Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, Tamil Nadu
Government department · No. 119, Uthamar Gandhi Salai, Nungambakkam, Chennai 600034
The HR&CE Department is the Tamil Nadu government body that oversees the administration, finances and properties of Hindu temples, mutts and religious endowments under the 1959 Act. It does not choose the rituals: worship follows each temple's own Agama tradition, carried out by its priests. It does appoint Executive Officers and trustees, audits temple accounts, protects temple lands, and approves renovations (thiruppani) and consecrations (kumbabhishekam). Its temples carry the honorific prefix 'Arulmigu' and a TM-number in the department's records. Almost every major temple in Tamil Nadu falls under it, but a few do not. Chidambaram Nataraja is run by its Dikshitar priests. Several others are run by Saiva adheenams or by mutts.
How it is run
A Commissioner (an IAS officer) heads the department in Chennai, under the state's HR&CE secretariat department and minister. Since July 2026, two Additional Commissioners oversee a North zone (based in Chennai) and a South zone (based in Tiruchy). Below them, Joint and Assistant Commissioners run regions and districts, and Executive Officers manage individual temples. Many temples also have boards of non-hereditary trustees.
Tips for pilgrims
- Book tickets and sevas only through hrce.tn.gov.in or the temple's own '<name>.hrce.tn.gov.in' page (e.g. maduraimeenakshi.hrce.tn.gov.in). Fake booking sites have been reported, for example for Srirangam's Yatri Nivas.
- Every temple has a TM number. Use the temple list or search on hrce.tn.gov.in to find it, its district and its controlling Joint or Assistant Commissioner's office.
- Complaints and suggestions go to the HR&CE helpline: 044-28339999, or toll-free 1800-425-1757 (24 hours).
- Wear traditional, modest clothing. Many major temples expect it, and some restrict entry into the inner sanctum. Check the notice board at the temple entrance.
Temples it runs
- Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple – Madurai
- Arulmigu Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple – Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli
- Arulmigu Aadhikumbeswaraswamy (Adi Kumbeswarar) Temple – Kumbakonam
- Arulmigu Abathsagayeswarar (Apatsahayesvarar) Temple – Alangudi, Thiruvarur district
- Arulmigu Akneeswarar (Agniswarar) Temple – Kanjanur, Thanjavur district
- Arulmigu Anjaneyar Temple – Namakkal
- Arulmigu Arthanareeswarar Temple – Tiruchengode, Namakkal district
- Arulmigu Arunachaleswarar Temple – Tiruvannamalai
- Arulmigu Bannari Mariamman Temple – Bannari, near Sathyamangalam, Erode district
- Arulmigu Bhagavathi Amman Temple – Kanyakumari
- Arulmigu Bhavani Amman Temple – Periyapalayam, Tiruvallur district
- Arulmigu Devarajaswamy (Varadharaja Perumal) Temple – Little Kanchipuram
- Arulmigu Devi Karumariamman Temple – Thiruverkadu, Tiruvallur district
- Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple – Palani, Dindigul district
- Arulmigu Ekambaranathar (Ekambareswarar) Temple – Kanchipuram
- Arulmigu Iravadeeswarar (Airavatesvara) Temple – Darasuram, near Kumbakonam
- Arulmigu Jambukeswarar Akilandeswari Temple – Thiruvanaikaval, Tiruchirappalli
- Arulmigu Kailasanathar Temple, Thingalur – Thingalur, Thanjavur district
- Arulmigu Kallalagar Temple – Alagar Kovil, Madurai district
- Arulmigu Kamakshi Amman Temple – Mangadu, Kanchipuram district
- Arulmigu Kandaswamy Temple – Thiruporur, Chengalpattu district
- Arulmigu Kapaleeswarar Temple – Mylapore, Chennai
- Arulmigu Koodalagar (Koodal Azhagar) Temple – Madurai
- Arulmigu Kutralanathar Temple – Courtallam (Kutralam), Tenkasi district
- Arulmigu Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy Temple – Sholinghur, Ranipet district
- Arulmigu Mariamman Temple – Samayapuram, Tiruchirappalli district
- Arulmigu Marundeeswarar Temple – Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai
- Arulmigu Murugan Temple, Pazhamudircholai – Solaimalai, Alagar hills, Madurai district
- Arulmigu Nachiyar (Andal) Temple – Srivilliputhur, Virudhunagar district
- Arulmigu Naganathaswamy Temple – Keezhaperumpallam, Mayiladuthurai district
- Arulmigu Naganathaswamy Temple – Thirunageswaram, near Kumbakonam
- Arulmigu Nagaraja Temple – Nagercoil, Kanyakumari district
- Arulmigu Nellaiappar Kanthimathi Amman Temple – Tirunelveli
- Arulmigu Nithya Kalyana Perumal Temple – Thiruvidanthai, Chengalpattu district
- Arulmigu Parthasarathy Swamy Temple – Triplicane, Chennai
- Arulmigu Patteeswaraswamy (Perur Pateeswarar) Temple – Perur, Coimbatore
- Arulmigu Peruvudaiyar (Brihadeeswarar) Temple – Thanjavur
- Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple – Rameswaram, Ramanathapuram district
- Arulmigu Sangameswarar Temple – Bhavani, Erode district
- Arulmigu Sankaranarayanaswamy Temple – Sankarankovil, Tenkasi district
- Arulmigu Sarangapaniswamy Temple – Kumbakonam
- Arulmigu Sivasuriyaperuman Temple (Suryanar Kovil) – Suryanar Kovil, near Aduthurai, Thanjavur district
- Arulmigu Subramaniaswamy Temple, Marudhamalai – Marudhamalai, Coimbatore
- Arulmigu Subramaniaswamy Temple, Tiruchendur – Tiruchendur, Thoothukudi district
- Arulmigu Subramaniyaswamy Temple, Thiruparankundram – Thiruparankundram, Madurai
- Arulmigu Subramanyaswamy Temple, Tiruttani – Tiruttani, Tiruvallur district
- Arulmigu Suvedaranyeswarar (Swetharanyeswarar) Temple – Thiruvenkadu, Mayiladuthurai district
- Arulmigu Swaminatha Swamy Temple – Swamimalai, near Kumbakonam
- Arulmigu Thanumalayan Temple – Suchindram, Kanyakumari district
- Arulmigu Thayumanaswamy Temple & Ucchi Pillayar (Rockfort) – Rockfort, Tiruchirappalli
- Arulmigu Thiyagarajaswamy Temple – Tiruvarur
- Arulmigu Vadapalani Andavar Temple – Vadapalani, Chennai
- Arulmigu Veeraraghavaswamy Devasthanam – Tiruvallur
- Arulmigu Venkatachalapathi (Oppiliappan) Temple – Oppiliappan Koil, Thirunageswaram