SC: Kullu’s Raghunath Temple to remain royal family property
NEW DELHI: The 17th century Raghunath Temple of Kullu in Himachal Pradesh will remain a royal family property with the Supreme Court on Monday disposing of a plea challenging a high court order rejecting a petition against a state government order for taking its control.
The newly formed BJP government in the state told the apex court that it has reversed the decision of the previous government for taking over the control of the temple. Disposing of the petition, a bench of justices RK Agrawal and AM Sapre said that since the state government has reversed the decision, the plea has become infructous.
The court, however, said that the petition challenging the status of the shrine can always be filed, if fresh cause of action arises.
Advocate Ajay Marwah, appearing for the state, said the government took the decision as it was a private property. He said by way of a subsequent notification on January 8, 2018, the government omitted Shri Raghunathji Temple from schedule-1 of Himachal Pradesh Hindu Public Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment Act, 1984.
Former BJP MP Maheshwar Singh, the scion of the royal family of Kullu, had challenged the order of August 31 last year of the Himachal Pradesh high court in the apex court, saying there was a clear cut finding that the temple was a private property. Singh had contended that this temple was established by his ancestors for a specific purpose that there was a “curse by a Brahmin” and to get rid of that curse, an idol of Lord Rama was brought from Ayodhya.
He had claimed that the temple of Shri Raghunathji was built and established by late Raja Jagat Singh, who during the years 1637 to 1672 was reigning the kingdom at Kullu and the reasons for establishing the temple and installing the idol of Shri Raghunathji (Rama) along with idol of Sita, was contained in the history of Punjab Hill States. Singh had said that since the establishment and installation of the idols, the temple was maintained by the king and his successors.