Orissa High Court upholds Shankaracharya’s view on chariot climbing

Bhubaneswar: Putting all the speculations to rest the Orissa
High Court on Friday upheld the view of upheld the views of Jagadguru
Shankaracharya of Govardhan Peeth Swami Nischalananda Saraswati and the Jagannath
Temple Management Committee on the issue of devotees climbing the chariots and
touching the deities and has directed Odisha government to provide supports to
carry out their decision. 

 

“The stand of the Managing Committee to go by the opinion of
the Shankaracharya has to prevail as far as rituals during the car festival are
concerned. Any contrary opinion of the State Government will obviously be
in-operative. The State Government may however perform its duty of maintaining
law and order and providing all necessary assistance for smooth conduct of the
Car festival in accordance with the decision of the Managing Committee on the
issue of rituals which is based on opinion of Shankaracharya and correctness of
which is neither subject matter for consideration of State Government nor
before this Court,” a division bench of Chief Justice A.K. Goel and Justice
A.K. Rath observed.