Source: www.expressbuzz.com
NEW DELHI, INDIA, December 19, 2009: The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Tamil Nadu government and several of its departments in a writ petition filed by Sri Sabhanyagar Temple, at Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu.
The petitioner demanded that Section 45 of the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act from 1959 (which gives the state government power over temples) be struck down as it was ultra vires (meaning beyond the powers) the Constitution.
The petitioner averred that the Sri Sabhanyagar Temple at Chidambaram has flourished and thrived over centuries under the sole control, patronage and management of the podhu dikshidars, a collective of the Chidambaram dikshidars who are not only the hereditary trustees of the temple but also its managers, priests and beneficiaries.
[HPI note: This is an attempt by the Chidambaram dikshitars to revert the takeover of Chidambaram temple by the Tamil Nadu government. Their legal battle was lost on state courts, and taken to federal Supreme Court, where it is now being considered.]