On October 14, the Himachal Pradesh High Court issued an order banning the use of donations made to Hindu Mandirs for government schemes or unrelated public projects.
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed that donations made to Hindu Mandirs must be used exclusively for the promotion of the Hindu religion and for dharmic purposes.
“Every rupee of Mandir funds must be used for the Mandirs religious activities or dharmic charity. It cannot be treated as general revenue for the State or part of the public exchequer,” stated the order issued by a Division Bench comprising Justice Vivek Singh Thakur and Justice Rakesh Kainthla.
The court was ruling on a petition filed by Kashmir Chand Shadyal, who called for strict enforcement of the Himachal Pradesh Hindu Public Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act, 1984, especially its provisions regarding budget preparation, financial accounting, and expenditure.
The bench further clarified that Mandir funds must not be diverted, transferred, or donated to any government welfare schemes or activities unrelated to the temple or religion.
To ensure transparency, the High Court ordered that Mandirs must publicly display their monthly income and expenditure, details of projects funded by donations, and audit summaries on notice boards or websites. This measure aims to build trust among devotees by showing that their contributions are being used for the promotion of religion and the welfare of Hindus.
The court further stated, “Every Mandir must maintain accurate accounts of income and expenditure, which will be audited annually. The audit results must be made public to guarantee that funds are being used for their intended purposes.”
To enforce accountability, the court directed that “If any trustee is found to have misused or caused the misuse of Mandir funds, the amount will be recovered from them, and they will be held personally responsible for the misappropriation.”
