Madras High Court Scrutinizes Reassignment of 3,000 Acres of Karur Temple Lands
A public interest litigation alleges the HR&CE department illegally lifted registration bans to transfer Devadanam properties to thousands of private individuals. The case highlights concerns over the alienation of ancient endowments spread across 15 villages in the Karur district.
Legal Challenge Contests Mass Transfer of Devadanam Holdings
The Madras High Court is set to review a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the administrative decision to release 3,084.95 acres of temple-endowed lands in Karur district. The petition, brought by Chengalpattu-based cable TV operator P. Bhaskar via counsel B. Jagannath, alleges that the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department improperly lifted a long-standing registration ban on these properties.
Devadanam lands represent historical endowments gifted by monarchs to specific Hindu temples. While temple servants and their descendants were traditionally permitted to cultivate this land under conditional ryotwari patta, the petitioner argues the legal title must stay with the religious institutions. Under Section 22A of the Registration Act, authorities are empowered to block the sale of such assets to prevent permanent alienation from the temple estates.
Rapid Bureaucratic Movement and Political Ties
The litigation traces a swift sequence of events that occurred in early July 2026. On July 9, the Karur Collector recommended removing registration restrictions for vast tracts held by four major religious sites. The HR&CE Commissioner reportedly approved the request that same day, impacting land across 15 villages and 471 survey numbers currently occupied by ,3390 ryotwari pattadars.
Key temples affected by this decision include:
- Venjamangudalur Vikrutheeswarar Temple: 2,533.65 acres
- Pugazhimalai Balasubramaniam Temple: 214.29 acres
- Karur Kalyanapasupatheeswarar Temple: 204.52 acres
- Kuppusipalayam Raveeswarar Temple: 132.49 acres
Allegations of Secularism Breaches
The petitioner links the timing of these orders to Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s visit to Karur on July 10. The affidavit suggests that a request by former Minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar to finalize these land transfers was granted immediately. Furthermore, the petition claims a significant number of beneficiaries are non-Hindus, arguing that gifting temple-specific endowments to diverse groups constitutes a breach of faith and undermines constitutional secularism.
Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan are scheduled to preside over the admission of the case on Monday, July 27, 2026.
Source: The Hindu — Cities
