On the 7th of January, the Supreme Court allowed a final opportunity for the Karnataka government to take a decision regarding the worship rights at the holy shrine Datta Peeta of Bababudangiri in Chikkamagaluru district, which is worshipped by both Hindus and Muslims. The court directed the Karnataka government to make its decision within the next 8 weeks and said that if the state of Karnataka fails to do so, it “would be liable to pay costs as would be determined by the Court.”
CJI Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan were hearing the challenge to the Karnataka High Court order, which rejected the State’s decision in March 2018 to allow only a Mujawar (Muslim Priest) to execute the rites at the Datta Peeta.
The High Court division bench of Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Vijaykumar A Patil dismissed the appeals challenging the order of a single bench that set aside the state government’s decision, citing “flagrant violation of the rights of both communities guaranteed by Article 25 of the Constitution of India.”
As reported earlier, back in 2021, the Karnataka High Court had ordered the state government to appoint a Hindu priest at Datta Peeta. It also quashed an order dated March 19, 2018, by the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government which had permitted the appointment of only a Mujawar (Muslim priest) selected by Shah Khadri to enter the sanctum of the Sri Guru Dattatreya Swamy Peeta cave. The Mujawar was also made to distribute ‘teertha’ or holy water to both Hindus and Muslims and perform other Hindu rituals.
During the hearing on 7th January 2025, the Karnataka government’s counsel informed the court that As far as the shrine is (concerned), the Hindus are being led by a Hindu Pujari and the Muslims are concerned, there is a Mujawar that is taking care of the Muslim rituals.”
The court cited the sensitivity of the matter and extended the time for the Karnataka government to review its decision and notify the court of the same within the next 8 weeks. The next hearing on the matter will be held in March 2025.
“Whatever it is, some decisions are difficult, we are not saying they aren’t difficult…..we extend the time for deciding terms of Order dated 25th of January, 2024,” the bench said.
According to the order dated the 25th of January 2024, the Karnataka government was granted time to submit a report/decision on this issue. “It is submitted on behalf of the State of Karnataka that a Cabinet Sub Committee has been constituted and they are deliberating on dispute forming the core of the present special leave petition,” the court order read.
What is the controversy?
Sri Guru Dattathreya Swamy Peeta is located on the Chandra Drona Range at Bababudangiri Hills in Karnataka’s Chikmagalur district. A sacred place for Hindus, it is said that the first Guru, Dattatreya, chanted the Vedas for his disciples at this very place.
“The Mysuru Wodeyars and Rani Keladi Channamma donated 200 acres to the cave shrine to conduct Trikala Pooja,” VHP Kshetriya Sanchalak Suryanarayan had informed while talking about the significance of the place.

Whereas, the Muslims claim it to be the place of Dada Hayat Mir Qualandar and refer it to as “Sree Gurudattathreya Bababudnaswamy Dargha.” They believe that the saint took up residence here more than 150 years ago and brought coffee seeds for the first time to India from Yemen.
However, the controversy around the peetha began when the temple in 1975 was handed over by the state government to the Wakf board from the Muzrai Department, just before the Emergency was declared in the country.
Before that, it was a major Muzarai temple under the Mysore Religious and Charitable Institutions Act, of 1927, according to court documents.
What did the Endowment commissioners’ report say?
The High Court in its order stated that as per the annual report of the Mysuru Archeological Department, 1932, Shri Guru Dattatreya Swami Peetha is a small cave in Baba Budangiri, which is sacred to both Hindus and Mohammadans. The Endowment commissioner’s report recorded Shri Dattatreya as the son of Sage Athri by his virtuous wife Anasuya and embodiment of the Hindu trinity, the gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
It further said that 1,861 acres of land were granted to Shri Dattatreya Devaru and 111.25 acres to Shri Baba Budan Dharga separately by the then Maharaja of Mysore. This Endowment commissioner report was submitted on March 10, 2010, before the Supreme Court. It suggested that a Hindu priest should be appointed by the management committee of the shrine.
The controversy once again picked up steam in 2018, just before the Karnataka state assembly elections, when the BJP accused Congress of pandering to minority voters by ordering the compulsory appointment of a Mujawar for the peeta.