Court direction on temple administration
The Madras High Court has directed the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department to avoid appointing executive officers as ‘thakkar’ (fit person/trustee) if they are not fully familiar with a temple’s rituals, customs and practices.
Case background
The order arose from a dispute involving the Mariamman temple at Kottiyal Irungaiyur village in Ariyalur district. Following complaints alleging irregularities by hereditary trustee R. Tamilarasu, the department issued an order on July 10 appointing an executive officer as thakkar to oversee the temple’s administration. Tamilarasu challenged the appointment before the High Court.
Why ritual knowledge matters
Justice Krishnan Ramasamy observed that the role of thakkar is not merely ceremonial, as it carries the responsibilities of a trustee or dharmakartha. The court noted that executive officers are primarily appointed under the HR&CE framework to manage financial administration, and it is not generally expected that they would handle religious matters or possess the required spiritual and ritual expertise.
Preferred approach and exceptions
The court said that appointing a person unfamiliar with temple traditions could gradually erode established worship practices and, over time, affect the temple’s identity. It advised that, until trustees are appointed, a knowledgeable and experienced person from the local community should be chosen as thakkar, with time to attend to temple affairs. Only if no such suitable person is available, an executive officer may be appointed temporarily, and eligible local residents may apply for the post for consideration by authorities.
