K.SUBBA RAO, J.

(1) SRI Vaidyanathaswami Temple at Vaitheeswa- Sirkali Taluk, Thanjavur District, Madras State, is an ancient and famous Siva temple. It owns a large extent of immovable property and it is said that its annual income is more than Rs. 2 lakhs. In 1842 the British government, which was then administering the temple, handed over its management to the Pandarasannadhi of Dharmapuram Adhinam. Since then the said Pandarasannadhi has been managing the same through one of his selected disciples, a Kattalai Thambiran. In the year 1919, the High court of Madras framed a scheme for the administration of the said temple in A.S. No. 181 of 1917. The said scheme provided, among others, that the administration of the temple should be in the hands of the Kattalai Thambiran appointed by the Pandarasannadhi, and that he should be assisted by a treasurer, a shroff and an auctioneer who was to be appointed once in 3 years by the court. The Madras Legislature passed Act 11 of 1927 providing for the good administration of temples and their endowments. The Religious Endowments Board functioning under the said Act, presumably because the administration of the temple in question was s