Tamil NaduSaturday, 20 June 2026·The Hindu - Tamil Nadu
HR&CE cancels ₹246-crore temple works: 29 wedding halls, 17 commercial complexes dropped
Tamil Nadu’s HR&CE Department cancelled sanctions for 29 wedding halls and 17 commercial complexes worth ₹246 crore, citing temple-fund use rules and court orders.
Key highlights
Direct fact
In June 2026, the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department cancelled administrative sanctions for 29 wedding halls and 17 commercial complexes worth ₹246 crore, after Madras High Court (Madurai Bench) orders and a request to delete the Assembly announcements made from 2022-23 onwards.
Key specifics
- 29 wedding halls and 17 commercial complexes were part of the cancelled HR&CE plan.
- The total value of the dropped works was ₹246 crore.
- Temple funds mentioned included Arunachaleswarar Temple, Tiruvannamalai (₹6.40 crore) and Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, Madurai (₹3 crore).
- Wedding hall proposals included Dhandayudhaswamy Temple, Palani (₹9.80 crore) and Sankaranarayanaswamy Temple, Sankarankoil (₹9.80 crore).
- The move was linked to the HR&CE Act and the principle that temple funds must be used for charitable and spiritual purposes.
Exam lens
TNPSC Polity and Tamil Nadu governance question: HR&CE Act, temple-fund utilisation, Madras High Court (Madurai Bench), Assembly announcements from 2022-23, and the shift toward devotee amenities such as queue management, drinking water and annadhanam halls.