Isha Foundation founder Jagadish Vasudev has moved the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the State for an external audit of temples coming under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department.
A Division Bench of Justices Pushpa Sathyanarayana and P. Velmurugan sought a response from the State to the petition that demanded an external audit of over 44,000 temples to ascertain their present status.
The petitioner said the status of temple structures, lands, properties, possession and occupation of temple properties, rents received and dues, other assets like temple chariots, rituals and spiritual practices associated with the temples had to be ascertained.
Apart from this, the funds received from the public, donations, fees and the state of expenditure of these funds also needed to be ascertained.
The petitioner claimed that the situation prevailing in these temples might not be to the expected standards.
It was necessary that the temples were maintained properly so that the spiritual process and the rituals were performed for the people to experience the purpose for which these temples were consecrated, the petitioner said.
He also sought a direction to set up a commission comprising eminent people and experts to examine devolution of the temples to the community. The court adjourned the hearing by four weeks.
