S. PITCHAI GANAPATHY AND ORS.versusCOMMISSIONER, HINDU RELIGIOUS AND CHARITABLE ENDOWMENT DEPARTMENT AND ORS.

                  S. PITCHAI GANAPATHY AND ORS.                                    A
                                 v.
           COMMISSIONER, HINDU RELIGIOUS AND CHARITABLE
                ENDOWMENT DEPARTMENT AND ORS.

                              SEPTEMBER 10, 2001
                                                                                   B
                 [S. RAJENDRA BABU AND S.N. VARIAVA, JJ.]

           Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Act, 1959-
    Section 6(20)-Religious institutions-Temples-Whether Public or private-
    Requirements o.f-Distinction between-Aspects of procedure of worship-          C
    Statutory presumption in Tamil Nadu for temples as public religious
    institutions-Documentary evidence regarding title.or ownership 1wt proved-
    Possession and enjoyment in the capacity of Pujari/trustee-Hence a public
    temple.

          In this appeal before the Court the question raised was whether the      D
    temples in dispute were private temples of the appellants' family or belong
    to second respondent's temple or sub-temple.

           Appellant claimed that temples in dispute are private temples as
    these temples had been in continuous possession and enjoyment of appellant
    and his ancestors, though the temples were situated on paramboke land
                                                                                   E
    but Collector in his proceeding recognised the land as private land of the
    appellant. Appellant's ancestors came to be in possession and enjoyment of
    temples as 'Pujari' and appellant's family alone worship the deities.
f
    Appellant's ancestors raised construction after taking loan in their name,
    and a litigation initiated in 1884 ended in their favour.                      F
         The appellant filed an application before the Deputy Commissioner
    under section 63(a) of the Act, for declaration of title of the temples. The
    Deputy Commissioner allowed the application holding the temples as private
    temples. Second respondent preferred appeal before the appellate authority
                                                                                   G
    under section 69 of the Act which was allowed holding that the temples
    belonged to second respondent.

          Appellants filed suit under Section 70 of the Act before the Court of
    Sub-ordinate Judge seeking the grant of status as private temples to the
    suit temples and injunction to the respondent restraining him from             H
    2                  SUPREME COURT REPORTS             [2001] SUPP. 3 S.C.R.
A   interfering with possession and enjoyment. The Court held that the title of
    the ancestors of the plaintiff to the suit property had been judicially
    recognised.

          The Respondent-defendants contended that temples in question were
    situated between other temples which facilitate the public to worship and
B   so the suit-temples were public temples. Inspector's enquiry report also
    stated that suit temples have features of public temples.· The Court held
    that for public temples, there must be dedication to and for the benefit of
    Hindu Community, and the geographical situation of the suit property
    would not be sufficient to conclude that suit temples are "Private Temples"
c   and that no member of Public had been examined tp establish whether the
    public worship in the said temples.

          In respect of temples in the State of Madras, there is a statutory
    presumption that these are public institutions. However, temples in question
    were ancient temples whose origin was not known and there was no evidence
D   as to who founded it or built it. The Court held that there was no proof
                                                                                   ....
    whether the members of public were entitled to worship in the suit-temples
                                                                                      \
    as of right and came to the conclusion that suit temples are private
    temples and not religious institutions as defined under Section 6(20) of the
    Act.
E
           On appeal, Single Judge of the High Court observed that in place
    like Madurai town a place adjoining Sri Meenakshi Sundraswarar Tumple
    none could claim 'Nathan right' and that the temples were situated on
    paramboke Land; the legitimate inference would be that founders of temples
    intended it to be a temple for public worship; ·that the description of
F   temples probabalises that it could be a public one; that the Trial Court had
    examined the case from wrong angle to the effect that unless a dedication
    to the temple to Hindu Community is proved, the temple cannot be held to
    be a public temple.                                                      '

G        In appeal, the Division Bench of the High Court affirmed it, against
    which the present appeal has been filed.

