Advocates & District Administration Should Be Kept Away From Management Of Ancient Temples: Allahabad HC

The ruling arose from a contempt application concerning the appointment of a receiver in a temple-related dispute from Mathura. The Court was informed that there are currently 197 civil suits pending concerning temples in Mathura.

A Bench of Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal said, “People will loose faith if the temples and religious trusts are not managed and run by persons belonging to religious fraternity but by outsiders. Such actions should be prevented at the very beginning.”

The Court further said, “Now, time has come when all these temples should be freed from the clutches of practising advocates of Mathura Court and Courts should make every endeavour to appoint, if necessary, a Receiver who is connected with the management of a temple and has some religious leaning towards the deity. He should also be well versed with the Vedas and Shastras. Advocates and people from district administration should be kept away from the management and control of these ancient temples. Effort should be made for disposing of the suit, involving temple disputes at the earliest and matter should not be lingered for decades.”

Advocate Ajeet Singh appeared for the Applicant while Advocate Chandan Sharma appeared for the Respondent.

The Court criticized the prevailing practice of appointing practicing advocates from Mathura to manage these temples, noting that this approach often leads to delays and prolongs the litigation process. The Court added, “In these famous temples of Vrindavan, Govardhan and Barasana, practising advocates of Mathura Court have been appointed Receivers. The interest of Receiver lies in keeping the litigation pending. No effort is made to conclude the civil proceedings, as the entire control of temple administration vest in the hands of Receiver. Most of the litigation is in respect of management of temples and appointment of Receivers.”

The Court's critique also extended to the broader issue of how receivership has become a common practice in Mathura, impacting the administration of many ancient and significant temples. The Court argued that a practicing lawyer cannot dedicate the necessary time and devotion required for effective temple management and that such appointments have become a status symbol rather than a solution to the problems at hand.

The Court thus said, “Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, this Court requests the District Judge, Mathura to take personal pain and inform his officers about this order and also make every endeavour to conclude the civil disputes regarding temples and trusts of District-Mathura as expeditiously as possible.”

The Court added, “Prolonging the litigation is only creating further disputes in temples and leading to indirect involvement of practising advocates and district administration in the temples, which is not in the interest of the people having faith in Hindu religion.”

Cause Title: Devendra Kumar Sharma & Anr. v. Ruchi Tiwari, [2024:AHC:136341]

Appearance:

Applicants: Advocates Ajeet Singh and Kamlesh Kumar