Mahants Appeal To CJI To Stay Mutt Demolition In Puri

Puri/Bhubaneswar: Even as the meeting between a 15-member committee and Puri Collector Balwant Singh over the ongoing demolition drive near Jagannath Temple in Puri on Wednesday remained inconclusive, Mahants (chiefs) of different mutts appealed to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) to issue a stay order on the administration’s move.

In an open letter, chiefs of 13 mutts said that they had the rights to serve the deities and the Odisha government should protect those. There are 18 mutts of various denominations in the Pilgrim Town with definite rights to serve the Lord as per the Record of Rights of the temple.

They further claimed that the Advocate General’s submission in the Supreme Court that Mahants have consented for the demolition was false.

“We, the Mahantas, have certainly not given consent for destruction/demolition of our mutts. Rather, we are being now forced by the district administration to give consent for demolition. But surprisingly, based on the Advocate General’s submission, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition of Indic Collective Trust without a due hearing. The trust had sought for protection of heritage,” the letter said.

The Puri district administration began the demolition drive on August 19 after the State Cabinet approved a proposal to remove all the structures within 75 metre radius of the temple to ensure safety and security of the 12th century shrine. The resolution was passed on the basis of an interim report of Justice BP Das Commission.

Stressing on material and spiritual significance of the centuries-old heritage structures, the Mahants said that Ramanujacharya, Nimbark Acharya, Madhwa Acharya, Sri Chandra (Udasini), Dasanami, Ramananda Acharya, Bishnu Swami, Vallabhacharya, Chaitanya and Guru Nanak had visited/established the mutts and/or stayed there.

Therefore, it was the duty of the government to protect and promote such heritage structures as part of the temple eco-system, they said in the letter.

“The Supreme Court had asked the amicus curiae to visit Puri and submit a report. But instead of waiting for the visit, the Government is demolishing the mutts as quick as possible without caring for heritage and spiritual values and conducting a formal study,” they said and sought a stay order over the demolition drive.