5 months ago
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The Supreme Court, connected Wednesday (January 28, 2026), asked erstwhile apex tribunal judge, Justice (retd.) Sanjay Kishan Kaul, to mediate a quality betwixt the Thenkalai and Vadakalai Vaishnavite sects implicit the recitation of mantram and prabandham during ceremonial worship astatine Devarajaswamy Temple successful Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu.
Noting that each the adjacent are humble earlier God, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said some sects indispensable effort hard to scope an amicable solution with the assistance of the retired judge. The tribunal said Justice Kaul could instrumentality the assistance of 2 persons well-versed with the religious, taste and linguistic past of Tamil Nadu to assistance him successful the endeavour.
“Tamil Nadu is simply a State wherever our practice is well-maintained. Tamil Nadu is the showcase of Indian culture,” Chief Justice Kant remarked.
The bid came successful a petition filed by a Kancheepuram resident, S. Narayanan, represented by advocator G. Balaji, challenging a November 28, 2025 Madras High Court judgment restricting the Vadakalai sect from reciting 2 prayers - Ramanuja Dayapatram (verses successful praise of their spiritual guru Sri Vedanta Desika) earlier the 4,000 Divya Prabandhams; and Vaazhi Thirunaamam astatine the extremity of the 4,000 Divya Prabandhams.
The petition argued that the High Court had recognised Vadakalais arsenic a denomination, but curtailed their rights by invoking Article 25 (right to spiritual state and conscience) to favour Thenkalais. “This is incorrect. Article 26 (right to negociate the spiritual affairs for each spiritual denomination oregon its section) instrumentality precedence implicit Article 25 rights,” the petition argued.
The lawsuit saw a artillery of elder advocates including C.S. Vaidyanathan, Arvind Datar, C.A. Sundaram, Guru Krishnakumar and advocator Rohini Musa appearing for the assorted parties.
The petition argued that though the High Court had held that some Vadakalais and Thenkalais were sub-sects of the Sri Vaishnava denomination, prohibiting Vadakalais from reciting their mantras amounted to an unequal attraction successful usurpation of Article 14 of the Constitution.
“The High Court recovered that Thenkalais indispensable recite Srisailesa Dayapatram earlier reciting Prabandham and recognised the Vadakalais’ close to participate. Yet, it prohibits Vadakalais from reciting Ramanuja Dayapatram. This unjustly restrains their indispensable spiritual practices,” the petition argued.
It further submitted that the Madras High Court wrongly upheld the Executive Trustee’s order, and frankincense empowered a secular authorization to interfere successful the spiritual affairs of a denominational temple.
“This violates Section 107 of the Hindu Religious and Cultural Endowments Act. It besides violates Section 45, which limits State officers’ relation to administrative power implicit the spot of spiritual institutions only. The temple is Vadakalai successful character. A shrine dedicated to Sri Vedanta Desikar is located wrong the temple. Prohibiting hymns successful his praise violates the Vadakalais’ cardinal rights,” the petition submitted.
The Bench scheduled the adjacent proceeding successful the period of March.
