Supreme Court sets new worship norms, only RO water to be used for Lord Mahakal

In a bid to to preserve the Jyotirlinga at the famous Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain, the Supreme Court approved new worship norms today.

As part of new rules, only half a litre of RO water can be used by each devotee for 'jal abhishek'.

The top court also ruled that sugar, milk, curd cannot be smeared on the deity.

The apex court's ruling came after the Ujjaini Vidwat Parishad, a group intellectuals  had said that the Jyotirlinga had shrunk due to excessive 'bhaang shingar' and panchamrit (the combination of milk, curd, ghee, honey and sugar).

In total, the court has approved eight rules that must be follwoed during the worship and offerings being made to Lord Mahkaal.

They include: 500 ML RO water sanctioned for jal abhishek for each devotee, during 'bhasm aarti', the deity must be covered with cotton cloth,  each devotee can make panchamrit or milk offering in set quantity; sugar powder can't be smeared on the deity; fans and dryers to be installed in the sanctum sanctorum to contain adverse effect of the moisture; flower offering to to be made only on top part of the Jyotirlinga, the sanctum to be cleaned after 5 PM everyday, only dry offerings can be made to Lord Mahakaal after 5 PM.

Right-wing groups are up in arms and called the ruling as judicial overreach.

63 million don't have access to safe drinking water

According to a report by Water Aid, a global advocacy group, 63.4 million people living in rural India don't have access to safe drinking water.

India has worst drinking water safety record in the world.

“With 27 out of 35 states and union territories in India disaster-prone, the poorest and the most marginalised will bear the brunt of extreme weather events and climate change and will find it the hardest to adapt,” VK Madhavan, chief executive, Water Aid India had said.