Judgment

S. C. AGRAWAL, J.:- These appeals by special leave directed against the judgment dated April 25, 1975 of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in Appeals Nos. 87 and 362 of 1972, involve the question whether the Temple of Sri Anjaneya Swami (hereinafter referred to as the suit temple) situate at Valuthimmapuram in Peddapuram Taluk, East Godavari District, of the State of Andhra Pradesh is a private temple and not a public temple and the appellant as the hereditary trustee of the suit temple is entitled to the possession of the temple and the properties attached to it.

2. After the enactment of the Madras Hindu Religious Endowments Act, 1926 (Madras Act II of 1927), hereinafter referred to as the 1927 Act, Turanga Rao, father of the appellant, submitted an application (O.A. No. 117 of 1934) under Sections 18 and 84 of the said Act wherein it was claimed that the suit temple is a private temple and the applicant was the hereditary trustee of the same. One M. Satyanarayana Murthy of Peddapuram also filed a petition before the Board alleging that the suit temple is a public temple and that he may be appointed as the trustee. The said application of Turanga Rao was dismissed by the Board