The Himachal Pradesh High Court has ruled that temple funds cannot be diverted, transmitted, or donated to any government welfare scheme or to activities unrelated to the temple or religion, stressing that devotees contribute with the belief that their offerings will be used for the care of deities, temple maintenance, and the promotion of Sanatan Dharma.

A division bench of Justices Vivek Singh Thakur and Rakesh Kainthla delivered a detailed 38-page judgment on Friday, which was made available on Tuesday, while disposing of a civil writ petition seeking proper utilisation of temple funds under the Hindu Public Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act, 1984.

The bench clarified that temple funds must strictly be used for:

The care and maintenance of deities

Upkeep of temple spaces

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