          Dismissing the appeal, the Court

           HELD : 1. The origin of the temple is not known, its location is next
H   to the famous Meena.kshi Amman temple. The evidence adduced on behalf
       S. PITCHAI GANAPATHY" COMM. HINDU RELIGIOUS & CHARITABLE ENDOWMENT DEPT IRAJENDRA BABU, J.]   3
     of plaintiff-appellant, was not enough to hold the temple and the properties                        A
     owned by it belong to the plaintiff-appellant. On perusal of the deed of
     loan, it is not clear who deposed on behalf of plaintiff-appellant and
     defendant-respondent. Thus no conclusion can be drawn as to in what
     capacity the ancestors of plaintiff-appellant claimed enjoyment of the suit
     land and this document hardly throws any light on the character of the suit                         B
     temple. The Division Bench of the High Court clearly found that the claim
     made in the suit was for possession and enjoyment and not for title or
     ownership. The partition deed indicates certain rights, viz. right to
     apportionment of the offering and offering of pooja available to plaintiff.
     appellant's family and nothing more. [11-C-D; F-G]
                                                                                                         c
           2. Both the Single Judge and the Division Bench strongly relied on
     the statement made by one of the petitioners before the Deputy
     Commissioner that plaintiff-appellant did not purchase the disputed
     property from anyone and house taxes were paid in the capacity as trustee
     and only in that capacity, had collected rent. Therefore, the High Court
                                                                                                         D
     could firmly come to the conclusion that the presumption that the temple is
     a public temple was not rebutted. In reaching this conclusion, when on

..   question of fact and on construction of documents, none of which can be
     treated to be documents of title but only to indicate description of the
     property thereof alone has been considered, there is hardly anything for
     this Court to interfere with such orders. [12-F G-H]                                                E

            CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 4972of1993.

           From the Judgment and Order dated 30.4.93 of the Madras High Court
     in LP.A. No. 206 of 1992.
                                                                                                         F
            P.P. Rao, V. Balaji and A.T.M. Sampath for the Appellants.

          P.N. Ramalingam, Ms. T.S. Santh, V. Krishnamurthy and V.
     Ramasubramaniam for the Respondents.

            The Judgment of the Court was delivered by                                                   G
           RAJENDRA BABU, J. This appeal by special leave is against the
     judgment in Letters Patent Appeal No. 206 of 1992 on the file of the High Court
     of Madras. The question raised in this appeal is as to whether the temples of
     the Madurai Veerasami and 18 Padi Karupannasami Temple are 'private temples'
     of the appellants' family or they belong to the second respondent temple                            H
    4                    SUPREME COURT REPORTS                [2001] SUPP. 3 S.C.R.
A   Meenakshi Sundereswarar Temple, Madurai or a sub-temple belonging to it as
    claimed by respondents.

           The appellants claim that the two shrines of Madurai Veerasami and 18
    Padi Karupannasami Temple are situate in a premises bearing Door No. 52,
    East Chitrai Street, Madurai; that adjoining these temples are two shops in
B   premises bearing Door Nos. 51 and 53; that they are 'private temples' and are
    in their possession and enjoyment as such; that though they were situate in
    'paramboke' lands of the Government, these lands on which the temple situate
    are recognised as private lands of the appellants in the proceedings of the
    Collector dated 1.9.1941 and even earlier; that the origin of the temple is lost
c   in antiquity; that as far as they could trace the records their great great grand
    mother Meenakshi Ayi had come to be in the possession and enjoyment of the
    temple through her father, who was a Pujari of the temple from about 100 years
    now; that the litigation raised as early as in 1884 ended in her favour; that there
    are several documents to show that she constructed a puce a building which was
    only thatched sheds by raising loans and was in possession and enjoyment of
D
    them as her private temples; that even now the members of the appellants alone        \
    worship the deities in the temples.

