On July 11, a cultural program was held at the Rajangana of Udupi Sri Krishna Math, where allegedly abusive remarks were made against Adi Shankaracharya. The controversy surrounding this incident has continued on social media despite the math expressing regret, the artistes apologizing publicly, and scholars appealing for restraint. The Rajangana is a cultural platform of Udupi Sri Krishna Math where various cultural programs are held every evening by artistes from within and outside the state.
According to Pejawar Math, the cultural troupe was given permission to perform Bharatanatyam for one hour and Hariseva for one hour. However, during the performance of the Harikatha ‘Bhakta Prahlada’, allegedly abusive remarks were made against Adi Shankaracharya. Dr. Udaya Kumar Saralathaya, the Dewan of Pejawar Math, stated in a release that the math had given permission for the Bharatanatyam program by Ankit Naik and Gauri Pandurangi, but was not aware of the abusive remarks made during the Harikatha performance.
The artistes later apologized through a video message, stating that they had no intention of insulting Adi Shankaracharya or hurting the sentiments of any religious community. The script for the Harikatha was based on information available in books, but the artistes apologized if their performance had caused any unintended hurt. Scholar Raghavendra Bhat, who had initially considered taking legal action, decided to bring the matter to the attention of Pejawar Math instead. After speaking with the math’s Dewan, the artistes apologized, and the math expressed regret over the incident.
Despite this, the controversy has continued on social media, with some defending the Harikatha performance and others criticizing it. A person named ‘Vivek’ on social media defended the performance, stating that the remarks made were in line with the principles of the Madhwa tradition. However, others have expressed concern that such posts are reigniting the controversy and spreading misinformation. Some have also shared a video of a singer performing a bhajan praising Shankaracharya at the same Rajangana, highlighting the contradictions in the controversy.
Image for illustration purposes only
📰 Source: Vartha Bharati Udupi