High Court stays HR&CE circular on temples’ Agama rules

CHENNAI: The acting Chief Justice’s bench of Madras High Court on Thursday stayed a circular issued by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department commissioner to several temples for knowing those temples’ Agama details.

Heading the bench along with D Bharatha Chakravarthy, acting CJ T Raja passed the direction on hearing a petition filed by TR Ramesh, president of Indic Collective Trust.

He wanted the court to quash the circular with 50 questionnaires issued by the HR&CE commissioner to get the temples’ Agama rules.

Ramesh submitted that the HR&CE commissioner’s November 4 circular is against the August 22 order of the Madras High Court.

“When petitions were filed before the Madras HC challenging the decision of qualified archakas, the court passed an order saying that if the temple was built under an Agama, the arachakas’ appointment should be made as per the Agama of the temple. The HC also directed the State to form a committee headed by a retired judge and to appoint ex-officio members to ascertain the Agamas of temples,” the petitioner submitted.

Ramesh added that while the court has passed this order, the HR&CE commissioner had sent the circular to temples asking them about the Agama rules implemented in those temples.

“This supersedes the role of the expert committee and it’s illegal and contemptuous,” Ramesh noted.

Recording the submissions, the bench stayed the circular and adjourned the matter for 4 weeks with a direction to the State to file its response.