The Madras High Court has ruled that temple festivals conducted with the involvement of the State through the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR & CE) Department cannot be allowed to perpetuate caste distinctions, and that invitations for such festivals must not include caste names. The High Court’s observations emphasized the constitutional principle of equality and the larger objective of eradicating the caste system, holding that the State’s participation in religious festivals must not serve to reinforce caste divisions. The case before the court was a petition challenging the use of caste names in printed invitations for an upcoming temple festival, where the petitioner sought directions to prohibit mention of caste in the invitations and to regulate the selection of persons authorized to participate in specific ritual functions during the festival. The petitioner had approached the High Court seeking that only persons authorized by the temple’s Executive Officer be permitted to act as “Sri Padhamthangis” responsible for carrying the deity’s idol in the festival procession, and that festival invitations be printed without caste suffixes attached to donor names.
During the hearing, the State informed the court that the relevant temple itself was not deliberately using caste names, but that caste identifiers had been inadvertently printed in the festival invitations, which had already been distributed and could not be reprinted in time for the current year’s festival. The court took note of this submission, and while it declined to issue directions that would disrupt the invitations already circulated for the present festival season, it made clear that such caste references should be discontinued going forward. The court stressed that the very purpose of India becoming a republic was to treat all persons equally, and that the concept of caste, being based purely on birth, divides people. Citing the equality guarantee enshrined in Article 14 of the Constitution, the court stated that the endeavour of every authority in the country should be to annihilate caste, not to perpetuate it. It observed that where the government is directly involved in conducting a festival, as through the HR & CE Department, it cannot permit conduct that propagates caste identity or advertises caste with pride.
The High Court therefore directed that from the next festival onwards, whenever any pamphlet, invitation or printed material was issued in relation to temple festivals conducted with the involvement of the HR & CE Department, the caste suffix of any person’s name must be omitted, and only the individual’s name should be printed. The court rejected the State’s prayer that the matter be left to the discretion of the temple authorities or donors, and instead issued prospective directions aimed at ensuring compliance with constitutional values in future invitations. Regarding the petitioner’s additional request to frame rules for selection or regulation of “Sri Padhamthangis” or volunteers who carry the idol during the procession, the court declined to micromanage the festival’s rituals. The court noted that such processions are customarily carried out by willing volunteers or devotees at the ground level, and that framing a standard operating procedure for participation might open a “Pandora’s box.” It held that the management of such functions should be handled by the temple authorities themselves, without judicially imposed restrictions that could complicate festival operations.
In its reasoning, the court highlighted the importance of not only avoiding caste perpetuation in the context of invitations but also ensuring that State involvement in religious celebrations does not lend official imprimatur to caste distinctions. The court’s direction aimed at future invitations underscored that the printing of names with caste identifiers in official communication connected to temple festivals is inconsistent with the constitutional goal of equality. It emphasized that caste exists only in the minds of people and that public authorities must actively avoid reinforcing caste identities in any manner, especially when they are directly involved in organising religious festivities. The judgment thereby set a precedent for how festivals conducted through government departments must be approached, ensuring that constitutional values are upheld in their presentation and execution.
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