The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has quashed a DMK government order permitting the construction of a wedding hall using temple funds, citing misuse of religious resources.
The verdict came in response to a petition filed by Hindu Tamilar Katchi president Rama Ravikumar of Madurai. According to his petition, during the 2024 Tamil Nadu Assembly’s discussion on the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) Department’s budget, the state government announced plans to build wedding halls in 27 temples, with an allocated budget of ₹85 crore. Subsequently, official orders were issued to implement the proposal.
One such project involved constructing a wedding hall costing ₹6 crore on a 2.94-acre plot owned by the Palani Thandayuthapani Swamy Temple, located in Pothanpuli village. The petitioner argued that temple funds must be used strictly for religious purposes, temple maintenance, and the benefit of devotees, as per existing regulations. Therefore, he requested that the court nullify the government’s order and halt the proposed construction using temple finances.
In addition to this case, Ram Ravikumar filed separate petitions against similar constructions in Kallimandhaiam, Andipatti, and Uttamapalayam, all allegedly planned using the same temple’s funds. BJP district functionaries Pandithurai and Senthilkumar also challenged the use of funds from the Dindigul Abhiramiamman Temple and the Thadikombu Soundararaja Perumal Temple for constructing wedding halls.
The bench comprising Justices S.M. Subramaniam and G. Arul Murugan presided over the matter. In their ruling, the judges emphasized that temples, being important cultural and religious institutions, must be safeguarded. They stated that temple funds should be used solely for religious activities, temple-related infrastructure, and the welfare of devotees. The court further noted that using these funds to build commercial venues, including wedding halls that could be rented out for use by people of other religions, is inconsistent with the objectives of a charitable trust.
Based on these considerations, the court cancelled the government order concerning the construction of a wedding hall using temple funds.
In a related matter involving the proposed use of temple funds for constructing commercial buildings, medical colleges, and educational institutions such as arts and science colleges and polytechnics, the court directed the government counsel to furnish a copy of the relevant government order to the petitioner. The hearing for this case was adjourned to 25 August.
(With inputs from Hindu Tamil)
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