Tamil Nadu government to appoint non-hereditary trustees to 8,193 temples

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday (July 21) invited applications from eligible persons for the appointment of non-hereditary trustees to 8,193 temples functioning under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department.

The appointments will be made under Section 49(1) of the HR&CE Act for temples that do not have hereditary trustees, according to an official release.

The HR&CE Department said detailed notifications, including the list of temples, eligibility criteria and application forms, have been uploaded on its official website.

Eligible candidates may apply online or download the application form, and submit it along with the required documents.

Applications may also be submitted in person or sent by Speed Post to the office of the Assistant Commissioner of the respective district. The application has to be submitted by 5.45 pm on August 20, 2026, the department said.

It further noted that notifications had already been issued for the appointment of non-hereditary trustees to 1,012 temples and for the constitution of district-level committees in 14 districts, underscoring the government’s phased approach to strengthening temple governance and streamlining administrative oversight.