Management didn’t cooperate: HR&CE team on Chidambaram temple inspection

A team from the Hindu, Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department will submit a detailed report to the Tamil Nadu government on the refusal by the Podhu Dikshithars(hereditary priests) of the famous Natarajar Temple in Chidambaram for the second consecutive day on Wednesday to inspect records relating to income and expenses.

The five-member team went to the Sri Sabanayagar Temple on Wednesday only to be turned away by the representatives of Podhu Dikshithars, who questioned the team’s powers to call for records, maintaining that it is not a public temple.

“We will submit a report to the HR & CE commissioner on what happened inside the temple on Tuesday and Wednesday. We received zero cooperation from the other side (Dikshithars). It was their duty to cooperate with us, but they failed to,” the head of the five-member team said.

In a statement, the HR&CE said that the temple was a “public religious institution” and the provisions of the Hindu Religious Endowments Act applied to the Chidambaram Natarajar temple.

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“The enquiry committee was constituted by the Commissioner, HR&CE Commissioner within the provisions of the HR&CE Act. Hence, the enquiry committee has been empowered to call for the records pertaining to receipts and charges and for accounts maintained by the authorities,” the statement said.

The government said the HR&CE has the right to inquire into complaints received against public religious institutions. “The Secretary (temple management) or advocate on behalf of the Secretary refused to give any records pertaining to temple administration,” the statement added.

The department had last month sent a letter to the Podhu Dikshithars informing them of an inspection by a team to check the records since 2014 relating to income and expenses, audit reports, and jewels belonging to the 1,000-year-old temple. The letter was sent based on complaints of irregularities in temple accounts.

The Podhu Dikshithars maintain that HR&CE officials have no “locus standi” to inspect the records of the Sri Sabanayagar Temple as it is not a “public temple.” In 2014, the Supreme Court set aside a 2009 Madras High Court order that allowed the appointment of an officer by the HR&CE department to oversee the administration and ruled that Podhu Dikshithars will run the temple.

In their defence of not allowing the team, the Podhu Dikshithars have said the HR&CE Department or its authorities do not have such a jurisdiction to automatically call for records or make an inspection “in this denominational temple at will.

“We reiterate that we maintain all accounts and other records as per our bye-laws of our Temple sattam (law),” they said in a statement, adding that they will cooperate to a “validly formed committee that has jurisdiction of verification and audit.”