MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has ordered interim injunction restraining the operation of a government order (GO) that transferred control of Yathri Nivas cottage complexes - built using surplus temple funds - across the state to the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC).
Justice G R Swaminathan passed the order on a petition filed by S Vijaynarayanan, manager of a religious mutt in Chennai, who sought to quash the April 26, 2024 GO issued by the Tourism, Culture and Religious Endowments department.
The petitioner stated that during a recent visit to the Subramaniya Swamy temple in Tiruchendur, he and his friend had stayed at ‘Hotel Alayam’ of the temple. However, he came to know that the hotel was actually one of the Yathri Nivas built from crores of surplus temple funds for providing affordable lodging to pilgrims.
However, based on said GO, the HR&CE department handed over several such cottage complexes to TTDC, which has started operating them as commercial hotels collecting exorbitant charges, he alleged, adding that this causes prejudice to the rights of the devotees and pilgrims for whom the complexes were established.
Stating that the GO is in violation of the HR&CE Act which prohibits commercial exploitation of temple properties, he requested the court to quash the order and retransfer the cottages to the respective temple trustees or fit persons.