The spending of temple offerings for advertisements by a religious trust has not found favour with the Himachal Pradesh High Court. It has directed the state government not to spend money of the Baba Balak Nath Mandir (temple) in the state for promoting its activities.
“The temple trust shall not spend any money by way of any advertisement in any souvenir,” a division bench of Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice D.C. Chaudhary observed in an order
Taking cognizance of a letter written by Rajnish Khosla to the high court that Rs.100,000 was spent from the Baba Balak Nath Temple Trust fund for an advertisement in 2009, the high court directed the chief secretary and the chief commissioner (temples) to issue directions that the “god’s money is not to be spent for advertisements about the temple or its activities”.
In its reply, the temple trust had said the amount was released on the request of the deputy commissioner of Hamirpur district, where the temple is located.
The Baba Balak Nath Temple in Deotsidh is one of the prominent state government-controlled temples in the hill state.
BY PTI
