JUDGMENT
1. Rule Nisi.
2. The petitioner is Peethadhipathi of Revankapeetham, Padmaraonagar, Secunderabad. He questions the action of respondents in deciding to celebrate the Srirama Navami festival and Sri Sitarama Kalyanotsavam at Bhadrachalam temple on 13th April, 20(70. According to him the decision to celebrate the festival is taken by the respondents against the opinion of the religious heads and Peethadipathis. It is further argued that the respondents have no power under any law to interfere in the religious affairs of any community. It is further stated that, as per the panchangas and other shastras, Srirama Navami would fall this year on 12th April, 2000. The State Governments and Central Government had declared 12th April, 2000 as public holiday for celebrating Srirama Navami festival. Even the State Government of Andhra Pradesh had declared 12th April, 2000 as holiday but now it has been changed to 13th April, 2000.
3. When this petition came up for hearing on 4th April, 2000 this Court directed the learned Additional Advocate-General to appear on behalf of the respondents. Although no counter has been filed but the learned Additional Advocate-General argued the matter and records were also produced before the Court. This Court is of the view that whether a festival has
to be celebrated on 12th April, 2000 or 13th April, 2000 is a matter which neither concerns this Court nor the State Government, it is religious function which has to be held in accordance with the discipline the different religious institutions have. The learned Additional Advocate-General submits that, Sthanacharya, Purohit and the Priest of the Devasthanam had by a letter dated 3rd February, 2000 stated that Srirama Kalyanam has to be performed only on 13th April, 2000 and not on 12th April, 2000 as per the Pancharatra Agama text relevant to the temple, therefore, acting on this opinion the Government only recognised the fact that the festival is being organised on 13th April, 2000 and not on 12th April, 2000 and in reference to the wishes of the people 13th April, 2000 was declared a public holiday, and it is left to the people and to the religious institutions including the Bhadrachalam Devasthanam to celebrate the festival on the dates they have chosen. He relies on a Division Bench judgment of this Court in Writ Petition No.5617 of 1999 which is also relied upon by the petitioners. It appears that, last year also the original date fixed was changed and a writ petition was filed, that writ petition was taken up by the Division Bench and the Division Bench while dismissing the writ petition held :
“As we know Sreerama Navami is celebrated on grand scale at Bhadrachalam, which was hitherto in East Godavari district and now in Khammam district of State of A.P. The Agma Sastra, which is followed insofar as Bhadrachalam temple is concerned is Sree Pancha Ratragama Sastra Parama Purusha Samhita, as we see from the publication of 1798 issue. According to this Agama Sastra, Sreerama Navami shall not be conducted on a day on which there is a fraction of Astami and there cannot be any objection if it falls even on Dasami day. Following this Agama Sastra the
Chief Purohit of Bhadrachalam temple had written letter to the Executive Officer that Sreerama Navami will be celebrated at Bhadrachalam temple onlyon 26-3-1999 and requested the Executive Officer concerned to apprise the Government of this and see that the holiday is shifted from 25-3-1999 to 26-3-1999. This decision of the Chief Purohit of the temple cannot be a subject matter of adjudication by this Court in exercise of the powers under Article 226 of the Constitution of India. It is better that such religious matters are left for the religious heads.”
Going by the judgment of the Division Bench and going by the statement of the learned Additional Advocate-General, I do not think this Court has any jurisdiction or power to interfere in the matter in any way. This Court, in any case, cannot lay down as to what is the date on which the festival should be celebrated. The learned Counsel for the petitioner submits that, after there was a dispute, opinions were sought for from religious priests and the religious priests in one voice had stated that the festival should be celebrated on 12th of April, 2000 and not on 13th April, 2000 and the Government has gone against the wishes of the priests, therefore, the order passed by the Government is bad.
4. Basically, the Government has no power to fix the dates of religious festivals. In that view of the matter, this Court would have wished Government not passing any order in terms in which it has been passed. The Government has passed the following order:
“The attention of the Commissioner, Endowments Department, Hyderabad is invited to the reference cited and he is informed that Government after examination, have accepted the proposal to celebrate “Srirama Navami Kalyanotsavam festival on 13-4-2000 instead of 12-4-2000 at Bhadrachalam.”
Going by the language of the order an impression is created that the Government is empowered to fix the date of the festival. Therefore, this should have been avoided. The order itself says that the Government has accepted the proposal. By natural corolary it would mean that the Government could even reject the proposal. But, the learned Additional Advocate-General submits that this order should not be taken as an exercise of power by the Government but should be taken as only recognition of the fact that the priests of Bhadrachalam temple had decided that the festival should be held on 13th April, 2000 and not on 12th April, 2000.
5. In view of what has been stated above, this writ petition is disposed of laying down that neither the Court nor the Government has any power to fix the date for the festival. However, it is made clear that the Government has always the power to decide about the holidays on account of religious festivals. The Government while considering the decision taken by the Priests of Bhadrachalam temple has decided to declare 13th April, 2000 as holiday, this cannot be faulted with. Therefore, it is for the administration at Bhadrachalam temple to celebrate Srirama Navami festival according to their own decisions.