Plea In Supreme Court Demands Fair Pay For Temple Priests, Staff
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking fair wages, social security and welfare benefits for priests, sevadars and temple staff working in state-controlled temples across the country.
The petition, filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, has urged the apex court to direct the Centre and state governments to constitute a judicial commission or expert committee to review the salaries and service conditions of temple workers.
The plea also sought a declaration that priests and temple employees should be treated as “employees” under the Code on Wages, 2019, arguing that once the State assumes administrative and financial control over temples, an employer-employee relationship comes into existence.
According to the petition, many priests and temple workers in government-administered temples are allegedly receiving salaries below the prescribed minimum wages despite rising living costs and inflation. The petitioner claimed this amounted to a violation of the right to livelihood guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution and was against the spirit of Article 43, which advocates living wages for workers.
The PIL referred to recent protests by priests and temple staff in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana demanding better salaries and welfare measures. It argued that several temple workers continue to depend largely on ‘dakshina’ from devotees for survival due to inadequate or irregular remuneration.
The petition further cited a 2025 incident at Dandayuthapani Swami Temple in Madurai, where a circular had reportedly barred priests from accepting dakshina in aarti plates. Though the order was later withdrawn following public criticism, the plea argued that the episode exposed the financial insecurity faced by many temple priests.
The PIL also raised concerns over the functioning of state endowment departments managing Hindu temples and argued that governments should ensure dignified wages and social protection for temple workers under their control.
The petitioner sought alternative directions to the Centre and states to frame welfare measures for priests, sevadars and other temple staff in line with earlier observations made by the Allahabad High Court on the issue.