SHOULD COURTS DECIDE WHAT IS RATIONAL OR IRRATIONAL?

Addendum to the sphere of previous discussion, offerings in religions institutions carry wide spectrum of diversity amongst Indian religions, here are some unique customs:

1. Temple of Lakamma, Karnataka[1]: Here, there is a unique custom of the devotees who offer garland of foot-wears.
2. Nau gaja peer dargah, Haryana[2]: Here devotees offers at the shrine, about 50 clocks offered in a day
3. Mannarasala sree Nagraja Temple, Kerala, Here most devotees offer new Snake images for the temple, it has more than 30000 images of snakes.
4. Hawai Jahaj gurudwara, Punjab: Here, Devotees offer “toy aero-planes” believing that praying here would increase their chance of going abroad.

Irrespective of the fact whether practices are rational of irrational, they are matter of beliefs. These beliefs concern with Hindu, Muslim or sikh religions, who are the sole authorities to consider whether they form integral part of their religion or not. The Supreme court affirms this view as held in Nathdwara temple case { Tilkayat Shri Govindlalji Maharaj v State of Rajasthan (“Tilkayat”) } :

“In deciding the question as to whether a given  religious practice is an integral part of the religion or not, the test always would be whether it is regarded as such by the community following the religion or not.”

Further, in Sabrimala judgement honourable judge Indu Malhotra noted statement of constitution expert Mr.H.M.Seervai clarifying the role of the court:

“It is submitted that the real question is whether the religious denomination looks upon it as an essential part of its religion, and however irrational it may appear to persons who do not share that religious belief, the view of the denomination must prevail, for, it is not open to a court to describe as irrational that which is a part of a denomination’s religion.”

 THEN, SHOULD COURTS BEING STATUTORY AUTHORITY,  DECIDE WHAT IS RATIONAL OR IRRATIONAL? 

– H. H. Jainacharya Yugbhushan Suriji [Pandit Maharaja]

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[1] httpss://www.huffingtonpost.in/2016/11/06/at-this-karnataka-festival-devotees-offer-garlands-of-footwear-t_a_21599974/

[2] httpss://www.thebetterindia.com/37654/unusual-places-of-worship-in-india/