Devotees urge Vijay to take steps to retrieve properties of Nungambakkam temple
Devotees of the Arulmigu Akilandeswari Sametha Agatheeswarar temple in Nungambakkam are calling for the retrieval of temple lands allegedly sold illegally by former trustees. The Madras High Court has ordered the HR&CE Department to report on the status of these properties following claims of long-term collusion.
Why it matters
This reflects ongoing issues regarding the management of religious endowments and the protection of public/charitable land assets from encroachment.
Devotees of the Arulmigu Akilandeswari Sametha Agatheeswarar temple in Nungambakkam have urged Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to instruct officials of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department to retrieve lands belonging to the deity.
More than 415 grounds of land belonging to the temple had been illegally alienated gradually over the years by former trustees of the temple, in collusion with certain officials of the department, alleged members of the National Hindu Temple Federation.
“Those who sold the lands were not hereditary trustees of the temple. Though this was proven long ago, a particular family continued to sell parcels of land, claiming to be trustees of the temple. People have obtained pattas for the temple property that lay all around Nungambakkam,” said R. Amalraj, an office-bearer of the federation.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in