( 1 ) THESE two appeals arise out of two final decrees made by the Subordinate Judge, Chittoor, on ascertaining mesne profits in O. S. Nos. 51 and 52 of 1957.

( 2 ) THE Tirumalai-Tirupati Devasthanams filed the said suits against Hathiramjee Mutt, the first to, recover possession of ten items of property situated at Tirupathi and Tirumalai and the other to recover one item of property at Tirumalai. The Tirumalai-Tirupathi Devasthanams are ancient Hindu temples looked upon with great reverence and worshipped by the Hindus living in different parts of the country. In 1843, the then Government of the country, which was till then managing the said temples through its agents, handed over their management to one Sevadoss, who was then the Mithant and head of the Hathiramjee Mutt at Tirupathi. Since that year, the temples had been under the management of Sevadoss and his successors till 1900 when the defendant succeeded as Mahant and took over its management. In 1933. Madras Act XIX of 1933 was passed, constituting the Tirumalai Tirupathi Devasthanam Committee as a body corporate for the management of the said Devasthanams. Thereafter, the suits were filed by the Committee for recovery of

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