JUDGMENT

K. Ramaswamy. J.-This and connected writ petitions and transfer cases concern the constitutionality of Sections 34, 35, 37, 39 and 144 of the Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act (for short, the Act ) abolishing hereditary rights of archaka, mirasidars, gamekars and other office-holders and servants like hereditary Karnam of Dwarka Thirumalai Temple in West Godavari District. The facts in Writ Petition No. 638/87 are sufficient for consideration of questions raised in this batch of cases.

2. The petitioner is one of the Chief Priests (archaka) in an ancient and renowned Hindu temple at Thirumala Tirupathi known in entire south-Asia and abroad as Venkateswaraswamy temple and in north-India as Balaji temple in whose praise saint Annamacharya spent his life in singing devotional songs - a practice devolved by custom and usage from over a century. According to the petitioner, the office of archaka is succeeded from forefathers in accordance with the Vaikhanasa Agama Shastra rules which govern the temple on the principles of "heirs in line of succession" among four families, viz., Paidapally family, Gollapalli family, Pethainti family an