Dharmasthala temple propsed for Muzrai dept

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Sep 6, 2015:  At a media conference here,  Nagarika Seva Trust president K Somanath Nayak said, Religious Endowment Commissioner has asked the Deputy Commissioner to send a proposal to bring Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Temple under Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department as per the Karnataka Religious and Charitable Endowment Act 1997.

Commissioner’s move is in the wake of repeated memorandums submitted by the trust founder Ranjan Rao Yardoor. As per Supreme Court judgements, if a private temple collects money from the public it becomes public property and it should come under the Muzrai department. Already ten temples have been included under Muzrai department under this new Act.

In 1976, in the Supreme Court, Heggade family had claimed that Dharmasthala is an integrated institution and not exactly a temple. In the judgment, Justice M H Beige had stated that government could amend the Act to bring the property under its control. Accordingly as per the 2011 ammendment, the temple now falls under the Act.