Karnataka High Court Rejects Claim to Hereditary Priesthood Based on Maternal Lineage
In a recent ruling by the Karnataka High Court, the requirement to establish a claim to inheritance of a temple's priesthood was determined to be traced through the paternal lineage instead of the maternal lineage. The case, titled Ravi Dixit and Anr. vs The State of Karnataka and Ors., involved two brothers, MS Ravi Dixit and MS Venkatesh Dixit, who sought appointment as priests (archaks) at Sri Mahabaleshwaraswamy Temple in KR Puram, Bengaluru.
The brothers initially approached the court requesting the appointment of Ravi Dixit as the temple's priest. The court disposed of the plea, instructing the relevant authorities to decide on the representation in accordance with the law. Subsequently, the authority rejected the representation, citing the absence of documentation indicating that the petitioner's three previous generations had fulfilled the role of temple priests.
The authority clarified that since the lineage of priesthood could only be traced through the petitioner's maternal side, they were not entitled to claim hereditary priesthood. Dissatisfied with this decision, the brothers moved the High Court, represented by advocate Narayana Sharma, to challenge the order.
The petitioners argued that they were not given sufficient opportunity to prove that their priesthood was hereditary and that they were eligible for appointment as priests. They asserted that their father had been appointed as a priest following their maternal grandfather, and therefore, they should be entitled to the same position.
On the opposing side, Additional Government Advocate DS Shivananda informed the court that as the priesthood of the temple could be traced back to the petitioners' maternal side, they could not be considered for appointment as priests.
The Court acknowledged that the order under challenge indicated that the petitioners were given an opportunity to present their case. Regarding the merits, the Court emphasized that to establish a claim of hereditary priesthood, it was crucial for the petitioners' ancestors, including their paternal great-grandfather, to have previously served as priests in the temple.
"The requirement to claim hereditary archakship necessitates not only the petitioners' father but also their grandfather and great-grandfather to have fulfilled the role of archaks in Sri Mahabaleshwaraswamy Temple," the Court stated, highlighting the key contention.
Given that only the petitioners' father had served as a priest, the Court concluded that they could not assert a claim to hereditary priesthood. Consequently, the plea was dismissed.
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TAGS: Karnataka High Court inheritance temple priesthood ruling paternal lineage maternal lineage Ravi Dixit and Anr. vs The State of Karnataka and Ors. priests (archaks) Sri Mahabaleshwaraswamy Temple KR Puram Bengaluru plea appointment hereditary ancestors great-grandfather dismissal
