Supreme Court Stays Order On Board, Not Community Of Priests Managing Tamil Nadu Temple

The Supreme Court has stayed a Madras High Court order directing that parts of the administration of the Lord Nataraja temple in Tamil Nadu's Chidambaram be transferred from a community of priests to a five-member board.The controversy began with a May 2022 order from the Tamil Nadu government, which granted devotees permission to offer prayers from the 'Kanakasabha' - an elevated platform located within the temple complex where special prayers and rituals are traditionally performed.The Podhu Dikshitars - hereditary priests who manage the temple - challenged this order in the Madras High Court.