The Tamil Nadu government’s Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department’s announcement of a ₹200 crore, 20-year development plan for the Tiruvannamalai Arunachaleswarar Temple has come under fire from temple activists and legal observers, who have raised serious questions about the legality of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department’s continued administrative role at the temple.
At a recent review meeting chaired by Ministers P.K. Sekarbabu (HR&CE) and E.V. Velu (Public Works), the state outlined several changes, including a hike in special darshan fees (from ₹50 to ₹100) and abhishekam charges (from ₹2,500 to ₹5,000), as well as infrastructural improvements such as LED screens, crowd management systems, a PRO appointment, and a proposed ban on mobile phones inside the temple premises. Work on the ₹200 crore master plan is expected to begin by the end of this year.
However, temple activists have pushed back strongly, challenging the very authority under which the HR&CE Department and state ministers are taking such decisions. They allege that the department’s control over the temple is based on a series of illegal administrative extensions and has been repeatedly struck down by constitutional courts.
Temple activist TR Ramesh challenged the authority of the HR&CE department and asked, “Under which provision of the HR&CE Act, 1959 these ministers are inspecting Sri Arunachaleswarar Temple and taking decisions for which they have no powers under the Act? Under HR&CE Dept’s administration, Sri Arunachaleswarar Temple lost Rs. 7000 Crores worth Properties in Chennai and other places to chronic encroachment. Temple Lands in Holy Arunachala Hill are under encroachment. These are the achievements of the HR&CE Department’s 70+ years of fraudulent control of the temple.”
He further stated, “The @tnhrcedept is controlling Sri Arunachaleswarar Temple administration by multiple Frauds.
Fraud No. 1. The notification of the temple came to an end on 13.12.1951 by an order of the Hon’ble Division Bench of Madras High Court. If the Dept had any sense of shame or propriety they should have gone out of the temple in 1951 itself.
Fraud No. 2. On 16.04.1954 – 7 Judges of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India upheld the order of the Madras High Court – Even then in 1954 the @tnhrcedept did NOT get out of Sri Arunachaleswarar Temple
Fraud No. 3. The TN Govt fraudulently “extended” the non-existing notifications of 45 temples including Sri Arunachaleswarar Temple in Aug and Sept 1956. On 10.02.1965 Supreme Court quashed the G.O. that “extended” the notifications.
Fraud No. 4. TN Govt fraudulently introduced Section 75-A in the HR&CE Act “extending” the notification of temples for one more year. Hon’ble Division Bench of MHC on 22.12.1993 declared that Section 75-A fails Judicial scrutiny. Still the Dept did not go out of 45 temples.
Fraud No. 5. Hon’ble Supreme Court on 27.02.2002 dismissed the SLP filed by @tnhrcedept Commissioner – Again the fraudsters did not go out of the temple. My PIL filed in 2020 before Madras High Court is still pending final adjudication. I shall move the Hon’ble Court for early hearing to remove the fraudsters from the Temple – Lock, stock and Barrel”
Under which provision of the HR&CE Act, 1959 these ministers are inspecting Sri Arunachaleswarar Temple and taking decisions for which they have no powers under the Act?
Under HR&CE Dept's administration, Sri Arunachaleswarar Temple lost Rs. 7000 Crores worth Properties in… https://t.co/Ld2l9T88zQ
— trramesh (@trramesh) July 18, 2025
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