Devotees and the National Hindu Temple Federation (NHTF) have urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay and HR&CE Minister Ramesh to take steps to recover hundreds of grounds of land allegedly belonging to the Akilandeswari Sumetha Agatheeswarar Temple in Nungambakkam, Chennai, as reported in Organiser.
The federation has claimed that over 450 grounds of temple land were gradually alienated over several decades, allegedly with the involvement of former trustees and officials of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department.
The NHTF has specifically sought the recovery of around 415 grounds of land. One ground is equivalent to 2,400 square feet.
R. Amalraj, an office-bearer of the federation, alleged that the individuals who dealt with the temple properties were not hereditary trustees. According to him, despite this having allegedly been established earlier, members of one family have continued to claim trustee status while dealing with portions of the temple property.
He also alleged that pattas had subsequently been issued by the Revenue Department to individuals for land that the federation claims belongs to the temple.
A representative of the Bharat Hindu Religious and Charitable Society alleged that properties including an old vegetable market and a school had been lost over the years through illegal sale.
The Agatheeswarar Temple is also regarded as a family deity by several families, the representative said. Many of these families have since moved to other cities but reportedly return to the temple during its annual festival.
The federation further alleged that occupants of temple properties had failed to pay rent, resulting in arrears running into several crores of rupees. In some cases, it claimed, there were no lease documents establishing how the occupants came into possession of the properties.
Madras HC Seeks Details On Temple Land
The NHTF has pointed to proceedings before the Madras High Court concerning the temple’s properties.
In July, the court directed the HR&CE Department to submit details on the extent of land recorded as belonging to the temple, properties sold under Section 34 of the HR&CE Act and lands dealt with under Section 9 of the Madras City Tenants’ Protection Act.
The court also sought details of the purchasers and dates of sale, the extent of land under encroachment and steps taken to remove such encroachments, as well as the area currently in the temple’s possession.
During a subsequent hearing, the HR&CE Department sought additional time to file its report.
Dispute Over Temple Pond And TVK Office
Meanwhile, residents have raised objections over the presence of a TVK party office at a temple pond in Jothi Nagar, Bharaniputhur, in the Ayyappanthangal area.
Residents alleged that work to renovate the Agatheeswarar temple pond had commenced without first clearing encroachments around it.
They said they had repeatedly approached the Kundrathur Taluk administration seeking restoration of the pond, which had remained in poor condition for a long period.
The pond is reportedly being used for dumping waste and the discharge of sewage. Residents have also alleged that temporary huts that had come up along the pond’s banks are gradually being replaced with concrete structures.
The Federation of Consumer Organisations Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry had also approached the Revenue Department seeking removal of encroachments, including the structure identified as the TVK office.
The issue has gained significance because a private automobile manufacturer had announced in August 2025 that it intended to undertake renovation of the pond using ₹97 lakh from its corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds.
Resident associations have maintained that encroachments should first be removed before any renovation work is undertaken.
Temple Tenants Seek Implementation Of GO 85
The dispute over temple properties comes amid a separate demand from tenants occupying temple-owned residential properties.
Tenants have urged Chief Minister Vijay to intervene and implement Government Order 85, issued by the previous DMK government on 17 February 2026, which deals with rent fixation for residential properties belonging to temples.
Representatives of the Tamil Nadu temple-property residents’ federation have claimed that the order could directly benefit nearly 20 lakh families.
This wholly illegal Government Order No. 85 and which is totally against the interest of Hindu Temples was brought by DMK regime just before Assembly elections were announced in Tamil Nadu early this year.
Why is the @TVKVijayHQ Govt continuing this illegal G.O. ? Where is… pic.twitter.com/rFqed0y1Gr
— trramesh (@trramesh) September 14, 2026
Federation president V.A. Balasubramaniam said the order followed detailed deliberations and urged the present TVK government to examine its provisions and assess their implications before taking a decision.
Another representative said temple authorities should undertake a comprehensive survey of properties to identify cases involving subletting and sub-sale and bring such properties under the proper rental system.
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