           The Assistant Commissioner, Hindu Religious and Charitable
    Endowments Department, Madras, issued a notice on 26.2.1971 calling upon
E   the appellants to get a declaration that the suit temple is a 'private temple' as
    the appellants resisted his move to treat it as a 'public temple'. The appellants
    filed an application in O.A. No. 23of1971 before the Deputy Conunissioner,
    Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (AIM) Department, Madurai
    under Sedion 63(a) of the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable
    Endowments Act, 1959 [hereinafter referred to as 'the Act'] for a declaration
F
    that the temple in question is a 'private temple' of the appellants' family. The
    second respondent was impleaded on its application and contended that these
    temples formed part of it and it is one of its subsidiary temples. The Deputy
    Conunissioner by an order made on 24.1.1973 allowed the application holding
    that the temple is a 'private temple' of the appellants. Against that order second
G   respondent preferred an appeal under Section 69 of the Act and the first
    respondent, after hearing both the parties, made an order on 24.11.1977 allowing
    the appeal by holding that the temple in question belonged to the second
    respondent and is a 'public temple'. Against that order, the appellants filed a
    suit in O.S. No. 267 of 1978 on the file of the Subordinate Judge, Madurai,
H   as provided under Section 70 of the Act, inter alia, seeking to grant a declaration
                3. PITCH Al GAN APATHY v. COMM. HINDU RELIGIOUS & CHARITABLE ENDOWMENT !)EPT IRAJENIJRA BABU, J.J   5
              that the suit temple is a 'private temple' of the appellants and for an injunction                        A
              to restrain the respondents to interfere with the possession and enjoyment of
              the temple. After trial the Subordinate Judge decreed the suit holding the suit
              temple is a 'private temple' of the appellants. Against that judgment two
          j   appeals were preferred in A.S. No. 554 of 1982 and A.S. No. 56 of 1984 on
              the file of the High Court of Madras. The High Court by order dated 6.11.1992
                                                                                                                        B
              allowed both the appeals on the ground that firstly the suit was not maintainable
              for want of issue of a notice and secondly, on merits, it was held that the suit
              temple is a 'public temple' belonging to the second respondent. Against the
              said judgment and decree the Letters Patent Appeal No. 206 of 1992 was filed.
              The said appeal has now been dismissed holding that the temple in question
              is a 'public temple' forming part of the second respondent temple and in a suit                           c
              of the present nature filed under Section 70 of the Act a notice under Section
              80 Civil Procedure Code was not required.

                     The trial court proceeded to analyse the matter with reference to the Act
              as to whether the suit property is a religious institution as defined under the
                                                                                                                        D
              Act. In ascertaining the same the trial court relied upon a decision of the
      )       Madras High Court in The Commissioner.for Hindu Religious and Charitable
              Endowments, Madras v. A.B.S. Sethurama Pillai & Ors., reported in 1960
              M.L.J. 157, to the effect that where there is no proof that any dedication of the
              temple to the public has been made or that the public worship in the temple
              as of right at any time the institution is a 'private temple' only and the Hindu                          E
              Religious and Charitable Endowment Board would have jurisdiction to initiate
              proceeding or regulate the management by a scheme in respect of such a private
              temple under the Act. Proceeding on this basis the trial court considered the
      j
              effect of the earlier litigation and looked into the plaint and decree passed in
              the prior proceedings in O.S. No. 278 of 1966, O.S. No. 511 of 1881 and O.S.                              F
              No. 577 of 1888 on the file of the District Munsif's Court, Madurai Town. It
              was stated that one Muthauee alias Meenakshi Ayi wife of Chockalingam Pillai
              had one daughter by name Karuppayee who had three daughters (i) Periya
              Chellammal alias Sornathammal, (ii) Chinna Chellammal and (iii) Abbirami
              Ammal Periya Chellammal alias Soranhammal who had three sons (1) K.S.
...       I   Kalyanasundaram Pillai, who was the first plaintiff (2) Appavu Pillai, the                                G
              second plaintiff and· (3) Shanmugam Pillai, the father of the third plaintiff.
              Plaintiff Nos. ·1 and 2 died during the pendency of the suit and plaintiff Nos.
              6, 7 and 8 who were their legal representatives were brought on record.
              Muthayee alias Meenakshi Ayi wife of Chockalingam Pillai as hereditary
              Pujaris and trustee of the temples in the suit property filed O.S. No. 278of1866                          H
    6                     SUPREME COURT REPORTS                  [2001] SUPP. 3 S.C.R.
A   on the file of the District Munsif's Court, Madurai Town against the Government
    for an injunction not to interfere with her possession and enjoyment of a panda!
    put up in the suit property and also not to prevent her from putting up
    constructions in the suit property. After referring to various proceedings, the
    trial court held that the title of the ancestors of the plaintiffs to the suit property
    has been judicially recognised. However, in resisting this plaint, the defendants
B
    to the said suit pointed out that the temples in question are situate in between
    Swami Sannadhi and Amman Gopuram of Sri Meenakshi Temple and adjacent
    to the eastern Thirumathil of the said temple and geographical lie of the suit
    temple in between Swami Sannadhi and Amman Gopuram of Sri Meenakshi
    Temple which will facilitRte the public to worship would indicate that the suit
c   temple is a 'public temple'. An Inspector of the Hindu Religious and Charitable
    Endowment Department conducted an enquiry during the pendency of the
    pr~~edings in O.A~·No. 23 of 1971. The report and plans made by him were
    Exhibits .in the suit wherein he stated that the suit temples have the features of
        .~



