‘There Cannot be Anarchy in Temples or Dargahs’: Supreme Court During Sabarimala Hearing

The Supreme Court recently observed that the right to manage a religious institution cannot mean absence of structure or regulation, emphasising that every institution must function through proper norms and modalities.

The remarks were made by a nine-judge Constitution Bench while hearing petitions relating to women’s entry into places of worship, including the Sabarimala matter.

Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah stated that temples and dargahs require regulation regarding manner of worship and functioning, as “there cannot be anarchy.”

At the same time, the Court clarified that such regulation cannot violate constitutional principles or permit discrimination on broad constitutional parameteres.