Podhu Dikshithars sold off 18.5 acres of Chidambaram temple land: TN govt tells Madras HC

CHENNAI: The Podhu Dikshithars, hereditary trustees of Chidambaram Nataraja temple, sold 18.52 acres of temple land to private individuals over the years, the Tamil Nadu government told the Madras High Court.

The startling charge was made by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) Department before the special bench of Justice R Suresh Kumar and Justice S Sounthar in a petition seeking a direction to Podhu Dikshithars to submit the accounts regarding the amount received by leasing out the temple and Kattalai lands.

Appearing on behalf of HR&CE Department, special government pleader NRR Arun Natarajan submitted the status report regarding the details of the land recovered by the department and extent of lands sold to private individuals by Podhu Dikshithars.

According to the department, the Podhu Dikshithars sold off nearly 18.52 acres of Sabanayagar temple land in 1974, 1985, and 1988. It added that several lands were illegally leased out but the lease amount was not accounted properly.

However, senior counsel CS Vaidyanathan, who appeared for the Podhu Dikshithars, denied the allegations and submitted that they did not sell off any land. The Podhu Dikshithars submitted account details of the temple for 2018 to 2022 in a sealed cover.

The bench then directed the Podhu Dikshithars to file counter to the submission of HR&CE Department and posted the matter to November 14 for further hearing.