Karnataka HC dismisses plea to stop Puthige Mutt seer from performing pooja at Udupi temple
Bengaluru: A division bench of the High Court of Karnataka has dismissed a petition seeking to prevent the pontiff of Puthige Mutt, Sugunendra Theertharu, from performing pooja at the Udupi Sri Krishna Temple.
The petition claimed that the pontiff had travelled to the USA in 1997 and since the crossing of oceans was forbidden for pontiffs of the Ashta Mutts (eight mutts), he should be restrained from touching the idol of Lord Krishna and be disqualified from performing the religious rituals there.
Dismissing the petition and refusing to entertain the issue, the HC said that it found nothing wrong in travelling abroad in a spiritual quest and referred to the examples of Emperor Ashoka sending his children to Sri Lanka to propagate Buddhism and Shankaracharya travelling across India popularising his philosophy.
Citing the poem, 'O Nanna Chetana', by Rashtrakavi Kuvempu, the HC said that the quest for spirituality was done by travelling. Stating that it has no role in the issue of the Swamiji travelling abroad, the HC dismissed the petition.
ALSO READ: Shivamogga girl dies due to 'Monkey Fever' at Manipal hospital
As per the 'Paryaya' (rotation), the Puthige Mutt pontiff is scheduled to take over the worship of the Krishna Temple on January 18, 2024. The petition also claimed that Sugunendra Teertharu was not appointed by the Dhawandwa Mutt as per tradition.
"In the event the 4th Respondent (Sugunendra Teertharu) touches and worships Lord Krishna, it would affect the sentiments of the people at large who follow Madhwa at large, and the old tradition will be broken. In order to maintain sanctity and purity of the idol, the fourth respondent is ineligible to perform pooja for twin reasons namely, he has crossed the ocean and he is not appointed as Peethadhipati by Dhawandwa Mutt," the petition claimed.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Rupee falls 28 paise to 94.77 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 28 paise to 94.77 against the US dollar in early trade on Thursday as market sentiment took a dramatic turn after reports emerged that the US and Iran are discussing a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at reducing tensions and reopening negotiations.
Forex traders said Brent oil prices, which had fallen to USD 98 on the US-Iran peace deal, edged slightly higher to USD 101 per barrel after investors weighed the prospects for a Middle East peace deal.
Moreover, factors such as unabated foreign capital outflows amid rising geopolitical uncertainties further dented investor sentiment.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 94.77 against the US dollar, registering a fall of 28 paise over its previous close.
On Wednesday, the rupee appreciated 69 paise to close at 94.49 against the US dollar.
"Markets are currently focused on the critical 48-hour window during which the US expects Tehran’s formal response through Pakistani mediators," said CR Forex Advisors MD Amit Pabari.
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened Iran with more bombing if it doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz, amid a report that the warring sides were nearing an agreement to end the war.
US media outlet Axios reported, quoting US officials and two other sources, that the US and Iran were getting close to a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war and set a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations.
The US expects Iranian responses on several key points over the next 48 hours, Axios reported, adding that nothing has been agreed yet. This was the closest the parties had been to an agreement since the war began.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading at 98.01, down 0.01 per cent.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.65 per cent at USD 101.83 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex declined 160.24 points to 77,798.28 in early trade, while the Nifty was down 30.25 points to 24,300.70.
Foreign Institutional Investors offloaded equities worth Rs 5,834.90 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.
On the domestic macroeconomic front, the country's goods and services exports rose 4.6 per cent to an all-time high of USD 863.11 billion during 2025-26, up from USD 825.26 billion in 2024-25, despite global economic uncertainties, according to revised commerce ministry data.
Merchandise exports grew 0.93 per cent to USD 441.78 billion in the last fiscal year from USD 437.70 billion in 2024-25, the data showed.
