Delhi High Court directs Jain temple to reserve seat for Devi Padmavati idol

The Delhi High Court recently directed the Jain Sabha Dharmarth Trust to keep a seat vacant for Devi Padmavati's idol which was earlier removed from the Jain temple during renovation [Devi Padmavati through its follower Sh Ajay Jain vs Jain Sabha Dharmarth Trust]..In 1978, the idol of Devi Padmavati was installed in the sanctum-sanctorum of the Jain temple situated in Delhi. In 2018, for the purpose of renovating the temple, the idols were shifted from their seats to a room in the temple. However, Devi Padmavati's idol was not placed back on its seat with the other idols. Instead, the Trust plans to the idol of some other tirthankara on that seat, the Court was told. A suit was then filed in the deity's name for restoration of the idol to its original place.However, the same was dismissed by a trial court which observed that God is omnipresent and prayers can be offered to an idol at any place, whether at the “garbhgrah” (sanctum sanctorum) or at any other place in the temple. The matter then reached the High Court..Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani took exception to the “flippant view” taken by the trial court in dismissing the suit without deciding on the rights of the deity whose idol had been in the temple for over 40 years. “This court is of the prima-facie view that the learned trial court has taken a very flippant view of the matter, in proceeding to dismiss the suit summarily, without appreciating that though there is no cavil with the proposition that God is omnipresent, that does not in itself answer the cause of action canvassed in the suit, namely why the appellant’s idol, which is claimed to have been positioned and worshipped in the temple for decades, should have been removed from there post the renovation,” the Court observed. .“Matters of faith cannot be scorned at in this manner,” the Court added. .The Court thus passed an interim order directing the Trust to keep the designated seat for the idol vacant while ensuring all rituals are performed for the idol in the room it is kept in.“In these circumstances, the respondent is directed to ensure that one “seat‟ is left vacant for the appellant's idol in the sanctum-sanctorum; and the appellant's idol continues to remain in the temporary room and all requisite rituals are performed in relation to the idol, till the next date of hearing before this court,” the Court stated. The next date of hearing in the matter is August 28..Advocates Sanyam Khetarpal, Prakriti Anand and Lisa Sankrit appeared for the deity. Advocates Neha Khanduri and Komal Sharma from Singhania & Co. appeared for the Trust. [Read Order]