    the 'public temple'; that during Adi Pournami Day the devotees of
D   Pathinethampadi Karuppanaswamy would take sandal paste from the suit temple
    and go to Pathinethampadi Karuppanswamy temple at Alagarkoil accompanying
    with Pujaris of the suit temple and apply sandal paste in the doors of the
    Pathinethamapadi Karuppanswamy temple at Alagarkoil; that for applying the
    sandal paste the Pujaris of the suit temple would collect 60 paise per pot; that
    for collecting such fee per pot by the Pujaris Alagarkoil Devastham are levying
E   fees to the Pujaris of the suit temple. These facts have been admitted by P.W.
     1. It was contended before the trial court that the suit property must be a 'p•1blic
    temple' and the claim of the plaintiffs that the suit temple as well as the suit
    property are their private properties could not be accepted. The trial court
    rejected these contentions. By mere fact that the suit temples are situate adjoining
F   Thirumathils of Sri Meenakshi Temple in between Swami Sannadhi and Amman
    Gopuram on the south, on the north by Meenakshi Temple Nandavanam, on
    the east by East Chitrai St~eet and on the west by Sri Meenakshi Temple
    Thirumathil it cannot be construed that the suit temples must be 'public temples'
    to bring them under the definition of Section 6(20) of the Acc. It was held that

G
    there must be a dedication to and for the benefit of the Hindu community or
    any section thereof and it must be used as of right by the Hindu community
                                                                                              .   \   ..
    and it is quite clear thct the geographical situation of the suit property alone
     would not be sufficient to come to the conclusion that the suit temples are
     'private temples'. Adverting to the report and the oral evidence of the Inspector,
    the trial court held that he had not seen any temple records to show that the
H   suit temples are adjacent to the second respondent temple and he stayed in the
      S. PITCHAI GANAPATHY.: COMM. HINDU RELIGIOUS & CHARITABLE ENIXJWMENT DEPT. (RAJENDRA BABU, J.J   7
    temple for about 40 minutes but he had not seen any member of the public                               A
    worshiping in the suit temples. Thereafter, the trial court adverted to the oral
    evidence of D.W. 2, Peshkar of Sri Meenakshi Temple, who has been holding
    the office for about 32 years, and stated that in his 32 years of service he paid
    visit to the suit temple nearly for five times and he had seen Thoobakkal,
    Theebakkal, Vibhoothi Thattu, Bell, Soodathattu. From his evidence the trial
                                                                                                           B
    court drew an inference that the suit temples are not under the management of
    the second respondent temple and no member of the public had been examined
    to· establish the fact that public were worshipping in the suit temples. It was
    stated that if any death occurs in the houses of any one of the family members
    of the plaintiffs, the temple would be kept closed nearly for 16 days and after
    that, they would perform poojas in the temple. The trial court also noticed that                       c
    in respect of temples in the State of Madras there is a strong presumption that
    they are 'public institutions'. The trial court proceeded to hold that the temples
    in question are very ancient temples whose origin is unknown and there is no
    evidence as to who founded it or built its institutions. A very ancient document
    was produced to show that Muthayee alias Meenkashi Ayi had mortgaged her                               D
    property nearly 100 years ago for the purpose of construction of the suit
J   temples. However, the trial court held that even before the execution of the said
    mortgage deed the temples in question were in existence. However, the trial
    court did not agree with the contention that when the origin of the temples
    could not be established the burden lay heavily upon the plaintiffs to establish
    that the temples are 'private' ones and held that there is no proof that the
                                                                                                           E
    members of the public are entitled to worship in the suit temples as of right and
    came to the conclusion that the suit temples are 'private temples'.

