TVK-led Tamil Nadu government has informed the Madras High Court that it has withdrawn its 2023 Government Order permitting the construction of a commercial complex opposite the eastern Rajagopuram (temple tower) of the Arunachaleswarar Temple in Thiruvannamalai.
It is pertinent to mention that temple activist T.R. Ramesh and petitioner Allikuttai Rajendran (along with A. Radhakrishnan) successfully moved the Madras High Court to halt unauthorised commercial and civil construction by the HR&CE Department in and around the Arunachaleswarar Temple in Tiruvannamalai. The construction was initiated by the erstwhile DMK government.
Last September, the Madras High Court temporarily restrained the HR&CE Department from continuing the construction on the premises of the Tiruvannamalai Arunachaleswarar Temple and its outer periphery at an estimated cost of Rs. 6.4 crore. The bench said such constructions would affect the heritage features of the temple.
On 10.11.2023 I had brought the issue of illegal constructions of 150 shops in temple land right in front of the Rajagopuram of Sri Arunachaleswarar temple, Tiruvannamalai- an ancient and architecturally important temple – before the Hon’ble Special Bench that was hearing temple… pic.twitter.com/XHHfVBydrb
— trramesh (@trramesh) April 30, 2024
A special Division Bench of Justices R. Suresh Kumar and S. Sounthar issued the interim injunction against the authorities from constructing a queue complex and providing basic amenities for devotees while hearing the petitions filed against such constructions. The judges said, “We prima facie feel the archaeological importance and the aesthetic beauty of the temple would certainly get diminished if the construction is permitted to go on further.”
In January 2026, the same bench barred the HR&CE Department from undertaking any civil construction in the premises of temples with archaeological significance, except for kumbabishekam, until the Tamil Nadu Heritage Commission is constituted.
The HR&CE Department had issued a Government Order on September 14, 2023, approving the construction of a multi-storeyed commercial complex opposite the temple’s eastern Rajagopuram at an estimated cost of Rs. 6.40 crore. Preliminary works for the project had also commenced.
In this background, HR&CE Department government counsel R. Paranidharan informed the court that the government had withdrawn the earlier Government Order and issued a fresh order on June 19, 2026, cancelling the proposal.
He further submitted that the department had written to the Public Works Department seeking the return of the funds allocated for the commercial complex and that the amount would instead be transferred to the temple.
Meanwhile, T.R. Ramesh, in a tweet, urged the Chief Minister and the HR&CE Minister to announce in the Legislative Assembly that the administration fees charged on temples would be reduced to 4%, since the government is charging four times more than the actual expenditure of the department.
Very important Development today regarding Tamil Nadu Temples!
Many of you are aware that the @tnhrcedept -an unwelcome encroacher in Hindu Temples – charges 12% of the annual income of Temples as "Administrative Fees" for their useless "services".
The 12% collected… pic.twitter.com/eS4gRcsXYC
— trramesh (@trramesh) July 9, 2026
He said, “TN HR&CE Dept—an unwelcome encroacher in Hindu temples—charges 12% of the annual income of temples as ‘Administrative Fees’ for their useless ‘services’. The 12% collected from all temples is credited to a fund called ‘The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Administration Fund’ created under Section 96 of the TN HR&CE Act, 1959. This account is administered by the Commissioner of the @tnhrcedept. He can take money from this account only to defray the expenses of this department—the running expenses of the department, including salaries and benefits of its officials. This fund CANNOT be used for any other purposes.
During the DMK regime between May 2021 and April 2026, the various Commissioners, including the current Secretary of the Religious Endowments Department, @kgbias, misused the Administration Fund for purposes other than those permitted by law. In Writ Petition (MD) No. 34090 of 2025, the Hon’ble Division Bench of the Madras High Court clarified and laid down the law regarding the usage of the funds in the said Administration Fund. It can be used only for repaying the government the sums paid by the government under sub-section (4) of Section 92 of the TN HR&CE Act, 1959—that is, only for the reimbursement of department expenses.”
