Kancheepuram temple: HC restrains recital of Prabandam

The Madras High Court has observed as long as the globe exists, the differences between two sects of Vaishnavite devotees over rituals to be followed in a temple would not be resolved.

Justice S Vaidyanathan made the observation in his order while restraining the authorities of the Kancheepuram Devarajaswamy temple from permitting recital of Tamil Prabandam of 13th-century saint Vedanta Desika in the shrine till further orders.

He passed the interim order at a special sitting on Thursday to hear an urgent plea moved by K B Srinivasan, a devotee of the temple, seeking to prohibit reciting of the prabandam.

The issue pertains to long-standing disputes between Vadakalai and Tenkalai sects of Iyengar community of Vaishnavites on their right to perform rituals and recite Vedas and prabandam in the temple.

Originally, A K Suresh, a devotee belonging to the Vadakalai sect, approached the court seeking direction to the authorities to permit them to recite prabandam of Vedanta Desika in the temple on September 21, which was allowed by a single judge in an oral order.

Claiming that continued recital of Tamil prabandam without taking further orders from the court cannot be permitted, Srinivasan approached the court. Recording the submission, the judge ordered that until further orders, there shall be no recital of Tamil prabandam of Vedanta Desika at the temple. He further observed that the temple was a place of worship where anybody can pray. "Unfortunately, as there is difference between Vadakalai and Tenkalai of Iyengar community, the issue is yet to attain finality. As long as this globe exists in the orbit, their differences would not be resolved, he added.