while Shankaracharya recommended complete ban of others entry into the chariots.
