JUDGMENT.-The defendant in O.S. No-115 of 1972 on the file of the Court of the District Munsif of Pudukottai has preferred this second appeal against the reversing judgment of the District Judge of Pudukottai in A.S. No. 253 of 1974. The suit relates to the performance of the annual Gurupuja festival and customary functions of Sri Suruli Andavar in the village of Vadugapatti.

2. The case of the respondent Sangham, who is the plaintiff, was that one Suruli Andavar Swamigal, who was known in his purvasramam as Palaniandia Pillai was a noble and eminent saint and had a lot of devotees and worshippers before he attained samadhi. Suruli Andavar Swamigal was a bachelor and after he attained mukthi, his followers and worshippers built a samadhi for him at Vadugapatti in Kulathur taluk about thirty-five years ago. A lingam was installed over the samadhi. On one side of the samadhi a Vinayakar temple has been built and on the other side the sacred Vel of Lord Subramania has been installed. Ever since the construction of the samadhi, the Gurupuja for Sri Suruli Andavar was being performed on a grand scale by a large section of the public who constituted bis devotees and worshippers. It was th

Click Here to Read the rest of this document