Puri: A day after the Supreme Court issued a set of directions to the state government and the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) for better management of the 12th century shrine and timely performance of rituals, Gobardhan Peeth, the seat of Puri Shankaracharya, Tuesday welcomed the apex court’s interim order with regard to Srimandir.
Addressing media persons here, Gobardhan Peeth spokesperson Manoj Rath welcomed the directions issued by the SC. He claimed the apex court has issued a historic direction with regard to Puri Shankaracharya Nischalananda Saraswati vis-à-vis Srimandir.
“The state government and the temple administration have been considering that the seer has some minor role in the affairs of Srimandir. The SC’s direction has shown a clear roadmap on the role of Shankaracharya in shrine matters,” Rath said. He claimed that the Shankaracharya had informed SC-appointed amicus curiae Ranjit Kumar that the rituals at Srimandir were not performed as per the norms laid down by religious texts. “The amicus curiae had taken the observation of the seer seriously. The seer had provided 30 suggestions to the amicus curiae for better management of the shrine. We had also submitted the proposals to the SC through an affidavit. The court has accepted many of our proposals,” Rath claimed.
The apex court has asked the SJTA to consult Shankaracharya for performance of routine as well as special rituals at Srimandir. He also claimed that the court has told shrine authorities to solicit the guidance of the seer.