In a significant ruling on religious rights and temple practices, the Delhi High Court has directed the Jain Sabha Dharmarth Trust to keep a designated seat vacant for the idol of Devi Padmavati, which was removed from the sanctum sanctorum of a Jain temple in Delhi during renovation work in 2018.
The idol of Devi Padmavati, a revered figure in Jainism, had been installed in the temple’s sanctum sanctorum in 1978. However, during renovation activities in 2018, all idols were temporarily shifted to another room. While other idols were reinstated after the renovation, the Trust did not return Devi Padmavati’s idol to its original seat. Instead, plans were reportedly made to install the idol of another tirthankara in that place.
This prompted the filing of a civil suit in the name of Devi Padmavati through her devotee, Ajay Jain, seeking restoration of the idol. The trial court, however, dismissed the suit, stating that since God is omnipresent, worship could be conducted from any part of the temple, not necessarily the garbhgrah (inner sanctum).
Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani of the Delhi High Court, hearing the appeal, criticized the trial court’s reasoning, calling it “flippant” and insufficiently attentive to the religious and legal nuances of the case.
“The learned trial court has taken a very flippant view of the matter… that God is omnipresent does not in itself answer the cause of action,” Justice Bhambhani remarked. He emphasized that matters of faith must be treated with due seriousness, especially when an idol has been worshipped in a particular space for over four decades.
Acknowledging the religious and historical importance of the idol’s placement, the High Court issued an interim order mandating the Trust to leave one seat vacant in the sanctum sanctorum for Devi Padmavati’s idol. Meanwhile, the Court directed that the idol remain in the room where it was relocated and that all required rituals continue to be performed without interruption.
The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for August 28, 2025.
Advocates Sanyam Khetarpal, Prakriti Anand, and Lisa Sankrit appeared for the deity, while Neha Khanduri and Komal Sharma from Singhania & Co. represented the Trust.
