Sri Durgaparameshwari Temple, Nala Vs the State… — Writ and Judicial Review | Karnataka HC (2025)

Sri Durgaparameshwari Temple, Nala Vs the State… — Writ and Judicial Review | Karnataka HC (2025)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Liberty to incur reasonable expenses from Temple Funds for the Dasara festivities (22.09.2025 to 02.10.2025), subject to due process: the petitioner to file its estimated expenditure with the second respondent (Assistant Commissioner, Department of Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments, Dakshina Kannada), who shall consider it and permit expenses as found reasonable.

Issue for consideration

Whether the petitioner temple may be permitted to utilise Temple funds to meet expenses for preparation and execution of the Dasara festivities/event scheduled from 22.09.2025 to 02.10.2025, in view of the earlier direction that the managing committee shall not take decisions with major financial implications.

Court's answer

The petitioner is at liberty to incur reasonable expenses for the Dasara festivities, but subject to due process.

Ratio / Principle

The petitioner must file its estimated expenditure with the Assistant Commissioner, the Department of Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments, Dakshina Kannada (the second respondent).

Key takeaways

The Assistant Commissioner shall consider the estimated expenditure filed by the petitioner and permit it to incur expenses as found reasonable from the Temple Funds.ratio¶39

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

High Court of Karnataka (B M Shyam Prasad, J.), Oral Order dated 22.09.2025 in W.P. No. 28573 of 2025 (GM-R/C): Sri Durgaparameshwari Temple, Nala Nyayatharpu Village, Belhangady (Belthangady) Taluk, Dakshina Kannada, represented by its President, sought a direction to the second respondent (Assistant Commissioner, Department of Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments, Dakshina Kannada) to permit utilisation of Temple funds for preparation and execution of the Dasara festivities scheduled from 22.09.2025 to 02.10.2025. The prayer arose from this Court's order dated 30.07.2025 in W.P. No.8334/2025, whereby the order dated 09.01.2025 constituting the temple's managing committee was quashed (with applications to be processed for constitution of a new committee), while the committee constituted under the order dated 09.01.2025 was permitted to manage day-to-day affairs without taking any decision having major financial implication — the constraint preventing expenditure for the customary Dasara celebrations. Held: the petitioner may incur reasonable expenses for the festivities subject to due process; it must file its estimated expenditure with the Assistant Commissioner, who shall consider the same and permit expenses as found reasonable from the Temple Funds. Petition disposed of accordingly. Filed under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution of India.

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NC: 2025:KHC:37904 WP No. 28573 of 2025

HC-KAR

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU

DATED THIS THE 22^ND DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2025

BEFORE

THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE B M SHYAM PRASAD WRIT PETITION NO. 28573 OF 2025 (GM-R/C)

BETWEEN:

SRI DURGAPARAMESHWARI TEMPLE, NALA NYAYATHARPU VILLAGE BELHANGADY TALUK DAKSHINA KANNADA REPRESENTED BY ITS PRESIDENT

Digitally signed by VANAMALA N

Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA

SRI B HARISH KUMAR S/O B SANJEEVA BANGERA AGED ABOUT 40 YEARS, R/AT KA-1-178(1) JYOTHI NILAYA,

KALIYA GERUKATTE BELTHANGADY DAKSHINA KANNADA-574217

…PETITIONER

(BY SRI. RAKSHITH KUMAR., ADVOCATE)

AND:

THE STATE OF KARNATAKA DEPARTMENT OF HINDU RELIGIOUS

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NC: 2025:KHC:37904 WP No. 28573 of 2025

HC-KAR

INSTITUTIONS

AND CHARITABLE ENDOWMENTS DEPARTMENT, 2 AND 3 FLOOR MAHADESHWARA VARTHA BHAVAN VENKATRAO ROAD CHMRAJPET, BENGALURU-560018 REPRESENTED BY ITS SECRETARY

THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER THE DEPARTMENT OF HINDU RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS AND CHARITABLE ENDOWMENTS, DAKSHINA KANNADA-575001

…RESPONDENTS

(BY SMT NAVYA SHEKHAR, AGA)

THIS WP IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO DIRECT R2 TO PERMIT OR GRANT ACCORD TO THE PETITIONER TEMPLE TO UTILIZE THE TEMPLE FUNDS FOR PREPARATIONS AND EXECUTION OF THE DASARA EVENT SCHEDULE FROM 22.09.2025 TO 02.10.2025 AS PER ANNEXURE-A.

THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR

PRELIMINARY HEARING, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER:

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE B M SHYAM PRASAD

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NC: 2025:KHC:37904 WP No. 28573 of 2025

HC-KAR

ORAL ORDER

The petitioner has sought for directions to the second respondent to permit it to utilise " the Temple funds " for preparation and execution of the Dasara festivities between 22.09.2025 and 02.10.2025, and the petitioner’s prayer is in the context of this Court's order dated 30.07.2025 in W.P. No.8334/2025. This Court in the afore order has quashed the order dated 09.01.2025 constituting the managing committee for " Sri. Durgaparameswari Temple ", Nyayatharpu Village, Belthangady Taluk, Dakshina Kannada stipulating that the applications filed shall be processed for due constitution of a new committee.

This Court has also permitted the managing committee constituted under the order dated 09.01.2025 to manage the day-to-day affairs of the Temple without taking any decision which has major financial implication. The petitioner's constraints is because of this particular direction. The Dasara

4 - NC: 2025:KHC:37904 WP No. 28573 of 2025

HC-KAR

festivities would be part of the customary celebrations by the Temple and expenses will have to be incurred and there must be just arrangements in this regard.

This Court, on a careful consideration is of the view that the petitioner must be at liberty to incur reasonable expenses for the festivities, but then subject to due process. The petitioner must file the estimated expenditure with the Assistant Commissioner, the Department of Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments, Dakshina Kannada [ the second respondent ], who shall consider the same and permit the petitioner to incur expenses as found reasonable from the Temple Funds .

The petition stands disposed of accordingly.

Sd/(B M SHYAM PRASAD) JUDGE

RB