HR and CE team inspects Sri Sabanayagar temple amid objection from Dikshitars

They say authorities have no power to call for records in the denomination temple at will

The Podhu Dikshithars, hereditary custodians -cum-archakas of Sri Sabanayagar temple in Chidambaram took strong exception to a team from the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) visiting the temple on Tuesday, seeking all details related to revenue and expenditure and audit reports. They said the authorities had no power to call for records or make an inspection in the denomination temple at will.

The team comprising C. Jothi, Assistant Commissioner of HR and CE in Cuddalore, Natarajan, Joint Commissioner of Sri Dhandayuthapani Swamy temple, Palani, and four others visited the temple at 10 a.m. The team held discussions with the Podhu Dikshithars and sought details relating to revenue and audit reports from 2014. However, the Dikshithars took strong exception to the visit and clarified that they were ready to give full cooperation to a validly-formed committee that had jurisdiction to carry out verification and audit of the temple.

“Our legal stand is very clear. The Podhu Dikshithars constitute a religious denomination as per the apex court verdict on January 6, 2014, and would operate as ‘Res Judicata’ in all future cases. It is, therefore, amply clear that the HR and CE Department has no jurisdiction of administration in this temple and this is fortified by Section 107 of the TN HR and CE Act, 1959”, Chandrasekhar, legal counsel of the Podhu Dikshithars told reporters.

Mr. Chandrasekhar pointed out that a malicious disinformation campaign was being carried out by some elements which were opposed to Dikshithars. These elements were the ones creating all the false propaganda tarnishing the image of the temple, he said, adding that the administration was done in accordance with temple bylaws that had been in existence for more than 200 years.

The Podhu Dikshithars, in their reply submitted to the visiting team, said that only specific accounts or transactions could be sought, if required, under a specific allegation or complaint. The copies of the alleged complaints were also not furnished by the department, they said.

“The temple has no landed properties including Kattalai lands under its administration and the Kattalai lands are being administered by the Special Tahsildar - Temple Lands. In addition, Section 107 of the HR and CE Act, 1959 exempts this temple from the jurisdiction of the Act, and therefore Sections 29, 30, and 31, relating to maintenance of certain registers would not apply to this temple. It is our intention to give full cooperation to a validly-formed committee that has jurisdiction of verification and audit,” the Dikshithars said.

“The HR and CE Department conducted verification of jewels in the temple before 2006. But it is yet to submit the report. The department should submit the verification report at least now so that we can go through it and give our replies to the contentions and points raised by the department. Only then can a fresh verification take place,’‘ the Dikshithars added.