Madras High Court gives HR&CE two months to settle appeals in the Karur Kalyāṇa Paśupatīśvarar temple land case
Of 129 occupants ordered to vacate temple land, 101 have appeals pending before the HR&CE Commissioner.
- The New Indian Express
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has given the HR&CE Commissioner two months to decide pending appeals over land of the Kalyāṇa Paśupatīśvarar temple in Karur. A bench of Justices P. Velmurugan and K.K. Ramakrishnan heard a contempt petition on Thursday, 5 November.
HR&CE Commissioner T.G. Vinay appeared in person after being summoned. He assured the court that 101 revision petitions against eviction notices would be disposed of within two months.
He said the court's order would then be implemented strictly. The court dispensed with his personal appearance and listed the case for 27 November.
The Commissioner said the temple owns about 10 acres and 48 cents, and ownership of 1.51 acres is pending before the Supreme Court. Notices went to 156 persons in three batches between 2022 and 2024, and final orders were passed for 151 of them.
Of those, 22 exchanged land with the temple and 129 were directed to vacate. The contempt petition was filed in 2024 by A. Radhakrishnan, over a 15 November 2022 order to restore the temple's properties.
In October, the bench had impleaded eight senior officials, including the Revenue and Home Secretaries, DT Next reported.
Key data
Temple land about 10 acres 48 cents; 1.51 acres before the Supreme Court; 156 notices; 151 final orders; 22 land exchanges; 129 directed to vacate; 101 revision petitions; 2-month deadline; next hearing 27 Nov 2026.
Why it matters
Recovering encroached temple land protects the income that sustains worship, festivals and upkeep. The case shows the courts pressing the State to act on orders it has not carried out for years.
GK: did you know?
Section 78 of the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1959 provides for removing encroachments on the property of religious institutions.
