Dehradun: A district judge in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag has refused to stay a civil court order protecting the customary rights of the Panch Panda Rudrapur Samiti priests at the Kedarnath temple, maintaining the status quo in a dispute with the Badri Kedar Temple Committee (BKTC).On May 25, a civil judge had directed the BKTC “not to interfere” with the samiti priests’ right to enter the sanctum sanctorum with their yajmans (patrons) to perform rituals such as abhishek, sankalp, rudra-path and parikrama, and to accept dakshina and gifts.Challenging the order, the BKTC argued that under the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Act, 1939, offerings made in the sanctum sanctorum belong to the committee and that worship there can be performed only by authorised priests. It also contended that the lower court’s order could disrupt temple administration and sought a stay pending appeal.The district judge declined to stay the civil court’s order while the appeal is pending, observing that the lower court had passed its order after a detailed analysis of the oral evidence led by both sides and earlier judgments of the Supreme Court and the Uttarakhand high court.The court also noted that BKTC witness Deepak Panwar admitted in his testimony that Tirth Purohits perform Rudri-path for their patrons and are entitled to accept voluntary dakshina offered by devotees. Holding that there were no justifiable grounds to stay the lower court’s order at this stage, the district judge fixed July 21 for final arguments on the BKTC’s stay application.The Panch Panda priests, originally from Rudrapur, hold customary rights related to the performance and management of rituals at Kedarnath. They also participate in ceremonial processions, including those held during the winter closure of the Kedarnath shrine and the Bhairavnath temple.