The Supreme Court has appointed an eight-member committee, led by former Judge B.N. Srikrishna, to manage the ancient Gokarna Mahabaleshwara Temple in Karnataka. This move aims to resolve ongoing disputes over the temple’s administration.
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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India has taken a significant step in overseeing the administration of the ancient Gokarna Mahabaleshwara Temple, a unique Shiva temple located in Karwar district of Karnataka. This decision was made to resolve a longstanding impasse caused by conflicting groups vying for control of the temple’s management.
The temple, renowned for housing an ‘atma linga‘ believed to be the only one of its kind in the world, has been at the center of intense rivalry. In response, the Supreme Court appointed an eight-member committee led by former apex court judge B N Srikrishna to manage the temple. The committee also included the deputy commissioner of the district, the assistant commissioner of the taluka, the SP of the district, and four private individuals nominated by the Karnataka government.
Justice Srikrishna recently reported to the Supreme Court that the committee was unable to reach a consensus due to the absence of veto power, which hindered its efforts to effectively oversee the administration of the eighth-century temple.
Accepting this report, a bench composed of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra made a pivotal decision to induct the Karwar district judge as the vice-chairperson of the committee to assist and support the chairperson.
The bench stated-
“The chairperson may authorize him to make urgent decisions with the chairperson’s approval.”
The bench granted Justice Srikrishna veto power, significantly altering the committee’s dynamic. The other seven members were relegated to advisory roles.
“The chairperson will have a casting vote in committee matters. All committee members, except the chairperson and vice-chairperson, will serve in an advisory capacity and will not have veto power over decisions made by the chairperson and vice-chairperson.”
– the bench clarified.
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Furthermore, the bench emphasized the importance of maintaining the temple’s traditions.
“In making decisions for the trust and the temple, the chairperson and vice-chairperson must consider age-old customs and traditions. They are free to seek input from upadivantas and other eminent individuals as needed.”
The Supreme Court also allowed the current Congress government in Karnataka to replace the four private members on the committee, who were initially chosen by the previous BJP government, with new appointees.
The bench remarked-
“Above all, parties must recognize that the Gokarna Mahabaleshwara Temple, dating back to the eighth century, requires that all worship and religious observances be conducted in accordance with its longstanding traditions.”
