Prayagraj, Jan 20 (NationPress) The Prayagraj Mela Authority has issued a notice to Swami Avimukteshwaranand, questioning his use of the title 'Shankaracharya', which is traditionally reserved for the most revered gurus of Sanatana Dharma. The notice demands clarification regarding the legitimacy of this title.

Officials from the Mela Authority state that the notice references a Supreme Court ruling, asserting that Swami Avimukteshwaranand is not acknowledged as the Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath.

The notice challenges the grounds on which he claims the 'Shankaracharya' title and requests a response within 24 hours.

This legal communication cites the case titled ‘3010/2020 Jagat Guru Shankaracharya Jyotishpeeth P.S.S.N. Saraswati versus Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati’, which is about a prolonged legal contention regarding the rightful Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math (Jyotish Peeth).

The dispute involves conflicting claims from P.S.S.N. Saraswati, also referred to as Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, and Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati, with both parties disputing each other’s qualifications and the validity of their appointments.

This matter has historical roots and has been scrutinized by various courts including trial courts, High Courts, and the Supreme Court, particularly concerning injunctions and eligibility criteria.

Both Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati (P.S.S.N. Saraswati) and Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati, a disciple of Swami Shantanand Saraswati, claim spiritual authority over Jyotir Math, situated in Badrinath.

In October 2022, the Supreme Court halted the coronation of Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati as the new Shankaracharya of Jyotir math in Uttarakhand.

Hindu scholars note that it is traditionally unacceptable for a peeth to function without a Shankaracharya.

The title 'Shankaracharya' is typically assigned to leaders of monasteries or mutts that adhere to the Advaita Vedanta tradition.

Adi Shankaracharya established four main mutts throughout India: the Jyotish Peeth at Badrikashram (Badrinath) in the north, Sharada Peeth at Dwarka in the west, Govardhan Peetha at Puri in the east, and the Sringeri Sharada Peetham in Karnataka in the south.

The issuance of this notice follows a recent altercation between followers of Swami Avimukteshwaranand and the Magh Mela administration during the Mauni Amavasya bathing festival.

During this event, the spiritual leader claimed that law enforcement obstructed him and his devotees from participating in a sacred dip in the Ganga on Mauni Amavasya.

In response, Swami Avimukteshwaranand staged a protest outside his camp, refraining from food and water while demanding an apology from high-ranking officials of the mela administration and the police.

Mela Officer Rishiraj countered that the seer’s supporters allegedly breached barricades on a pontoon bridge designated for emergency use.

District Magistrate Manish Verma noted that similar inquiries regarding the status of the Jyotish Peeth Shankaracharya were raised during the 2022 Magh Mela, prompting the then mela officer to seek legal counsel.