A division bench of Justices G.R. Swaminathan and P. Murugan of the Madurai Bench ruled on Tuesday that Agamic temples, built, consecrated and maintained according to ancient Agama shastras, are not tourist destinations and their established customs and religious practices must be respected. – India Today
The Madras High Court has ruled that non-Hindus who do not affirm reverence for the presiding deity or comply with established temple customs cannot be permitted to enter Agamic temples, stressing that their religious sanctity must be protected.
A division bench of Justices G.R. Swaminathan and P. Murugan of the Madurai Bench passed the order on Tuesday while hearing a public interest litigation filed by K. Thangam Venkatesh, which sought strict enforcement of the Tamil Nadu Temple Entry Authorisation Act and accountability for statutory violations.
The court made it clear that its ruling was confined to Agamic temples, which are built, consecrated and maintained according to the principles laid down in ancient Agama shastras.
It emphasised that such temples are not tourist destinations and that their established customs and religious practices must be respected.
The bench said even entry into temple premises could not be permitted to non-Hindus who display religious markers associated with other faiths and do not affirm reverence for the deity concerned. Such an affirmation, it said, must be made in the format prescribed by the temple.
Drawing from an earlier ruling in Kalyan Dass, the court observed that the entire temple precinct must be treated as sacred. It also referred to the statutory provisions governing temple entry in Tamil Nadu.
The bench referred to Sections 10 and 24 of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Act to explain the rules governing entry into temples. Section 10 says officials appointed under the Act must profess the Hindu religion.
Section 24 requires officials to respect temple customs and religious practices and clarifies that it does not give non-Hindus the right to enter the premises covered by the provision.
The court also said Agamic temples follow specific traditions on who can enter the sanctum sanctorum, where the main deity is housed.
It noted that, unlike some North Indian temples where Hindu devotees can touch the Shivling and perform abhishekam themselves, the sanctum in Agamic temples is reserved for designated priests, including Shivacharyas, Dikshitars and Bhattars.
Court praises CM Vijay for following protocol
Addressing instances of non-Hindu political leaders visiting temples, the bench cited Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay as an example of what it described as an inclusive approach.
The court noted that Vijay, who is Christian by faith, had worshipped at the Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple after signing the undertaking required of non-Hindus.
“A Christian by faith, he was not asked to convert to Hinduism. He was only requested to affirm his reverence for the deity. This is what we call an inclusive approach,” the judges observed, contrasting this with instances in which people bypassed established rules.
The judges observed that the Chief Minister was not asked to convert to Hinduism but was only required to affirm his reverence for the deity.
The bench also took note of an instance involving a minister who, it said, had entered the Tiruchendur Temple without submitting the required undertaking.
The judges expressed concern over what they described as violations of established temple customs by political leaders and criticised the use of religious symbols during temple visits for political gain.
The bench referred to political figures who visit temples while prominently displaying religious markings on their foreheads, allegedly to appeal to voters.
“The vote value of such a display is obvious. We hold that usages and customs of the temple cannot kneel before such display of ‘chamchagiri’ and optics,” the court observed.
The bench also took judicial notice of a video circulating on social media that purportedly showed people wearing skull caps pushing their way into the Thiruvannamalai Arunachaleswarar Temple despite protests from devotees.
It criticised the temple’s Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) staff for allegedly remaining silent spectators during the incident.
The bench also referred to the visit of TVK MLA Badrudeen Mustafa, who represents Madurai Central, to the Meenakshi Amman Temple after his election.
According to the court, Mustafa claimed he had the right to inspect whether adequate amenities were being provided at the temple. The judges also noted that he had climbed the temple towers during a kumbabishekam ceremony.
The bench described the episode as ironic, noting that the MLA had previously proclaimed that Sanatana Dharma ought to be eradicated.
The court stressed that established religious practices and temple-entry rules must be enforced, irrespective of the political position or public standing of those seeking entry. – India Today News Desk, 28 October 2026
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