HC confirms TN govt’s rule to appoint anyone as Archakas
The Madras High Court on Monday confirmed the Tamil Nadu government’s rules which were framed to appoint anybody who had completed the training to the post of the Archakas / Poojari in the temples across the State. However, the bench made it clear that a five-member expert committee should be framed to study the types of Agamas followed in the temples for the purpose of appointing the Archakas in consonance with the Agamas of certain temples which were built with the Agama Rules.
The first bench of Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice N Mala passed the orders on disposing of a batch of writ petitions filed by All India Adi Saiva Sivacharyargal Seva Sangam, represented by its general secretary P Muthuraman and others.
The judges directed the Tamil Nadu government to constitute a five-member committee, of which the chairperson would be retired HC judge, Justice M Chockalingam, with N Gopalaswami, head of the Madras Sanskrit College’s executive committee, as one of the members, being an eminent person possessing knowledge of the subject.