. NEW DELHI: At a time when thousands of temples are managed through state-supervised Devaswom Boards, the Centre on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that it did not favour govt control over temples and clarified that it had already placed its interpretation of constitutional provisions that enable states to manage secular activities of religious institutions.During the faith vs fundamental rights debate before a nine-judge bench led by CJI Surya Kant, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan said SG Tushar Mehta, on behalf of the Centre, and senior advocate A M Singhvi for Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple, had given a particular interpretation of Articles 25 and 26 as govt wanted to control temples.Mehta sought the bench’s permission to rebut the interpretation of his arguments by Sankaranarayanan and said, “Govt does not want to control the temples at all and what he mentioned was purely a constitutional interpretation of Article 25(1)(a), which empowers the state to manage economic, political and secular activities of any religion.”Justice Amanullah asked Mehta whether his ‘‘govt should not control the temples” argument was confined to Hindu religious institutions. The SG said when the court and counsels were engaged in interpretation of constitutional provisions, they could not “be viewed through Hindu, Muslim, Christian or any other religious lens”.Justice Bagchi said the interpretation must be from standpoint of a citizen. The SG said he had given an overview of the diversity in Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and other denominations.In Kerala, several state govt-supervised bodies, including Travancore, Cochin, Malabar, Guruvayur and Koodalmanikyam Devaswom Boards, control around 3,000 temples. In Tamil Nadu, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department controls over 30,000 temples. In Andhra Pradesh, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Trust Board controls Tirupati Balaji temple. In Karnataka, Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Department manages temples. The Chardham Devasthanam Board manages Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines in Uttarakhand.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosAllahabad HC Judge Recuses Himself From Rahul Gandhi’s Dual Citizenship CaseCong Submits Breach of Privilege Against PM Modi; Trump Pushes Iran Talks Amid Ceasefire TensionsIndian Army Sends Strong Warning to Terror Groups Ahead of Pahalgam Terror Attack AnniversaryPappu Yadav Faces Notice After Claiming 90% Women Need ‘Leaders’ Bedrooms’ To Enter PoliticsNida Khan Faces Arrest After Nashik Court Rejects Interim Bail In BPO CaseBJP Leader Nazia Elahi Khan Applies Tilak At Lenskart Store Amid Dress Code RowSupreme Court Raises Alarm Over Digital Arrest Scams, ₹2.5 Cr Fraud Case HighlightedKashmir On Alert As SOG Carries Out Search Ops Before Pahalgam AnniversaryGun, Kirpans, Pepper Spray: Clash Inside Germany Gurdwara Leaves 11 WoundedIndia, Korea Discuss Global Tensions, Stress Peace, Security And Stronger Multilateral Cooperation123Photostories6 simple yet beautiful three-letter baby boy namesExclusive – Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah actors Kuldeep Gor and Dharti Bhatt, aka Ratan and Roopa on their new saree shop, their bond with the cast, and a special gift for Daya Bhabhi5 largest birds in the world worth travelling forDo you unconsciously ‘insult’ your child? 5 mistakes that can ruin their mental health5 places that are perfect to visit in MayAnushka Sharma-inspired simple kurta looks perfect for summer 2026Animals you might see in your backyard in AustraliaA dazzling night in Chandigarh over good food and even better mood7 baby names that mean love and affectionWorld’s top 5 most expensive real estate markets123Hot PicksIran warDelimitation Bill DefeatPurple cap winnerOrange cap winnerIPL Points TablePublic holidays April 2026Bank Holidays AprilTop TrendingUK School New RulesZohran MandaniIran MilitaryUber Driver CaseIndian Activist stabbedAdam SandlerJKBOSE class 10 result 2026Ai ScamIPL Orange CapUK Electricity Price
NEW DELHI: At a time when thousands of temples are managed through state-supervised Devaswom Boards, the Centre on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that it did not favour govt control over temples and clarified that it had already placed its interpretation of constitutional provisions that enable states to manage secular activities of religious institutions.During the faith vs fundamental rights debate before a nine-judge bench led by CJI Surya Kant, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan said SG Tushar Mehta, on behalf of the Centre, and senior advocate A M Singhvi for Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple, had given a particular interpretation of Articles 25 and 26 as govt wanted to control temples.Mehta sought the bench’s permission to rebut the interpretation of his arguments by Sankaranarayanan and said, “Govt does not want to control the temples at all and what he mentioned was purely a constitutional interpretation of Article 25(1)(a), which empowers the state to manage economic, political and secular activities of any religion.”Justice Amanullah asked Mehta whether his ‘‘govt should not control the temples” argument was confined to Hindu religious institutions. The SG said when the court and counsels were engaged in interpretation of constitutional provisions, they could not “be viewed through Hindu, Muslim, Christian or any other religious lens”.Justice Bagchi said the interpretation must be from standpoint of a citizen. The SG said he had given an overview of the diversity in Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and other denominations.In Kerala, several state govt-supervised bodies, including Travancore, Cochin, Malabar, Guruvayur and Koodalmanikyam Devaswom Boards, control around 3,000 temples. In Tamil Nadu, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department controls over 30,000 temples. In Andhra Pradesh, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Trust Board controls Tirupati Balaji temple. In Karnataka, Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Department manages temples. The Chardham Devasthanam Board manages Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines in Uttarakhand.
