Swaraat / Swaraat Editors Desk
Writ Petition W.P.No.(MD) No.32522 of 2025 filed by S. Vijaynarayanan, Hindu devotee and activist, challenging the Government Order G.O. (Ms) No. 131 dated 26.04.2022 came up for admission on 13.11.2025 before the Hon’ble Mr. Justice G.R. Swaminathan in the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court.
The Petitioner was represented by Mr. Vadiraj Anirudh, Advocate. The petitioner’s case originates from his personal experience of being compelled to pay higher commercial rate to stay at “Hotel Alayam” in Tiruchendur, which he found was actually the temple’s “Yatri Nivas” – a pilgrim accommodation built entirely with temple funds of Sri Subramania Swamy Temple, Tiruchendur.
The G.O. permits Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) to take over, manage and commercially operate these religious facilities under the “Hotel Alayam” brand on a profit-sharing basis. The petitioner contends that this arrangement is unlawful, as it constitutes an ultra vires alienation of religious endowment property, violates the fiduciary duties of the HR & CE Department, bypasses the statutory authority of the temple trustees, and infringes upon the fundamental rights of devotees by converting affordable pilgrimage lodgings into premium commercial ventures.
He seeks to have the G.O. quashed and the management of all such Yatri Nivas restored to the respective temples. The petitioner further states that this is an unlawful Government Order that accords approval to TTDC for managing not only the Devotees’ Cottages of temples in Tiruchendur, Rameswaram, Tiruvannamalai, Trichy, and Kanchipuram, but also the Temple Devotees’ Cottages that will be built in the future.
Advocate Anirud vehemently contended that the impugned Government Order was arbitrary, contrary to law, and prejudicial to the interests of the temples. He further submitted that the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) has been functioning merely as a glorified intermediary, outsourcing the management of the temples’ cottages to third-party contractors and unjustifiably appropriating 50% of the profits for performing minimal supervisory functions— income which rightfully belonged to the temple diverted to them at the cost of gullible devotees.
The Judge questioned how temple properties could be given to third parties and quipped quoting the famous analogy – It is like picking coconut from a shop and breaking it for propitiation in a way side Vinayakar Temple. The Counsel for the HRCE Dept. argued that Temple Management has no expertise in this area, income however is generated to the temple, TTDC charges only affordable Rs 2000 per day for air condition rooms. The Judge stated that he will study the matter fully and directed that the matter be posted for final hearing on 26.11.2025 at 2:15 p.m.
When asked about this, petioner said: “This tantamounts to fence grazing the crops. Srirangam Yatri Nivas Cottages and the such Cottages in the north of Tiruchendur temple are managed by the HR&CE Department only. Temple funds and properties are thus abused in order to give business and commercial benefit to the Govt. Tourism Department.”