Vidhi Codex

Bare Act

The Guruvayoor Devaswom Act, 1978

Civil197843 sections

This Act establishes a statutory corporate body to oversee the administration, properties, and daily management of the famous Sree Krishna Temple at Guruvayoor and its subordinate shrines. It applies to temple committee members, administrative officers, staff, state oversight officials, and visiting devotees. The law creates a structured managing committee and appoints an administrator to safeguard temple assets, handle financial budgets, protect historical antiquities, provide proper facilities for worshippers, and recruit staff with affirmative action reservations. By preserving traditional spiritual authority under the chief priest while establishing legal and financial accountability, it ensures the transparent and effective governance of the temple trust.

Start reading →Read full ActSections
  1. 1. Short title and commencement
  2. 2. Definitions
  3. 3. Incorporation
  4. 4. Composition of Committee
  5. 5. Term of office of non-official members, resignation and removal of such members and casual vacancies in their office
  6. 6. Dissolution and supersession of Committee
  7. 7. Meetings of the Committee
  8. 8. Acts or proceedings of Committee not to be invalidated
  9. 9. Remuneration of the Chairman and members
  10. 10. Duties of Committee
  11. 11. Alienation of Devaswom properties
  12. 12. Limitation of borrowing and lending powers
  13. 13. Administration report
  14. 14. Appointment of Administrator
  15. 15. Conditions of service of Administrator
  16. 16. Additional charge of office of the Administrator
  17. 17. Powers and duties of Administrator
  18. 18. Establishment schedule
  19. 19. Appointment of officers and employees
  20. 20. Fixing of standard scales of expenditure
  21. 21. Budget
  22. 22. Revised or supplementary budget
  23. 23. Accounts and audit
  24. 24. Authority to whom audit report is to be submitted
  25. 25. Contents of audit report
  26. 26. Rectification of defects disclosed in audit and order of surcharge against Committee, etc.
  27. 27. Authority of Committee to incur expenditure for certain purposes
  28. 28. Committee to be in possession of Devaswom properties
  29. 29. Protection of action taken in good faith
  30. 30. Public officers to furnish copies of or extracts from certain documents
  31. 31. Cost of proceedings, etc.
  32. 32. Notifications, orders, etc. not to be questioned in court of law
  33. 33. Power of Government to call for records and pass orders
  34. 34. Savings
  35. 35. Thantri to be final authority in religious matters
  36. 36. Removal of difficulty
  37. 37. Scheme framed for the Temple not to apply
  38. 38. Rules
  39. 39. Regulations
  40. 40. Madras Act XIX of 1951 not to apply to Devaswom
  41. 41. Repeal and validation
  42. 42. Committee to be successor of Renovation Executive Committee
  43. 43. Repeal and saving

PDF: pending for this language.