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“The overwhelming number of matters and the extent of interest shown in temple affairs are somewhat baffling,” the Madras High Court bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice P.D.Audikesavalu observed in a recent decision. The Court was hearing a petition which sought appointment of guards at temples run by the TN Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department. Though the Court said that even though it appears that  not everything may be good with the HR & CE Department and its supervision of temples, the Court cannot get into the complexities of temple affairs.

Calling the petition ‘ambitious’, the Court observed that such a wide and generic issue can not be settled by way of a public interest litigation. Further, it is not advisable for the State to install a watchmen cadre for all the HR & CE monitored temples in the State, the Court observed. The Court stated:

“A temple complex requires watchmen or security guards or the like, is a decision pertaining to the administration of the relevant temple which has to be taken by the persons in administration thereof. Ordinarily, the administration is conducted by the trustees at a temple in conjunction with a fit person who may have been appointed in respect of the temple or the Commissioner of the HR & CE Department.”

"There are other pressing issues which can be taken up by public spirited citizens instead of concentrating on temples and religion,” the bench also noted, according to the Indian Express.

The Court said that repeated directions have been issued to the State to protect the assets of the temples, including the land, which may form part of the properties of relevant temples.

The Bench also referred to the recent decision wherein court has required the temple gold not to be sold or melted before trustees are installed at the temples.

Case Title: Ayya Vs. Government of Tamil Nadu & Ors.