Archive · 13 Jan 2026
Orissa High Court Rules on Temple Ritual Rights
The Orissa High Court has said that the Collector of Khordha, who is also the President of the Lord Lingaraj Temple Trust, does not have the power to decide who can perform certain rituals at the temple.
The court said that only the Assistant Commissioner of Endowments can make this decision.
The court also said that the Collector's recent order about these rituals should not be followed until the matter is decided properly.
This is because the Collector did not follow the correct legal process.
The dispute is about who should perform a specific ritual called Dugdha Melana during the Makara Sankranti festival.
The court wants to make sure that the right people are making these decisions according to the law.
The Orissa High Court ruled that the Collector of Khordha lacks the authority to settle ritual rights disputes at the Lord Lingaraj Temple.
The court kept the Collector's order in abeyance to prevent future complications.
Only the Assistant Commissioner of Endowments, Bhubaneswar, is competent to adjudicate such disputes under the Odisha Hindu Religious Endowments Act, 1951.
The dispute involves the ritual rights of Sevayats, specifically the Dugdha Melana ritual during Makara Sankranti.
The Collector's order was passed without resorting to the statutory remedy under the Act, which the court found improper.
- Who
- Orissa High Court, Collector Khordha, Sevayats, Assistant Commissioner of Endowments, Bhubaneswar
- What
- Dispute over ritual rights at Lord Lingaraj Temple
- When
- Dispute arose in January 2025, Collector's order on 24th December 2025
- Where
- Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
- Why
- To resolve the dispute over the performance of rituals by Sevayats
- Temple
- Lord Lingaraj Mahaprabhu Temple, Bhubaneswar
- Collector's Role
- President of the Temple Trust
- Competent Authority
- Assistant Commissioner of Endowments, Bhubaneswar
- Dispute
- Ritual rights of Sevayats
- High Court Order
- Collector's order kept in abeyance
- Relevant Law
- Odisha Hindu Religious Endowments Act, 1951
- Date of Dispute
- January 2025
- Date of Collector's Order
- 24th December 2025