It is the first time in 1200 years that a sadhvi has made the claim .

HARIDWAR: For the first time since Adi Shankaracharya founded the four highest seats of Hinduism (peeth) in the country in the 8th century AD, a sadhvi (woman ascetic) from Nepal has staked claim to the Jyotish Peeth of Uttarakhand. Sadhvi Hemanand Giri , who is also the first seer from outside India to do so, is among the four candidates shortlisted from among 200 applications for appointment to the high religious office.

Now, Bharat Dharma Mahamandal, the apex body of Indian sadhus, as well as Kashi Vidwatparishad, which is entitled to appoint a shankaracharya as per provisions of the Mathamnaya Mahanushasan, a book written by Adi Shankaracharya containing guidelines for the appointment of seers and to resolve territorial disputes among maths, will take a final decision after considering qualities of the shortlisted candidates.

The appointment has been necessitated following an order of the Allahabad high court in September this year, which asked the Bharat Dharma Mahamandal and Kashi Vidwatparishad to select a qualified saint to head the Jyotish Peeth after discussions with the remaining three shankaracharyas.

While shankaracharyas traditionally appoint their successors, the HC order came following a long legal tussle over control of the Jyotish Peeth that began in 1953. The court in its recent verdict dismissed the claims of both Swami Swaroopannd and Swami Vasudevanand to the peeth and directed the two bodies to appoint a new shankaracharya. Swaroopanand was asked to continue to head the peeth until the selection of a new shankaracharya was completed.

Of around 200 applications received for the post, the credentials of only four were found worthy at a meeting of Bharat Dharma Mahamandal held on December 20. The body will meet again on January 15 to discuss the matter.

According to sources in the Dharma Mahamandal, Sadhvi Hemanand Giri, who is a mahamandaleshwar (a senior ascetic in charge of several akharas) and heads the Vedic Surya Shivanay Math in Gauriganj (Nepal’s Jhapa district) that is linked to Allahabad’s famous Juna akhara, is under active consideration. However, another group of ascetics believes that she is ineligible for the post because she is not a dandi sanyasi – one with the wooden staff given by a panel of the most senior ascetics.

“Being a dandi swami is an important eligibility for a shankaracharya. As a woman ascetic cannot be a dandi swami, Sadhvi Hemanand is not eligible for the post. Besides, there is neither a precedent in the matter, nor does the Mathamnaya mention that a woman seer can be appointed as shankaracharya,” Swami Avimukteshwaranand, a disciple of Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand, told TOI.

According to sources, the three other candidates are Acharya Devavrat (Ludhiana), Tryumbakeshwar Chaitanya ( Rajasthan ) and Divyya Chaitanya (Varanasi).