Source

CHENNAI, INDIA, January 29, 2005: (HPI note: It was reported the police entered the mutt with their shoes on, and made the arrest during worship.) This is how the State Government described the Kanchi Sankara Mutt while challenging a notice issued by the National Human Rights Commission over the alleged violation of the sanctity of the Mutt during the arrest of Vijayendra Saraswati on the night of January 10.



“Kanchi Mutt (monastery) is not a place for either private or public worship, it is a place where the Peetadhipathis (heads of the monastery) – namely accused 1 (Jayendrar) and accused 2 (Vijayendrar) and the blood-brother of the second accused by name Raghu – are permanently residing. In addition, this is also the place where the servants and the family members of the Mutt are also living. In fact, about 25 families are living within the premises of the Mutt in portions duly segregated, with all facilities such as kitchen, bedroom, attached toilets, etc. If some people are under the impression that the Mutt is a place of worship, they are sadly mistaken. It is a dwelling place with television sets, cable networks, etc., and the mutt is only one such residential colony.”



The writ petition filed by the State Chief Secretary on Thursday in the Madras High Court went on to assert, “No deity is ever installed in the Mutt so as to qualify it as a place of worship. Entry to the Mutt is not available to the general public and is, at the best, confined to a select group of people. Hence to call it a place of worship is a misnomer.” It further said, “There is no sanctum sanctorum for anyone to perform any puja to any Deity therein… The Mutt is not a temple in the ordinary sense or in any religious sense.”



Post Views: 550