The Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Act, 1965
The Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Act, 1965
This law regulates access to public Hindu places of worship across the Indian state of Kerala. Applying to all Hindus, which legally includes Buddhists, Sikhs, and Jains, it declares that every public temple must be open to all sects and castes without discrimination. It matters because it enforces social equality, outlawing the historical exclusion of marginalized communities from sacred spaces. Temple administrators are forbidden from using safety or order regulations to discriminate, and any person who prevents or discourages entry faces criminal penalties like fines and imprisonment. Ultimately, this act protects fundamental religious freedom and dismantles segregation in public worship.
- 0. Preamble
- 1. Short title, extent and commencement.
- 2. Definitions.
- 3. Places of public worship to be open to all sections and classes of Hindus.
- 4. Power to make regulations for the maintenance of order and decorum and the due performance of rites and ceremonies in places of public worship.
- 5. Penalty.
- 6. Abetment of offences.
- 7. Enhanced penalty on subsequent conviction.
- 8. Limitation of jurisdiction of civil courts.
- 9. Offences under the Act to be cognisable and compoundable.
- 10. Saving.
- 11. Repeal.
PDF: pending for this language.