Nava Vrindavana Gaddi dispute: SC asks Karnataka HC to dispose in four months

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Uttaradi Mutt and Sri Raghvendra Swamy Mutt to perform 'Aaradhana' (worshipping) at Nava Vrindavana Gaddi at Koppal district for two days and one day respectively between April 13 to April 15 in view of their pending dispute over the property.
 
Hearing an urgent plea made by Sri Raghvendra Swamy Mutt, a three-judge bench presided over by Justice Dipak Misra refused to interfere with the Karnataka HC's order of April 4, saying “why should court enter into all these things”.
 
The court, however, asked the HC's principal bench at Bengaluru to dispose of the pending dispute between the two groups within a period of four months.
 
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal and R Venkataramani, appearing for Sri Raghvendra Swamy Mutt, questioned the HC's order, contending why should an arrangement, wherein both the parties were allowed worshipping for equal amount of time for 22 years from 1993 to 2015, be changed.
 
They sought permission for the mutt to perform 'Aaradhana' at least for one and half day in the three-day period.
 
Senior advocate Harin P Raval, along with senior advocates Jay Vitthal Kolar and Dhyan Chinappa, representing the Uttaradi Mutt, submitted that the arrangement that continued for all these years, came to an end by the HC's order. The counsel, however, submitted if the other side perform 'puja' only for a day, they would not have any objection.
 
The bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and Mohan M Shantanagoudar, observed, “we will say do your 'puja' and tell the HC to dispose of the matter within four months.”
 
The court also clarified that the direction by the HC would be restricted only for three days between April 13 to 15. “The interim arrangement is interim only. Any observation by the HC should not affect the outcome of the regular second appeal,” the bench said.
 
Both the Mutts are locked in a protracted legal battle claiming rights of over the portion of the land measuring 27.5 acres out 100 acres at Anegundi village, Gangavathi Taluka, Koppal District bound on the East, West, South and North by Tungabhadra River, popularly known as Nava Vrindavanagaddi. Both the Mutts also fought over the rights to perform the rituals at Sri Padmanabha Tirtha, the first disciple of Madhwacharya, at the Nava Vrindavan (an island).