From Ndtv · · 1m 30s
Supreme Court Stays Order On Board, Not Community Of Priests
Supreme Court halts Tamil Nadu temple administration transfer to board, preserving priest community's role.
In brief
Supreme Court halts Tamil Nadu temple administration transfer to board, preserving priest community's role. Supreme Court stays Madras High Court order that would transfer Lord Nataraja temple management in Chidambaram from hereditary priests to a five-member board. Originally reported by Ndtv.
Supreme Court Stays Order
The Supreme Court has stayed a Madras High Court order directing parts of Lord Nataraja temple administration in Tamil Nadu's Chidambaram to be transferred from hereditary priests to a five-member board.
Temple Management Dispute
Hereditary priests challenged the government's 2022 order allowing devotees to pray from the Kanakasabha platform, arguing it infringed their constitutional right to manage religious affairs.
High Court Ruling
The Madras High Court upheld the government's order but noted modern construction damaged parts of the temple and required examination of temple accounts and property records.
Board Composition
The court directed a five-member board with two retired high court judges, a retired IAS officer, the Podhu Dikshitars secretary, and the state's Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department secretary.
Priests' Legal Argument
Senior Advocate CS Vaidyanathan argued the high court went beyond the darshan dispute and stripped the Podhu Dikshitars of full temple administration rights.
State Government Response
The government cited a Heritage Commission report documenting temple structural changes and expressed concerns about temple accounts, urging interim relief deferment.
Supreme Court Decision
The bench stayed the Madras High Court order, ruling that the impugned judgment should be set aside pending further review.
The headline
Supreme Court stays Madras High Court order that would transfer Lord Nataraja temple management in Chidambaram from hereditary priests to a five-member board.
