GOSWAMI SHRI MAHALAXMI VAHUJI vs RANNCHHODDAS KALIDAS AND ORS.

The Supreme Court established criteria for determining whether a temple is public or private, emphasizing factors such as public access to worship, funding sources, and management practices. The Court held that if a temple is regularly used by the public for worship and its expenses are covered by public contributions, it is likely a public temple. The judgment referenced previous cases including Tilkayat Shri Govindlalji Mahraj v. The State of Rajasthan and others, clarifying that the temple's character is assessed through various evidentiary factors rather than mere architectural appearance.