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Madurai bench of Madras HC slams HR&CE for allowing shops on temple premises

The Madras High Court’s Madurai Bench reprimanded the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department for allowing shops to operate on temple premises in the state, claiming that this not only jeopardizes temple safety and sanctity but is also the main reason for temples being starved of funds.

A Bench comprising Justices TS Sivagnanam and S Ananthi said, “The authorities, unmindful of the heritage value of various temples, license and lease out the temple property as well as the praharams and verandas of the temples to traders to carry on trading activity by selling articles which are unrelated and unconnected with the temple and the devotees. These shops have virtually become shopping centers, if not, shopping malls.” Even after the fire at Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple in Madurai in 2018, people have not learned their lesson, Judges claimed.

The judges pointed out that the deplorable state of affairs in Tamil Nadu temples is the fault of various people, not simply the HR and CE departments. “Lessees (of shops in temples) are one of the main persons to be blamed for the temples being left without sufficient funds. Several cases are filed before this Court by the lessees claiming that they are entitled to continue indefinitely in temple property by paying a paltry sum as rent or license fee, ” they observed.

The comments were made lately in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by K Suresh regarding the performing of pujas in Kanniyakumari’s Adikesava temple. Suresh, who is also the Vice President of the Dharma Sena, wants specific Mutts to do puja and rites in the temple. The judges, however, ruled that the court could not decide the case and directed him to the appropriate forum.

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