The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday observed that Hinduism is a “way of life” and said a person does not need to compulsorily visit temples or perform rituals to remain a Hindu.
The remarks were made by a nine-judge Constitution bench headed by Surya Kant while hearing petitions related to women’s entry into religious places, including the Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa Temple, and matters concerning religious freedom across different faiths.
The bench also included Justices B V Nagarathna, M M Sundresh, Ahsanuddin Amanullah, Aravind Kumar, Augustine George Masih, Prasanna B Varale, R Mahadevan, and Joymalya Bagchi.
‘Lighting a Lamp at Home Is Enough’
During the hearing, senior advocate G Mohan Gopal questioned earlier judicial interpretations that defined a Hindu as someone who accepts the Vedas as the highest authority in matters of religion and philosophy.
“Now, I have the highest respect for the Vedas and great admiration for it. But is it a fact that every person today classified as Hindu accepts the Vedas as the highest authority in all spiritual and philosophical matters?” he asked before the court.
Responding to the submission, Justice B V Nagarathna said, “That is why Hinduism is called as a way of life. It is not necessary for a Hindu to mandatorily go to a temple or perform a ritual in order to remain a Hindu.”
She further observed that faith is personal and people are not required to follow rituals in a particular way to practise their religion.
Chief Justice Surya Kant also remarked, “Even if an individual lights a lamp inside his hut is enough to prove his religion.”
Hearing Linked to Religious Freedom and Equality
The Constitution bench is currently hearing several matters related to religious practices and equality rights, including the issue of women’s entry into Sabarimala temple and petitions linked to the religious practices of the Dawoodi Bohra community.
The court had earlier observed that if every religious practice starts being challenged before constitutional courts, it could lead to endless litigation and create disputes within different faiths.
Background of the Sabarimala Case
In September 2018, a five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court, in a 4:1 majority verdict, struck down the ban on entry of women between the ages of 10 and 50 into the Sabarimala temple.
The court had then ruled that the centuries-old restriction was unconstitutional and violated the rights of women devotees.
The hearing in the larger matter is still continuing before the nine-judge bench.
