The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Monday, 30 June 2025, issued a stay order on the construction of a wedding hall funded by temple donations from the Palani Sri Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple, holding that such utilization of temple funds violates the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Act, 1959.
The order was passed by a Division Bench in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Shri Rama Ravikumar, President of the Hindu Tamizhar Katchi, challenging the legality of using ₹9.80 crore from temple funds for the construction of a commercial marriage hall.
The project was inaugurated by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and a state cabinet minister earlier this year.
The wedding hall in question was part of a broader scheme announced in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in 2022 by the Minister of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE), who proposed using around ₹80 crore from surplus temple funds for building such halls at 27 major temples across the state.
In 2022, the Tamil Nadu government announced plans to construct marriage halls using surplus funds from 27 major temples, claiming it would enhance temple revenues and benefit devotees. One such project, a ₹6 crore wedding hall at the Kallimandhaiyam Varadaraja Perumal Temple near Ottanchathiram, was also challenged in court.
The High Court had previously ruled that diverting temple funds for commercial purposes is illegal, as temples are meant solely for religious activities. Despite this, the HR&CE Department continued with the Palani temple project, prompting Rama Ravikumar’s PIL.
The PIL was heard earlier on 7 June 2025, when the bench issued an interim order declaring that the construction of wedding halls using temple funds appeared unconstitutional and asked the Commissioner of the HR&CE Department to respond. That order set the stage for the stay issued on 30 June 2025.
This marks the third time in three months that Rama Ravikumar has successfully halted illegal HR&CE projects.
Good news – Hon’ble Division Bench of Madras High Court in Madurai stayed the illegal construction of a wedding hall – sought to be constructed at a cost of ₹9.80 crores of Pazhani Sri Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple –
Hindu Tamizhar Katchi ( Hindu Tamilians Party) President Shri… pic.twitter.com/yTL6qOVnex
— trramesh (@trramesh) June 30, 2025
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