Tamil NaduThursday, 18 June 2026·The Hindu - Tamil Nadu
HR&CE cancels ₹246-crore sanctions for temple wedding halls and commercial complexes in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu’s HR&CE Department cancelled sanctions for 29 wedding halls and 17 commercial complexes worth ₹246 crore, following Madras High Court orders.
Key highlights
Direct fact
In June 2026, the Tamil Nadu HR&CE Department cancelled administrative sanctions for 29 wedding halls and 17 commercial complexes worth ₹246 crore, after orders of the Madras High Court (Madurai Bench).
Key specifics
- The cancelled works covered 29 wedding halls and 17 commercial complexes.
- The total value of the sanctioned works was ₹246 crore.
- Temple funds mentioned included Arunachaleswarar Temple, Tiruvannamalai (₹6.40 crore) and Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, Madurai (₹3 crore).
- Wedding hall proposals included Dhandayudhaswamy Temple, Palani (₹9.80 crore) and Sankaranarayanaswamy Temple, Sankarankoil (₹9.80 crore).
- The department said temple funds should be used for amenities such as queue management, toilets, clean drinking water, annadhanam halls and devotee rest houses.
Exam lens
Temple administration and statutory provisions question type: HR&CE Act, use of temple funds, court-linked administrative cancellation; TNPSC may ask which department cancelled the ₹246 crore sanction and which temples were named.