Karnataka HC junks PIL against anointment of 16-year-old boy as Shiroor Mutt pontiff

BENGALURU: Observing that there is no bar either under the religious texts or under the constitution vis-a-vis giving

sanyasa deeksha

to persons below the age of 18 years (Bala sanyasa), the Karnataka high court on Wednesday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the anointment of 16-year-old

Aniruddha Saralthaya

, now

Vedavardhana Teertha

, as Peetadhipathi/ pontiff of Shiroor Mutt in Udupi, one of the eight (ashta)mutts.


A division bench headed by acting Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma pointed out that in religions like Buddhism, children are anointed as monks at a tender age.

Observing that courts cannot be expected to overwrite religious texts, the bench said that the practice of dwandwa mutt or pairing mutt system, wherein the head of the paired mutt has the authority to appoint a successor in the event of the head of one of the ashta mutts passing away without nominating his successor, has already been recognised and the Sode mutt, which had appointed Aniruddha, was well within its right as it was a practice being followed for the past 800 years.

So long, as no violation has been shown, courts cannot interfere with religious practices, the bench further added.

PL Acharya and others, who claimed to be devotees, had sought for action under the provisions of the

Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act

, asserting that the minor boy is not capable of exercising free consent and is not competent to contract in terms of Section 11 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872.