The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea challenging a judgment of the Andhra Pradesh High Court which had precluded State from involving itself in the administration of the Ahobilam Temple.

The plea claimed that as per Hindu Law, a Math is an independent juristic person and so is a temple. Therefore, the High Court's finding that the Math and temple were the same entity was incorrect.

A bench of Justices S K Kaul and A S Oka said Andhra Pradesh has no authority, jurisdiction or entitlement under law to appoint an executive officer of the 'Sri Ahobila Mutt Parampara Aadheena Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Devasthanam' (Ahobilam Mutt Temple).

"Let the religious people handle this. In every case under Article 136 (special leave to appeal by the Supreme Court), we need not try to settle the law. Sorry," the bench told the lawyer appearing for the state that had challenged the high court order.

In October last year, the high court had noted that the Ahobilam temple in Andhra Pradesh is an “integral and inseparable part of the Ahobilam Mutt which is situated in Tamil Nadu.” 

Dismissing the state government’s contention that the temple and the Mutt are two distinct entities, the high court observed that merely because of the different geographical location of the temple and the mutt, the temple does not seize to be a part of the mutt. 

The High Court stated that because the State does not have general authority to supervise and control Mutt, interference in its affairs should only be made when there are good reasons to do so, such as poor management. No material in the record supports the appointment of the Executive Officer in light of the case’s facts, the Court noted. The Division Bench also noted that Mathadipathis, whose appointment was not exercised by the Government, has been in charge of the Temple since the Endowments Act of 1927. Besides, there has been ample historical evidence proving that the temple administration has always been governed by the seer of the AhobilaMutt.

Image source: ANI