           In the High Court the learned Single Judge, who considered the appeals
    filed by the Department and by Sri Mecnakshi Sundaraswaran Temple, took the                            F
    view that the suit temple is situate in Madurai Town and adjoining the famous
    Sri Meenakshi Sundaraswaran Temple and is situate in between the Swami
    Sannadhi and Amman Gopuram of Sri Meenakshi Temple and adjacent to the
    eastern Thirumathi of that Temple. The second plaintiff, who is now no more,
    had tendered evidence before the Deputy Commissioner wherein it is stated
    that the suit temple is situate not in a private land and he did not know how                          G
    it belonged to his ancestors. It was situate in a paramboke land, but the learned
    Judge stated that in a place like Madurai Town a space adjoining Sri Meenakshi
    Sundaraswaran Temple none could claim Nathan right. The evidence disclosed
    that the suit temple is more than 200 years old. The second plaintiff admitted
    that he did not know when and why and by whom the suit temple was built.                               H
    8                     SUPREME COURT REPORTS                  [2001] SUPP. 3 S.C.R.
A     In Exhibit A-3 plaint copy in O.S. No. 5ll of 1884 filed by Muthayee alias
    . Meenakshi Ayi whom the plaintiffs claim as their ancestor, it is stated that suit
      temple had been built before the time of Karnataka Rajas ancl origin of which
      is not known. The learned Judge stated that considering the fact that the suit
      temple is on paramboke land in the heart of Madurai Town adjoining the
      famous Sri Meenakshi Sundaraswaran Temple, the legitimate inference would
B
      be that the founders of the temple intended it to be a temple for public worship
      and not for private worship. The learned Judge thereafter adverted to the nature
      of the temples with reference to Exhibit A-3 which is plaint in O.S. 511 of 1884       ....
      wherein the temples had been described. After noticing the various parts of the
      temples, the learned Judge found that the description of the temples probalises
C     that it could be a 'public' one rather than a 'private' one. P.W. 1, the sixth
      plaintiff, had stated that the suit temple was built by Muthayee alias Meenakshi
      Ayi but he himself admitted that the second plaintiff who was elder to him had
      more knowledge about the suit temples than he himself had. The learned Judge
      stated that his evidence is unbelievable. The second plaintiff in his evidence
D     slated that during Adi Pournami from the suit temples persons of the public
      used to take sandal pots to Alagarkoil and for that the plaintiff used to collect
      fees from everyone. He further staled that subsequent to that also they used to
      collect fees doing "Dheeparathani'. The learned Judge thereafter considered in
      detail the procedure in connection with the right to paste Alagarkoil and
      collection of fees. He did not accept the fact that the mere fact that the Inspector
E     stayed in the temples for about 45 minutes would mean that he could not have
      seen persons coming to the suit temples for worship and, the oral evidence
      being very slippery~ the learned Judge rejected the same. In regard to the
      documentary evidence, he noticed that they all indicated that the plaintiffs were
      Pujaris and trustees of the temples and that they might have right to be Pujaris
F     or trustees but from that fact it could not be inferred. that the suit temple is a
      'private temple'. Even Muthayee alias Meenakshi Ayi filed O.S. No. 278 of
      1866 on the file of the District Munsif's Court, Madurai against the Government
      for injunction not to interfere with her possession and enjoyment of panda) put
      up in the suit properties only as a Pujari of the temple and there was no claim
      made that the land did not belong to the temple but to an individual. In O.S.
G     No. 511 of 1884 also the trustees and authorities of the suit temples had filed
      a suit for declaration of ownership of the suit properties and for injunction as
      Pujaris only. When the Municipal Corporation of Madurai took steps to acquire
      the verandah portion in front of the suit temple, Muthayee alias Meenakshi Ayi
      objected to the same acting again in the capacity of a Pujari of the temple.
H     Therefore, the learned Judge observed that it is wrong to state, as the trial court
      S PJTCHAI GANAPATHY v. COMM. HINDU RELIGIOUS & CHARITABLE ENDOWMENT DEPT. (RAJENDRA BABIJ. J.J   9
    had done, that the said legal proceedings had recognised the plaintiffs' ownership                     A
    to the suit temples.

