Supreme Court ends protracted dispute between Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt and Sri Uttaradi Mutt

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has brought the curtains down on a protracted legal battle between Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt and Sri Uttaradi Mutt over conducting 'puja' and other rituals at Navavrindavanagaddi at Koppal district of Karnataka.

A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh took on record submissions by senior advocate D S Naidu and advocate Aljo K Joseph for the parties that the matter has been settled by efforts of former SC judge Sanjay Kishan Kaul, who was appointed as mediator on March 19, 2025 to resolve the dispute.

"We have been informed that after great efforts made by the mediator, the matter has been successfully resolved between the parties,'' the bench said.

The counsel for both the parties submitted that the special leave Petitions may be disposed of in light of the settlement agreement of January 03, 2026 and the memorandum of understanding of April 13, 2026.

"The settlement agreement and the memorandum of understanding executed between the petitioner and respondent No.5, shall form a part and parcel of this order. We place on record the efforts taken by the mediator,'' the bench said in its order on April 20, 2026.

The matter before the apex court arose out a challenge to the Karnataka High Court's division bench judgment of December 20, 2024 by Sri Uttaradi Mutt.

The High Court had then allowed a writ appeal filed by Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt and others and set aside the single judge bench judgment, which directed the Karnataka govetnment to provide adequate protection if and when necessary for Shri Uttaradi Mutt to offer prayers, conducting pooja, Aaradhana, Mahimotsava, Puja, rituals, Ashtottara, Samarpana etc in the name of Shri Raghuvarya Teertharu Brindavana.

The single judge had also directed the state authorities to ensure that Shri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt and/or its followers do not offer any prayers or rituals in the name of Shri Jaya Teertharu at any brindavana situated at Nava Brindavana Gadde, subject to the judgment and decree, if any, passed in the original suit pending in this respect before a court at Gangavathi.