MADURAI: A vacation bench of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court recently permitted the celebration of ‘Bogar Jayanti’ by Pulipani Ashram on May 18 at the Bogar sannadhi, situated at the hill top on the premises of Palani Dhandayuthapani Swamy temple, adding that the temple administration should not interfere with the same.
A bench of justices GR Swaminathan and S Srimathy passed the order on two petitions, one for and one against the festival. The executive officer of the temple also opposed the festival claiming that such an event would be in violation of agamic norms and is an ‘innovation’.
However, it was rejected by the judges who noted from the records that Bogar Jayanti is being celebrated at least for the last 10 years and this is not the first time it is proposed to be celebrated. “It is generally believed by the Hindus that Bogar was one of the eighteen Siddhars and that he made the idol of Lord Dhandayuthapani Swamy with navapashanam,” the judges observed.
Though they took note of the civil dispute pending in the high court between the temple administration and the ashram regarding the rights of the ashram over the Bogar sannadhi, the judges opined that the Bogar Jayanti celebration should take place and issued the above order, with conditions that the event should be conducted between 11 am and 2 pm on May 18 and should be confined to the Bogar mandapam.
bhishegam to the Maragatha Lingam and puja for the Bhuvaneshwari Amman would also be performed in the same manner as done on previous occasions, the judges further said and added that devotees are permitted to assemble outside the Bogar mandapam.