Tue Apr 22 18:55:03 UTC 2025: ## Madras High Court Stays Order Preventing Hindu Worship of Buddha Sculpture
**Chennai, April 23, 2025** – The Madras High Court has temporarily halted an order preventing Hindus from worshipping a sculpture in Salem district as Thalaivetti Muniappan. A 2022 single-judge ruling had declared the sculpture to be a depiction of Lord Buddha and prohibited its worship as a Hindu deity.
The Division Bench, composed of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and K. Rajasekar, granted an interim stay based on arguments presented by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department. The department argued that the single judge overlooked the fact that various deities, including Lord Shiva, are often depicted in the padmasana (lotus) position, a feature of the sculpture in question. Furthermore, the HR&CE department emphasized the long-standing Hindu worship of the sculpture and cited the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act of 1991, which mandates preserving religious institutions’ character as it existed on August 15, 1947.
The original petition, filed by the Buddha Trust in 2011, led to a state archaeology department report in 2021 identifying the sculpture as a depiction of Lord Buddha. The single judge’s 2022 order, based on this report, instructed the archaeology department to take control of the sculpture and prevent any further Hindu worship.
The High Court’s interim stay now allows the continuation of the existing practice, pending further legal proceedings. The case highlights the complex interplay between religious practices, historical interpretation, and legal precedence in India.
First Piper 