In another setback to attempts at modern construction in ancient temples, a Division Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday, 29 May 2026, restrained civil works at the Sri Venkatesa Perumal Temple in Mondippalayam, Tiruppur district, insisting that no modern structures can proceed without prior clearance from the Tamil Nadu Heritage Commission.
The latest order comes on a petition filed by Hindu devotee P. Bhaskar, who in January 2025 secured a landmark ruling from the High Court quashing a proposal to build a commercial shopping complex using surplus funds and land of Arulmigu Nandeeswarar Thirukoil at Nandivaram, Chengalpattu. In that case, a Bench categorically held that surplus temple funds can be used only for purposes specified in Section 66(1), 36‑A and 36‑B of the HR&CE Act, and that constructing shopping complexes does not fall within those statutory purposes.
According to temple‑rights activist TR Ramesh, the Division Bench hearing Bhaskar’s Mondippalayam plea has now applied the court’s earlier Heritage Commission orders to this specific ancient temple. In January, a Special Bench comprising Justices R. Suresh Kumar and S. Sounthar had imposed a state‑wide ban on construction and renovation in ancient temples until the Tamil Nadu government fully constitutes the Heritage Commission and obtains its approval for any civil works.
According to the X post made by temple activist TR Ramesh on Friday’s hearing, the Division Bench reiterated that, in terms of that Special Bench order, no civil works can proceed in ancient temples without Heritage Commission permission, and made it clear that this restriction squarely applies to the Sri Venkatesa Perumal Temple at Mondippalayam. As a result, ongoing or proposed modern constructions at the temple cannot move forward until the statutory body scrutinises and clears the project.
Bhaskar was represented in court by advocate B Jagannath, who is understood to have relied on a string of temple‑protection precedents, including the 2025 Bhaskar shopping‑complex ruling itself, Supreme Court orders in matters pursued by activist TR Ramesh, and the Heritage Commission stay orders of the Madras High Court.
Taken together, the 2025 shopping‑complex verdict, the state‑wide Heritage Commission stay, and Friday’s Mondippalayam order signal a tightening judicial line: temple funds and properties cannot be freely commercialised, and “development” projects in ancient shrines will be frozen unless they pass both statutory scrutiny and heritage‑protection tests.
Third good news today for Temple Worshippers from Madras High Court!
Hindu Devotee Shri P. Baskar – who in Jan 2025 had obtained a landmark order against building Shopping Complexes with Temple funds and properties-
Today he obtained a significant order from the… pic.twitter.com/eZehnsnI2k
— trramesh (@trramesh) May 29, 2026
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