The Andhra Pradesh High Court closed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed expressing an apprehension that in the Maha Kumbhabhishekam scheduled to be held at Srisailam Temple between 16.02.2024 and 21.02.2024, the Endowments Department was likely to conduct the pooja and the ceremonies as per Saiva Agamam instead of the Veera Saiva Agamam.
It is stated that in the past, the ceremonies had been conducted according to the Veera Saiva Agamam.
Upon instructions, Government Pleader for Endowments stated that the ceremonies scheduled to be conducted at Srisailam Temple between 16.02.2024 and 21.02.2024 are to be done as per the Veera Saiva Agamam.
At this stage, V. S. R. Anjaneyulu, Senior Counsel, submits that there is another petition preferred by him, which is filed on February 12 , itself before the single Judge, in which the mandamus has been sought for directing the Endowments Department to conduct the ceremonies not as per Veera Saiva Agamam but as per Vaidika Smartha Agamam.
It is stated that this is the practice that had been adopted even in the past Maha Kumbhabhishekams.
Be that as it may, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Justice R. Raghunandan Rao did not wish to opine at this stage as to which of the Agamas are to be followed. the Bench leave it open to the single Judge to decide that issue.
However, insofar as the petition is concerned, in view of the statement made by Government Pleader for Endowments in which it is specifically stated that Veera Saiva Agamam would be followed for performing the pooja in the ceremonies on the scheduled dates, the Bench do not wish to continue with these proceedings any longer, which are, accordingly, closed.