Chennai: The Madras high court has declined to ban midnight prayers and to prevent devotees from worshipping deities in Hindu temples across the state during New Year.
The vacation bench headed by Justice M.S. Ramesh, before which a petition filed by A. Ashvathaman, an advocate, came up for hearing on Thursday, directed the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) department to file its response before January 8.
In the petition, Ashvathaman submitted that HR&CE officials had been opening Hindu temples at midnight for western New Year Celebrations for the last few years. The Hindu temples are constructed as per ‘agama shastra’, which prescribes rules and procedures to maintain the temple and solemnising poojas.
He said temples should be closed at 9 pm every day after solemnising the arthajama pooja and re-opened at 4.30 am. The temples should not be opened during night hours and as there are scientific reasons behind the agamas rules, he claimed.
However, as per the agama shastra, the Saivite temples and Vaishnavite temples could be opened during midnight only on Maha Shivaratri and Vaikunda Ekadasi.
The process of opening the temples at midnight would sabotage values of Hindu and Tamil culture. Hence, he sought direction to the HR&CE not to open the temples at midnight for devotees to offer prayer during New Year.
