Puttur: The Karnataka High Court has directed the State Religious Endowment Department to reconstitute the management committee of the Mahalingeshwara Temple in Puttur, Dakshina Kannada, within eight weeks, after finding procedural lapses in the existing committee’s formation.

The order was passed by Justice B. M. Shyamprasad while hearing a writ petition filed by Vasanthi, also known as Vasanthalakshmi, a resident of Bannuru village. The petitioner argued that the nine-member committee, headed by Panjigudde Ishwar Bhat, was constituted in December 2024 without following the provisions of the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (KHRI&CE) Act, 1997.

Citing Section 25 of the Act, the petitioner’s counsel contended that the appointment process had been irregular, making the panel’s constitution invalid. The plea sought dissolution of the current body and the formation of a new committee by the State Religious Endowment Department in consultation with the Karnataka Religious Commission.

While nullifying the existing committee due to technical violations, the court permitted it to continue in office temporarily until the new body is constituted. The court directed that once a certified copy of its order is received, the reconstitution process must be completed within eight weeks. The temple, one of the most prominent shrines in Puttur, has been under the supervision of the nine-member panel since December last year, with a term originally fixed for three years.

The panel includes key office bearers and the temple’s chief priest. Reacting to the development, committee president Ishwar Bhat maintained that despite the ongoing litigation, the work undertaken under the panel’s supervision had been transparent and legitimate. The High Court’s directive is expected to trigger a review of similar appointments in other religious institutions governed under the KHRI&CE Act.