           Adverting to Exhibit A-6 which is the rent deed and Exhibit A-7 which
    is a loan bond, the learned Judge stated that there was no mention in these
    documents that Muthayee alias Meenakshi Ayi is the owner of the suit properties.
                                                                                                           B
    Even though she could be in exclusive management of the suit properties but
    that circumstance would not indicate that the suit temple is a 'private' one.
    Partition Deed dated 27.5.1897, Exhibit A- 14, indicates that the plaintiffs'
    family had divided the rights of some honour they were entitled to in respect
    of the suit temple and hence no question of partition of the suit temple had
    arisen. The trial court's observation was also noticed that "it is, of course, true                    c
    in the short cause title and long cause title suits they were addressed as
    poossries and trustees". Thereafter, the learned Judge adverted to the payment
    of property tax and held that by mere payment of property tax the plaintiffs
    could not claim to be owners of the properties in question. The learned Judge
    observed that the trial court had examined the case from a wrong angle to the                          D
)
    effect that unless a dedication of the temple to the Hindu communities is
    proved, the temple cannot be held to be a 'public temple' and the origin of the
    temple being not known and the temple had been built before the Karnataka
    Rajas more than 200 years ago, there is a presumption that the suit temples are
    'public temples'. On that basis, the learned Judge held that the suit temple is
    a 'religious institution' as defined under Section 6(20) of the Act and is not a                       E
    'private temple'.

           The matter was carried further in appeal on the Letters Patent side. The
    Division Bench of the High Court in a very erudite and lengthy judgment
    referred to various facets of the Act and more than half judgment is devoted                           F
    to the question as to whether the suit would lie without notice under Section
    80 C.P.C. The learned Judges reiterated what the learned Single Judge stated
    on all aspects of the facts and held that the temple in question is a 'public' one
    and not a 'private' one.

          However, Shri A.T.M.Sampath, learned counsel for the plaintiffs-                                 G
    appellants, reiterated the contentions urged before the High Court. Shri Sampath
    placed strong reliance upon the decision of the trial court. He submitted that
    in order that a temple to be a 'religious institution' within the meaning of
    Section 6(20) of the Act, a temple has to be dedicated for the benefit of the
    Hindu community or any section thereof as a place of public religious worship                          H
    10                   SUPREME COURT REPORTS                [2001] SUPP. 3 S.C.R.
A   and used by the public of the temple as of right for worship. The circumstances
    and the documents upon which reliance has been placed by the parties before
    the trial court and the High Court are reiterated before us such as decree in
    O.S.No.511 of 1884 in the court of District Munsif, Madurai, decree in
    O.S.No.278 of 1866, the deed of loan dated 17.3.1888, decree in O.S.No.577/
    1888, the deed of partition dated 27.5.1897, sale deed dated 6.11.1907 executed
B
    by Chinna Chellammal and others, proceedings of the C~llector, Madurai dated
    1.9.1941, an.don a proper construction of these documents, he submitted that
    the plaintiffs-appellants' family enjoyed the suit temple as a 'private temple'.

