No deviation in rituals and sevas to Lord Balaji: TTD claims in its affidavit to SC
TIRUPATI: Observing that a ‘Constitutional Court’ cannot interfere with the day-to-day affairs of a temple, the Supreme Court on Tuesday disposed of a devotee’s Special Leave Petition (SLP) challenging an AP High Court order.
The Supreme court rejected his PIL seeking directions to Tirumala Tirupati devasthanams (TTD) to rectify the method of performing day-to-day rituals and sevas to Lord Venkateswara at the Tirumala temple.
However, the bench comprising Chief Justice NV Ramana, Justice AS Bopanna and Justice Hima Kohli made it clear that this does not give a free pass to the TTD administration and asked it to respond to the petitioner’s grievances within eight weeks.
The court also said if the petitioner Srivari Daadaa has a grievance on specific aspects, he can approach an appropriate forum.
In response to the devotee's SPL, the TTD has told the Supreme Court that all the rituals and sevas to Lord Venkateshwara are performed by Archakas under the supervision of Tirumala Pedda Jeeyar Swamy and Chinna Jeeyar Swamy, and strictly in accordance with Vaikhanasa Agama Sastra.
According to the affidavit filed by TTD EO Jawahar Reddy through advocate Satya Sabharwal, the temple administration has said there are perfect checks and balances by Bhagavat Sri Ramanujacharya to ensure the sevas, rituals and utsavams are conducted strictly in accordance with the Vaikhanasa Agama Sastra.
“The rituals introduced by Bhagavat Sri Ramanujacharya in Tirumala are innumerable. He entrusted the divine responsibility of performing all rituals as per the tenets of Vaikhanasa Agama to Jeeyars and thus the Pedda Jeeyar and Chinna Jeeyar mutts were established in Tirumala. Though many changes have been introduced in the temple activities as time passed, the principal tenets, sevas, rituals and regulations brought about by Ramanujacharya are continuing today in Tirumala without any deviation even after a lapse of 1,000 years”, a temple official said.
In the affidavit, the TTD also stated that the temple administration constituted an Agama Advisory Committee from time to time. The committee consisted of qualified Vedic pundits. They guide the Archakas and advise the temple body on various religious matters. The TTD also claimed that it provided all the necessary infrastructure and support to the Archakas and Jeeyar Swamijis to perform the rituals.
Srivari Daadaa’s petition also claimed irregularities in the Darshan, in which devotees worship the deity, adding that they’re allowed entry only to a certain point from where the holy feet of the presiding deity were not visible to devotees.
In relation to showing the feet of the presiding deity of Lord Venkateswara during the Maha Laghu Darshan at the Tirumala temple, the TTD - in its affidavit – stated, "More than one lakh people on an average visit Tirumala temple for darshan of Lord Venkateswara every day. If every pilgrim is to be allowed to have darshan of Lord at Kulasekhara Padi, it is possible for us to provide darshan for only about 9,000 pilgrims a day at the rate of 800 per hour."
