Madras High Court Rules Only Devotional Songs Allowed in Hindu Temples

The Madras High Court recently ruled that only devotional songs should be played within the premises of Hindu temples, and non-devotional music, such as movie songs, should be avoided. This order was passed in response to a grievance filed by a devotee, Venkatesh Sowrirajan, from Puducherry, regarding the playing of film songs during temple festivals.

The Case

The Court was dealing with a petition filed by Venkatesh Sowrirajan, who had raised concerns about the practice of playing movie songs during temple festivals, specifically at the Veezhi Varadharaja Perumal Temple in Tirumalairayan Pattinam. He argued that such songs were inappropriate for a temple setting, which should only feature devotional music.

The Court also addressed another issue raised by the petitioner—the lack of trustees to manage the temple. The absence of an administrator for the temple had led to several administrative challenges.

Court’s Ruling

In the February 24 ruling, Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy observed that the authorities had assured the Court that only devotional songs would be played at the temples going forward. The Court took this undertaking on record and issued the following directive:

• "During any temple festival, if an orchestra is arranged by the Temple authorities or on behalf of the devotees within the precincts of the temple, care must be taken to render only devotional songs and not non-devotional songs."

Additionally, the Court criticized the lack of trustees for the temple and ordered the authorities to take immediate steps to appoint trustees in accordance with the law.

The Court emphasized that temple management should not remain without trustees for an extended period, as it was essential for the proper administration of the temple.

Representation

The petitioner, Venkatesh Sowrirajan, appeared as a party-in-person during the hearing. The Puducherry government and other relevant authorities were represented by Additional Government Pleader R Sreedhar.

Conclusion

The Court's order reinforced the importance of maintaining the sanctity of religious spaces by ensuring that only appropriate, devotional content is played within temple premises. It also stressed the need for timely administrative action to ensure that temples are properly managed and administered.