Madurai: With paid darshan becoming mandatory in many temples under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department, legal experts argue that the law does not specifically provide for collecting a fee merely to have darshan.
Advocate S. Sankaran of Madurai, who specialises in HR&CE provisions, said the Act permits temple administrations to regulate crowds, but not to classify devotees in a way that could affect their rights. He cited Section 57, which he said bars introducing new procedures that could be discriminatory or infringe devotees’ rights.
On whether temples can issue tickets by collecting money for darshan, he said they should not. However, he added that tickets can be issued based on services offered in the temple—such as archana, decoration, providing items for festivals, clothing, garlands and other service-related offerings.
He further contended that since the HR&CE Act has no separate provision for “special paid darshan”, VIP darshan should also not be practised in temples. He said temples are not places to exercise authority and urged the government to review the continuation of paid and VIP darshan, adding that courts may be needed to address the current situation.
