Bengaluru, July 9 -- Bringing to a close a 32-year legal battle over the status of one of north Karnataka's revered shrines, the Karnataka High Court has declared the ancient Sri Yallamma Devi Temple in Belagavi district a public trust, holding that the temple belongs to the Hindu public and not to any private family.
In a significant judgment with wider implications for temple governance, Justice KB Geetha ruled that the temple satisfies all the requirements of a public temple under the Bombay Public Trusts Act, 1950, and directed its registration as a public trust after setting aside contrary orders passed by the Charity Commissioner and the Belagavi District Court.
The Court held that the temple is an ancient place of public religious ...