Court receivers to assess donations, offerings at Kalka Mandir during Navratri

The court directed that all the donation boxes shall now be locked by the court receivers and opened only once every day at the time fixed by the receiver/s either late evening or in the morning in presence of the representatives of the litigants.

The Delhi high court appointed receivers to assess the offerings and donations made to South Delhi’s famous Kalkaji temple during the Hindu festival of Navratri, and ordered that the petitioner, one of the traditional priests of the temple, is given 1/6th of the ‘share’ from daily collections. The order was passed while hearing a petition by one Bishan Swaroop, who claims to be a legal heir and a ‘Baridaar’ (worshiper or priest) of the temple, with the right to conduct ‘puja sewa’ (prayer rituals), and receive a portion of the offerings made, during a designated period (‘Shashmahi bari’), which comes every 12 years during the two Navratri periods.

Justice Prathiba M Singh appointed two court receivers, who had served in a similar capacity at Kalkaji Mandir earlier.

Justice Prathiba M Singh appointed two court receivers, who had served in a similar capacity at the temple earlier, till April 22/23- the end of Navratri. It noted that prima facie a monopoly has been created by another family member, Mahendra Pandey, who according to the plea was not allowing Bishan Swaroop to perform puja sewa and claim the share in the offerings and donations.

The court directed that all the donation boxes shall now be locked by the court receivers and opened only once every day at the time fixed by the receiver/s either late evening or in the morning in presence of the representatives of the litigants.

“In view of this, it is prima facie clear at this stage, that Respondent No.1 seems to have monopolised the bari (turn in performing puja) and the related rights, and is also not giving any proper accounts qua the said bari,” the court order said.

HS Sharma, Retd District & Sessions Judge and Anurag Ahluwalia, advocate, were reappointed court receivers for the period till 22/23rd April, 2021 and given the rights to lock the donation boxes and take all required steps to assess the offerings and donations as also the teh-bazari, the April 16 order said.

Swaroop alleged he was not being allowed to exercise his rights in the current turn because his mother, late Bishan Devi, being a woman, was declared ineligible despite a 2016 order by a trial court giving rights to the female heir.

Swaroop also cited an order of October 28, 2014, passed in his favour as the legal heir of late Bishan Devi, i.e. daughter of late Sh Ram Swaroop, claiming a right over 1/6th share of Ram Swaroop. According to the order of the trial court, the petitioner inherited the right of realisation of 1/6th share of late Sh Ram Swaroop in offerings and tehbazari, from his mother, who was the daughter of late Sh Ram Swaroop.

“In the present petition, the share of Bishan Swaroop, who is one of the baridaars during the navratri period, is in dispute. There can be no dispute about the fact that during the navratri period, offerings and the donations which are given at the Kalkaji Mandir are extremely high. This is also clear from the reports received in the earlier petition where the Local Commissioner and the Receivers, who were appointed, have informed this Court that during the navratri period, the footfall in the temple is quite large,” the court said in the April 16 order.

It said that the amount collected will be counted by the court receivers and 1/6th share shall be handed over to the plaintiff’s representative. It also directed the receivers to determine as to who is currently running the bari and the manner in which it is being run asking them to file a detailed report at the end of this Navratri period.

The judge also noted that the court dealt with a similar case, in respect of various baaridars in the Kalkaji Mandir, during the months of January and February. It said that a detailed order was passed on Feb 5 holding that women, who are legal heirs, will be entitled to exercise their bari and perform the puja rights.

“The dispute between the various baridaars in the Kalkaji Mandir has resulted in multiple litigations being filed before the trial courts. In the earlier petition…., this court has been informed that there are over 70 litigations which are pending in respect of the Kalkaji Mandir.

“Various branches of families, and the various baridaars who are hundreds in number, keep filing applications/ proceedings before the trial courts, which has resulted in enormous confusion and complete mismanagement at the Kalkaji Mandir. The baris are even auctioned and there are purchasers who have bid for exercising the baris,” the court noted in its order. The matter will now be heard on May 10.