In a significant ruling on 31 January 2024, the Madras High Court directed the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department to install boards in all Hindu temples, explicitly stating that non-Hindus are not permitted beyond the Kodimaram/Dhwajasthamb (flagpole) area. The judgement aims to address instances where non-Hindus allegedly entered temples for non-religious purposes, emphasising that a temple is not a “picnic or tourist spot.”
The ruling, delivered by Justice S Srimathy of the Madurai Bench, came during a plea filed by D Senthilkumar. The petitioner sought permission for Hindus alone to enter the Arulmigu Palani Dhandayuthapani Swamy temple and its sub-temples in Palani, Dindigul district.
The court ordered the installation of boards at temple entrances, near the flagpole, and other prominent places, clearly indicating the restriction on non-Hindus beyond the Kodimaram/Dhwajasthamb. To visit a specific deity, non-Hindus must provide an undertaking affirming their faith in Hinduism and a commitment to abide by temple customs.
“The respondents are directed not to allow non-Hindus who do not believe in the Hindu religion. If any non-Hindu claims to visit a particular deity in the temple, then the respondents shall obtain an undertaking from the said non-Hindu that he has faith in the deity, and he will follow the customs and practices of Hindu religion and also abide by the temple customs,” the court ruled.
The judgement stressed the importance of temple administrations maintaining customs, practices, and agamas strictly. The court rejected the request to limit the order to the Palani temple, asserting that the directive should apply to all Hindu temples, ensuring communal harmony and peace.
“These restrictions would ensure communal harmony among different religions and ensure peace in society. Therefore, the state government, the HR&CE department, the respondents, and all persons involved in temple administration are directed to follow the directions in all Hindu temples,” the court stated.
The court cited incidents where non-Hindus treated temple premises as picnic spots and engaged in non-religious activities. The court stated, “It was also reported that in Arulmighu Brahadeeswarar Temple, a group of persons belonging to other religion had treated the temple premises as a picnic spot and had non-vegetarian food inside the temple premises. Likewise, recently, on 11.01.2024, a newspaper reported that a group of persons belonging to the other religion had entered the Arulmighu Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, Madurai, with “their sacred book” near the sanctum and sanctorum and was attempting to do their prayers” there.”
Such actions were deemed to interfere with the fundamental rights of Hindus and the need to uphold the sanctity of temples. The judgement highlighted the constitutional rights of Hindus to practice their religion freely, emphasising that while people from other religions have the right to practice their faith, interference with Hindu customs and practices must be curtailed.
The directive aims to uphold the rights of Hindus and maintain the sacred nature of Hindu temples. The court underscored that temples should be revered and not treated as tourist attractions.
