n 1951, the then Madras government passed THE MADRAS HINDU RELIGIOUS AND CHARITABLE ENDOWMENTS ACT, 1951, repealing all earlier acts, passed since 1817, thereby consolidating Government's hold on Hindu Temple properties.
This act gave absolute powers to 'Commissioners' and their paraphernalia of supporting babus to take over temple properties and their management.
In 1954, Supreme Court in a landmark judgment stuck down several sections of this act as unconstitutional. It even held a section to be ' beyond the competence of Madras legislature'. BUT I WANT THE APPROXIMATELY NO. OF TEMPLES.