The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has sought a response from the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) Department on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition challenging a circular that prohibits the inclusion of caste names in temple festival invitations.
The PIL was filed by G. Ramalingam, a devotee of the historic Baskareswarar Temple in Thanjavur, which was established over 1,100 years ago during the Chola period. According to the petitioner, the 10-day annual festival currently underway at the temple faced an unexpected hurdle when organizers became aware of the HR & CE circular restricting the mention of caste or family names of sponsors in invitation materials.
Ramalingam contended that the practice of including such names has been a long-standing tradition and an integral part of temple customs. He argued that the circular infringes upon these age-old practices and cited that it was issued following a Madras High Court order related to the Pattukkottai Nadiamman temple festival. However, he pointed out that the Supreme Court has already stayed that specific order on 24 March 2025.
In light of this, the petitioner urged the High Court to stay or quash the circular. While the division bench declined to stay the circular’s operation, it directed the HR & CE Department to file a detailed response within four weeks.
(With inputs from The New Indian Express)
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