JUDGMENT

S.B. Sinha, J.—Management of a temple known as Shri Rikhabdevji situated in the village Dhulev near 40 miles away from Udaipur in Rajasthan is involved in these appeal which arise out of judgments and orders dated 18.09.1997 and 6.02.2002 passed by the High Court of Rajasthan.

2. Indisputably, the matter came up for consideration on an earlier occasion before this Court in State of Rajasthan and Others v. Shri Sajjanlal Panjawat and Others since reported in [(1974) 1 SCC 500].

3. It is furthermore not in dispute that at one point of time the management of the said temple was taken over by the Maharana of Mewar. We need not go into the history of the said temple, as the same has been noticed by this Court in the earlier round of litigations,. The properties of the said temple vested in the State of Rajasthan as the State of Mewar merged with other princely States forming the United State of Rajasthan on 18.04.1948. Various directions were issued by the Government of Rajasthan in relation to the management of the said temple from time to time.

4. The legislature of the State of Rajasthan enacted Rajasthan Public Trust Act, 1959 (for short "the Act"). Chapter I to IV thereof