K'taka passed legislation to take over Chamundi Hills

This is opposed by the Mysuru royal family

k'taka has stayed the legislation

The Karnataka High Court has issued an interim stay on the implementation of the Sri Chamundeshwari Field Development Authority Act 2024, following a petition filed by Pramoda Devi Wodeyar, the wife of late Srikanth Dutta Wodeyar, challenging the constitutionality of the Act. The Act, framed by the Congress-led state government, aims to manage the famous Sri Chamundeshwari temple and other associated temples on Chamundi Hill, which the royal family of Mysore claims as their private property.

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Justice S.R. Krishnakumar, presiding over a single-member bench, passed the interim order, halting the Act’s enforcement until further hearings. The petition argued that the Act was unconstitutional, enacted beyond the Legislature’s competence, and infringed upon the fundamental rights of the petitioner.

Pramoda Devi Wodeyar contends that Sri Chamundeshwari Devi is the household deity of the Mysore royal family, and the temple, along with others on Chamundi Hill, has historically been private property managed by the family. The royal family has strongly opposed what they describe as an “illegal seizure” of these temples and their assets by the state government, especially as the ownership dispute over Chamundi Hill is still pending in court.

The State Government, Mysore District Collector, and Chairman of the Palace Mujarai Institution have been named as respondents in the case, with lawyer Manasi Kumar representing Pramoda Devi Wodeyar in court. The case will continue to be heard as the court deliberates on the Act’s validity.