The first defendant in O.S. 550 of 1977, District Munsif Court, Tiruchirapalli, is the appellant in this civil miscellaneous appeal. That suit was instituted by the first respondent herein under the following circumstances. According to the case of the first respondent, in Sri R.anganathaswami temple at Srirangam from time immemorial, the recitation of Divya Prabandam before Sri Ranganathaswami by Adyabaga Goshti had been in vogue whenever the deity is taken out in procession outside Aryabatal vasal and for this mirasi service, the service holders had been remunerated and this mirasi right had been vested in the family of the first respondent and his ancestors. The first respondent claimed that his ancestors and others were doing this service and receiving the perquisites and pecuniary remuneration for several generations and this is in the nature of a hereditary right and mirasi service. It was also claimed that the first respondent had the right of appointing competent persons for the recitation of Divya Prabandam in the Goshti and that the ancient and established custom and practice obtaining was that the first respondent should exercise the right to appoint persons