           The examination made by the trial court has been very thorough on entire
c   material placed before it in the shape of oral and the documentary evidence but
    its conclusions on many of them or its construction of the documents appear
    to be faulty as found by the First Appellate Court which equally thoroughly
    examined the matter and came to the contrary conclusion that the suit temple
    is not a 'private temple' which stood affirmed by the Division Bep.ch of the
    High Court on an independent examination of the matter.
D
           The gist of the allegations made by the plaintiffs-appellants 'in the suit
    is that their ancestors filed a suit in O.S.No.278 of 1866 on the file of the
    District Munsif's Court, Madurai, against the Government for declaration of
    their ownership of the temple c..nd for injunction restraining the Government
    from interfering with their right of possession and enjoyment as owners and
E
    Pujaries. The said suit was decreed. The plaintiffs-appellants again filed another
    O.S.No.511 of 1884 in the same court against the trustees and the authorities
    of the Sri Meenakshi Sundereswarar Temple on the ground that they were
    attempting to interfere with their possession. This suit was also decreed. A
    partition was entered into between the members of the plaintiffs-appellants'
F   family and the portion of the property was leased out to tenants and on this
    basis, the plaintiffs-appellants contended that the suit temple is not a 'religious
    institution' as defined under Section 6(20) of the Act and the members of the
    public have no right to worship in the temple; that the building does not bear
    any characteristics of a 'public temple' and that the plaintiffs-appellants and the
                                                                                          i   ...
G   members of their family alone were performing poojas and other services in
    the temple hereditarily.

          The stand of the defendants-respondents is that the temple is constructed
    on a poramboke land bocnded on three sides by the 'nandavanam' and the
    second defendant, Sri Meenakshi Sundereswarar Temple; that the devotees
H   worship in that temple as a matter of right and that the judgments rendered in
  S. PITCHAI GANAPATHY '·COMM. HINDU RELIGIOUS & CHARITABLE ENDOWMENT DEPT. (RAJENDRA BABU, J.I   11
O.S.No.278 of 1866 and O.S.No.511 of 1884 or the partition effected on                                 A
27.5.1897 will not affect the right of the public. The stand of Sri Meenakshi
Sundereswarar Temple and that of the Commissioner, Hindu Religious &
Charitable Endowments Department, Madras are identical.

