Supreme Court Stays Takeover Of Chidambaram Nataraja Temple From Dikshitars

Supreme Court Stays Takeover of Chidambaram Nataraja Temple Administration

Podhu Dikshitars remain in charge of the Chidambaram Nataraja Temple for now. A Bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Vipul M. Pancholi stayed the Madras High Court judgment dated October 30 that directed a five-member board to take over administration from the Dikshitars.

On appeal in Sabhanayakar Temple v. State of Tamil Nadu, the Bench issued notice to the State of Tamil Nadu as respondent. The High Court direction will stay in abeyance till further hearing. Under the interim arrangement, the Dikshitars continue in charge of the temple.

Five-member board told to wait

Under the October 30 judgment, administrative control of the Chidambaram temple was to move from the Dikshitars to a five-member board. As conceived by the High Court, the board was to regulate darshan at the temple. It was also to oversee temple finances, a function presently handled by the Dikshitars.

Alongside that shift, the High Court had empowered the board to take steps for recovery of temple properties. Performance of daily rituals was left with the Dikshitars even while administration was ordered to shift. That scheme will not take effect for now because of the stay.

In practical terms, the five-member board will not assume administrative control at this stage. Regulation of darshan will not pass to the board during the interim order. Oversight of finances will also continue with the Dikshitars till the next hearing.

While the stay operates, steps for recovery of temple properties as envisaged by the High Court remain paused. Daily rituals, which the High Court had left untouched, continue with the Dikshitars without change. The stay followed hearing of the Dikshitars' challenge, and the appeal remains pending.

Filed response will come before the question of temple administration is considered again. Management of the temple, including its finances and ritual practice, will rest with the Dikshitars till the Bench takes up the matter next.