Why can’t women perform puja in temples, asks HC

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked a priest “why a woman cannot perform puja and sewa at temples” when the latter sought a judicial order restraining his two sisters from performing puja and claiming share in the offerings made at the Kalkaji Temple here.

A Bench of Justices B.D. Ahmed and Ashutosh Kumar said, “The time has changed. Now women cannot be barred from entering temples. Even the Supreme Court recently said women could not be restricted from entering a place of worship.”

Plea for urgent hearing

The observation came when the priest’s counsel urged the Bench to list the plea for urgent hearing as the trial court had allowed his sisters to perform “puja and sewa” and claim the shares in the offerings collected at the temple.

The counsel said since the married daughters belong to different families and

gotra , they have no rights to perform “puja and sewa”, which started on Tuesday and will end on March 7.

He said the trial court’s February 4 order should be stayed and the sisters be restrained from performing the puja.

“The matter be listed today itself,” the counsel submitted. The Bench allowed the matter to be listed before an appropriate Bench. When the issue came up for hearing before Justice J.R. Midha, he said notices had to be issued to the respondents.

Meanwhile, the counsel for the petitioner said from time immemorial only male descendants of the family were entitled to the proceeds to offerings since they performed puja and other rituals at the temple.