Karnataka HC quashes orders bringing Hanuman birthplace temple under Muzrai department

The Karnataka high court has quashed state government orders bringing the Anjaneya Swamy temple on Anjanadri Hill in Koppal district, believed by devotees to be the birthplace of Lord Hanuman, under the state’s religious endowments department, ruling that affected parties were not given an opportunity to be heard before the decision.

Justice M Nagaprasanna set aside a September 24, 2018, notification declaring the temple a notified religious institution and a December 15, 2018, order appointing an administrator and an executive officer to manage its affairs.

The court found that the prescribed procedure was not followed and that affected parties had not been given a proper opportunity to raise objections, violating the principles of natural justice. It clarified that the government could initiate fresh proceedings and issue a new notification, provided it complied with the law.

The dispute also involves Vidyadasa Baba, the temple’s chief priest, who has been fighting to retain his right to perform religious duties at the shrine. His role became a point of contention after the government moved to bring the temple under the Muzrai department in 2018.

Earlier court orders had protected the Baba’s right to conduct worship. The latest judgment reiterated that he could perform puja and discharge the duties of an archaka in accordance with directions previously issued by the Supreme Court and the High Court.

The district administration has maintained that permission for the Baba to perform religious rituals does not mean the temple has ceased to fall under the Muzrai department. “The Baba has been permitted to perform puja, while the temple continues to remain under the Muzrai department,” a senior district administration officer told HT on Friday.

The court also considered a July 18, 2018, order issued by the Koppal deputy commissioner. It held that the challenge to that order had become infructuous because the state government had withdrawn it on June 26, 2019.

Koppal additional deputy commissioner Siddarameshwara told HT that he had learnt of the verdict on Friday and would respond after examining the detailed order.

The ruling sets aside the government’s 2018 notification and subsequent administrative appointments on procedural grounds. It leaves the state free to reconsider the temple’s administrative status through fresh proceedings, while clarifying Vidyadasa Baba’s right to perform religious duties under earlier court directions.