       The trial court, as noted earlier, held that suit temple is not a 'religious
institution' as defined under Section 6(20) of the Act. The learned Single Judge
                                                                                                       B
on appeal and the Division Bench of the High Court in Letters Patent Appeal
took a contrary view and concurrently held that the suit temple is a 'religious
institution' as defined in Section 6(20) of the Act and it is not a 'private temple'
as held by the trial court on the facts adverted to by the learned Single Judge.
                                                                                                       c
        The fact that temple is situate on poramboke land cannot be seriously
disputed; that the origin of the temple is not known; that its location is next
 to the famous Meenakshi Amman Temple; that the evidence adduced on behalf
of the plaintiffs-appellants was not enough to hold the temple and the properties
owned by it belong to the plaintiffs-appellants. The documentary evidence
                                                                                                       D
made available to the court with reference to the suit in O.S.No.278/1866,
O.S.No.51111884 and Ex.A-7, which is described as a deed of loan executed
on 17.3.1888 by Muthayee alias Meenakshi Ayi. It is not clear from the
judgment~ as to who deposed on behalf of the plaintiffs-appellants and who
deposed on behalf of the defendants-respondents and even after careful perusal
of the entire judgment no conclusion can be drawn as to in what capacity the                           E
ancestors of the plaintiffs-appellants claimed enjoyment of the suit land. There
is a specific mention of the claim of the plaintiffs-appellants in the suit that the
suit land belonged to the plaintiffs-temple. The ownership of the lands is thus
conceded to the temple and not claimed by the plaintiffs and it was not made
clear as to who the plaintiffs were. In regard to O.S.No.511/1884, a reference                         F
to the plaint would reveal that it was a suit filed by two plaintiffs described as
Priest/Priestess of the Padhinettampadi Karuppannasamy Temple and situate at
Kizhathirai Street, Madurai and Veerasamy Pillaiyar Temple, Madurai, the
Division Bench clearly found that the claim made in the suit was with regard
to possession and enjoyment and not title or ownership and the judgment was
not made available in that particular case and the decree indicated the date of                        G
the judgment to be 11.4.1885 in favour of the plaintiffs-appellants restraining
the defendants-respondents by enteri11g in~o the suit property in order to disturb
the peaceful possession and enjoyment of the suit property by the plaintiffs-
appellants and also directing the defendants-respondents to pay Rs. 20/- to the
plaintiffs-appellants for having demolished the wall unlawfully and also directing                     H
    12                    SUPREME COURT REPORTS                 [2001] SUPP. 3 S.C.R.
A   to pay the costs to the plaintiffs-appellants. Exhibit A-7, which is dated 17.3.1888,
    was executed by one of the ancestors of the plaintiffs-appellants and in order
    to construct a pucca building of the Sri Meenakshi Sundereswarar Temple, the
    wife of the temple Priest took a loan of Rs.5001- from one Chackarabani
    Chettiar. Therefore, this document can hardly throw any light on the character
    of the suit temple. The judgment in O.S.No.577 of 1888 is also useful as in that
B
    judgment there is only reference to certain description and nothing of any
    importance on the question whether the temple was a 'public' or 'private'
    temple. The deed of partition dated 27.5.1897 indicates that certain rights are
    available to the plaintiffs-appellants' family in the suit temple in offering pooja
    and the right to apportionment of the offerings and nothing more.
c           Both the learned Single Judge and the Division Bench strongly relied
    upon the evidence tendered by Appavoo Pillai, who was the second petitioner
    in the case before the Deputy Commissioner and he did not depose in the· suit
    but died during the pendency of the suit. In these circumstances, reliance was
    placed on the statements made by him before the Deputy Commissioner which
D   is to the effect that the plaintiffs-appellants did not buy the same from anyone
    and since his ancestors were enjoying, it had come to be enjoyed by them. He
    admitted that the house taxes were paid in his capacity as trustee. The public
    could offer worship at the temple only with their permission and they had never
    refused such permission at any time. The public also used to carry the sandal
E   pot from the temple and each individual should pay 10 annas for the same.
    While the devotees come for such pooja, they used to collect fees from them
    which would be taken away by them. The tax had not been levied on their
    original names but only as Manager of the trustee or only in that capacity they
    had collected the rents. Exhibits A-41 to A-47 did not pertain to the temple.
    The site mentioned in Exs.A-49, 50, 51 and 52 did not pertain to the suit site
F   of the temple but were lying in front of the suit temple and the aforesaid site
    and also the site found in Ex.A-53 were not that of the temple but adjoining
    it. This evidence is fatal to the case of the plaintiffs-appellants and, therefore,
    the High Court could firmly come to the conclusion that the presumption that
    the temple is a 'public temple' is not rebutted.
                                                                                            .•
G          In reaching this conclusion, when on questions of fact and on construction
    of the documen!s, noneofwhich can be treated ~o be documents of title, but
    only to indicate the description of the property or the nature of possession and
    enjoyment of the property thereof alone has been considered, we think the're
    is hardly anything for this Court to interfere with such orders. The Division
H   Bench as well as learned Single Judge have each independently applied their
  S. PITCHAI GAN APATHY'· COMM. HINDU RF.LIGIOUS & CHARITABLE ENDOWMENT DEPT. [RAJENDRA BABU, J.J   13
mind to the relevant documents and have arrived at identical conclusions.                                A
Indeed the Division Bench made very detailed analysis of the judgments
rendered in the suits referred to and also to the deed of partition to ascertain
the rights of the plaintiffs-appellants. The anxiety shown by the High Court will
clearly indicate that even if there was a wee-bit of material before the court the
same would have been held in their favour.
                                                                                                         B
       We have also independently examined the evidence on record in the
matter and we think there is no substance in this appeal. The appeal, therefore,
stan.ds dismissed~ However, in the circumstances of the case, there shall be no
orders as to costs.

S.K.S.                                                                       Appeal dismissed.