Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court has ruled that the erstwhile royal family of the Danta principality will no longer enjoy any special rights or privileges in the Aso Sud Ashtami (Aatham) Maha Aarti and Puja at the Ambaji Mandir during Navratri, bringing an end to a decades-old tradition. The court held that the ceremony is a public religious activity and cannot be reserved for any hereditary claimant.

The dispute stemmed from the royal family’s assertion that it had the first right to perform the havan and main aarti on the eighth day of Navratri, a practice they said dated back to the monarchy era. The Ambaji Temple Trust and state authorities contested the claim, arguing that the temple now functions as a public religious trust.

In its observations, the High Court stated that India functions under a democratic and constitutional framework, where hereditary privileges have no legal standing in public religious institutions. It further noted that all devotees are equal before the law and that preferential access to worship amounts to discriminatory “VIP culture”.

Following the verdict, the temple administration is expected to reorganise arrangements for the Ashtami Puja to ensure equal participation for all devotees.

The ruling has been welcomed as a pro-public decision, opening access to a ceremony that was previously restricted and marking a significant shift in the temple’s tradition. DeshGujarat