Madras HC bars non-Hindus with religious markers from Agamic temple premises unless they affirm reverence

Ayyappa and Shirdi Sai Baba temples are outside the ruling. Here’s which temples the Madras High Court’s new order covers

PGurus Newsdesk

October 28, 2026

Madras High Court Madurai Bench rules non-Hindus wearing other faiths’ markers and not affirming reverence cannot enter Agamic temples

Division Bench says affirmation of reverence must be in the format prescribed by each temple

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has ruled that non-Hindus who wear religious markers of other faiths and do not affirm reverence for the deity cannot be allowed even into the premises of Agamic temples. The order extends existing restrictions beyond the area around the flagstaff.

Until now, non-Hindus who wished to cross the flagstaff had only to affirm their faith in the deity and agree to follow temple customs. The court has now gone further. Under the new order, non-Hindus wearing markers of other faiths who do not affirm reverence cannot enter the temple premises at all. The affirmation must be made in the format prescribed by the temple concerned.

The order is not a blanket ban. It does not bar everyone wearing another religion’s markers, but it also does not say whether a non-Hindu who keeps wearing such markers can enter after signing the prescribed undertaking.

A Division Bench of Justices G.R. Swaminathan and P. Murugan passed the order while allowing a petition seeking enforcement of the laws on temple entry and of Agamic injunctions.

The judges referred to a social media video that purportedly showed people in skull caps entering the Arunachaleswarar temple in Tiruvannamalai over devotees’ protests, and criticised temple staff for standing by silently. They also cited instances involving political figures: Madurai Central MLA Badrudeen Mustafa allegedly entering the Meenakshi temple after the election, claiming a right to inspect amenities, and going up the temple towers during the Kumbabishekam, and a Christian Minister allegedly entering the Tiruchendur temple without giving the required undertaking.

By contrast, the court pointed to Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, who is Christian by faith but worshipped at the Meenakshi temple after signing an undertaking. The judges noted that he was not asked to convert, only to affirm reverence for the deity, and called this an “inclusive approach.”

The Bench relied on the 1972 ruling in Kalyan Dass v State of Tamil Nadu, which struck down a rule seeking to admit non-Hindus into temple premises, and the 2024 ruling in D. Senthilkumar v Government of Tamil Nadu, which allowed entry beyond the flagstaff on an undertaking of faith and respect for temple customs.

The court said the ruling covers only Agamic temples, noting that some shrines, including those of Ayyappa and Shirdi Sai Baba, have devotees from across religious boundaries.

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