Supreme Court requests panel to identify Agamic temples in Tamil Nadu

Supreme Court requests committee to identify Agamic temples in Tamil Nadu, halts priest appointments pending identification process.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (May 14, 2025) requested a committee formed by the Madras High Court to identify Agamic temples as against non-Agamic temples in Tamil Nadu in three months.

A Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Rajesh Bindal said once the Agamic temples are identified, status quo must prevail and no appointments of archakars (priests) must be made to them for the time being.

“Whatever the committee identifies as Agamic temples… don’t touch it,” Justice Sundresh addressed senior advocate Dushyant Dave and Tamil Nadu Advocate General P.S. Raman.

However, once the identification of Agamic temples are over, the State may go ahead and fill up the existing vacancies for archakars in the non-Agamic temples.

The apex court said the committee headed by former Madras High Court judge Justice M. Chockalingam would conduct the identification exercise. One of its members, M.P. Sathyavel Murugan, against whom objections were raised, would not be part of the committee, the Bench recorded.

The court further directed the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of Tamil Nadu to fill up the existing vacancies of archakars and maniyams (temple workforce) in Rameswaram Ramanathaswamy Temple. Advocate Elephant Rajendran, who represented an intervention highlighting the vacancies in the Rameswaram Temple, said the appointments must be made in accordance with the customs and traditions.

The petitioner, Srirangam Koil Miras Kainkaryaparagal Matrum Athanai Sarntha Koilgalin Miraskainkaryaparargalin Nalasangam, represented by senior advocate Guru Krishnakumar, said Agamic temples were very few in numbers. The petitioners were not concerned with the non-Agamic temples.