Srimandir isn’t a secular place: Shankaracharya

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Puri: In the aftermath of Supreme Court’s suggestion regarding entry of non-Hindus into Puri Srimandir, the Shankaracharya of Govardhan Peeth, Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, Sunday said that Srimandir is not a secular place and the rules laid down for Gandhiji’s memorial cannot be used for the 12th century temple.
“Be it Puri Srimandir or any other temple, rules made for Gandhiji’s peeth cannot be used for the abode of Gods as per the Sanatan Dharm. This is the only way to conserve such places of religious and spiritual significance,” he said.
“The court has clarified that temple management has to be carried out as per the system of Sanatan Dharm and we need to observe the nitis as per the Sasthras,” he said.
Taking a note from history, Shankaracharya said when a US President went to visit Gandhiji’s memorial, a police dog was brought in to sniff out any danger. If similar rules are implemented here, one can well imagine the kind of dilution this would bring in to our traditions.
He further stated that Justice Goel, one of the panel members who passed the interim orders on the temple reforms July 5, was an Orissa High Court judge in the past. “While hearing on a case filed against me, he had ruled that Shankaracharya is the highest judiciary on issues of religion and spirituality and neither the court nor the government had any right to oppose it,” he said.
Shankaracharya said once the Rath Yatra, scheduled to begin July 14, gets over, the temple management committee will sit down with me to discuss the suggestions by the apex court. The suggestions are being closely looked at by my lawyers and other experts associated with the temple, he added.
Meanwhile, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said sensitive issues connected to sentiments of large section of society shouldn’t be dealt with hurriedly and rather left to Shankaracharya and Gajapati Maharaja.