SANIL NARAYANAN NAMPOOTHIRI Vs. STATE OF KERALA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) These injunctions are given by a teacher to students at the completion of their Vedic education and comes specifically from the Taittirya Upaniad, which is a part of the Taittirya rayaka of the Krishna Yajurveda.

(2.) The petitioner states that on 7/9/2023, two Christian priests, Dr. Zacharias Mar Aprem and another priest, were invited to the temple to attend a function in connection with the Sreekrishna Jayanthi celebration. They attended the public meeting held inside the temple compound. The petitioner further states that, after the public meeting, the Sub Group Officer and the members of the Temple Advisory Committee took the said Christian priests inside the temple, and certain gifts were presented at a function conducted in front of the Sreekovil. The devotees present in the temple objected to the said act, pointing out that Christian priests are not permitted to enter the temple, particularly while wearing their priestly robes.

(3.) The petitioner states that non-Hindus are not permitted to enter Hindu temples. The petitioner further asserts that the temple authorities, including the Temple Advisory Committee, have ignored the protest of the devotees and permitted the entry of two priests in their priestly robes, violating the provisions of the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Act, 1965 ('the Act' for the sake of brevity) and the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Rules, 1965 ('the Rules' for the sake of brevity). In order to substantiate the contention, the petitioner has produced a copy of the news item published in Malayala Manorama Daily on 8/9/2023.