The Himachal Pradesh High Court has ruled that temple funds cannot be diverted, transmitted, or donated to government welfare schemes or activities unrelated to temples or religion, emphasizing that donations are made by devotees with the expectation that they will be used for deities, temple maintenance, and promotion of Sanatana Dharma.
A division bench comprising Justices Vivek Singh Thakur and Rakesh Kainthla delivered a detailed 38-page judgment on Friday (10 October 2025), which was made public on Tuesday (14 October 2025), while disposing of a civil writ petition seeking proper utilisation of temple funds under the Hindu Public Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act, 1984.
The court clarified that temple funds must be strictly used for the care and maintenance of deities, upkeep of temple spaces, and promotion of Sanatana Dharma. Observing the sanctity of devotees’ contributions, the bench stated: “The devotees offer donations to temples and through them to the divine with the clear belief that these would be used only for care of deities, maintaining temple spaces and promotion of Sanatana Dharma, and when the government appropriates these sacred offerings, it betrays that trust.”
The court stressed that every rupee of temple funds must be used exclusively for religious purposes or dharmic charity and cannot be treated like general state revenue. It listed specific instances where temple funds cannot be spent, including construction of roads, bridges, and public buildings intended for the state; government welfare schemes; investment in private businesses or industries for profit; purchase of vehicles for commissioners, temple officers, or others; and buying gifts or mementoes for VIP visitors, including chunni (scarf) and prasadam.
Temple officers and commissioners may claim reimbursement for legitimate temple-related expenses, but only at government rates for official vehicle use. To ensure transparency, the court directed all temples to publicly display monthly income and expenditure, projected funds from donations, and audit summaries on temple notice boards.
The bench clarified that temple trustees are custodians, with the deity recognized as a juristic person and the funds belonging to the deity, not the government. Any misuse of funds would constitute criminal breach of trust, and trustees found misutilising funds would be personally liable for recovery.
The petition was filed by Kashmir Chand Shadyal, seeking directions for strict compliance with statutory provisions regarding budget preparation, account maintenance, and expenditure under the 1984 Act. The court issued comprehensive instructions to prevent diversion of temple funds and safeguard the trust of devotees.
(Source: Law Trend)
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