HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Telangana High Court, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti, has issued directives that the Bonalu festival, scheduled for Sunday and Monday, will be celebrated according to the traditional customs of the Sri Simhavahini Mahankali Temple in Lal Darwaza, Hyderabad.
The bench also mandated that any funds collected during the festival be deposited into a new bank account operated solely by the Assistant Commissioner of the Endowments Department, Hyderabad.
This decision came in response to a writ appeal filed by the Simhavahini Mahankali Temple Trust. The appeal challenged an order dated July 12, issued by a single judge in a writ petition filed by a devotee. It addressed allegations of misappropriation and mismanagement of temple funds and called for action based on a report submitted by the assistant endowments commissioner on February 1, which highlighted irregularities.
The single judge had directed the respondent authorities to streamline operations and prevent further misappropriation by opening a new bank account in the temple’s name. The temple trust, however, claimed that the single judge’s order was issued without giving them an opportunity to be heard, thus violating principles of natural justice. Senior Counsel for the trust argued that while it had been named in the proceedings, it was not given a chance to address the allegations.
The high court has instructed the endowments authorities to ensure that the funds collected during the Bonalu festival are managed as per the new directives. The outcome of the writ petition will determine the final entitlement to these funds.