Panel to decide on essential repair work in temples

First bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan dealing with as many as 13 pleas including that of the Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple in Srirangam seeking to undertake renovations owing to the ensuing Kumbabishegam, said, “Individual temples are seeking to carry out what they call essential works. As to what is essential work is itself causing concern due to difference of perception. We are thus of the view that appropriate course would be to appoint a committee of experts who would consider the individual applications of temples to decide what would be essential work to avoid unnecessary delay in this aspect as well as multiplicity of proceedings.” 

Based on a plea by a Srirangam resident Rangarajan Narasimhan to safeguard the Sri Ranganatha Swamy temple recognised by UNESCO as a monument of historical and architectural importance, the High Court had suo motu taken cognisance of similar such situations prevailing in other temples maintained by HR&CE.