CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday formed a Board of Management, led by a retired HC judge, to take over the administration of the Chidambaram (Thillai) Natarajar temple and “restore its lost glory” after finding that the Podhu Dikshitars, who were handling the affairs of the temple, had mismanaged it.
The court also upheld the May 17, 2022, order of the TN Tourism, Culture and Religious Endowments department, which provided for all the devotees, without discrimination, to climb upon the ‘Kanagasabai’ and offer worship.
The bench directed the board to ensure, in consultation with the Podhu Dikshitars, “fair and equal opportunity” to the general public to have darshan of Sri Sabanayagar and Sivagami Ammal at Kanagasabai by climbing atop it. Devotees, if they wish to “sing rhymes or recite slogans”, can do so by standing below the Kanagasabai, the HC said.
The orders were passed on Friday by a division bench of Justices G Jayachandran and E Manoharan on the petitions filed by the Podhu Dikshitars, temple activist TR Ramesh, of Chennai, and K Rajasekhar of Cuddalore district.
Board told to take steps to retrieve temple properties
They challenged the constitutionality of the 2022 GO. There were also some other petitions filed against and in support of the GO. The bench remarked that it is “disheartening” to see the manner in which the Podhu Dikshitars have ill-maintained the temple and the accounts of income were not disclosed. It stressed the need for preventing deterioration in maintenance and preservation of the heritage structures and retrieving the temple properties.
“Hence, the way forward to rectify the malady in the administration of the temple, which is revered by all Hindus, a transparent administration which can eradicate the prevailing mal-administration is necessary. Therefore, we constitute a Board of Management consisting of domain experts, who will take over the administration, till the ill is cured,” the bench said.
Retired HC judges V Bharathidasan and R Suresh Kumar have been appointed as chairman and co-chairman of the board of management and retired IAS officer C Rajendran will be a member. Secretaries of Podhu Dikshitar and the HR&CE department are the ex-officio members.
The court directed the board to take steps for retrieving the temple properties that are under encroachment with the assistance of the district administration and remove unnecessary constructions inside the temple with the help of the TN Heritage Commission and renovate the temple by getting advice from experts.
The board is also directed to take an inventory of movables and valuables and secure the missing valuables, if any. The bench stated that the Dikshitars have ‘converted the temple premises into a food court’ by permitting usage of dining halls inside the temples for non-religious and commercial activities.
The bench made it clear that daily rituals and periodical festivals are the exclusive prerogative of the Podhu Dikshitars and they shall be conducted without violating the established customs and practices.