GOAT Producer Archana Kalpathi in Panel to Select TN Temple Trustees

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has constituted a seven-member, state-level committee to select eligible applicants and prepare a panel for the appointment of non-hereditary trustees to Hindu religious and charitable endowment (HR&CE) temples with annual revenues exceeding Rs.10 lakh.

The committee includes film producer Archana Kalpathi, known for producing the Vijay-starrer GOAT (The Greatest of All Time). Her inclusion in the government-appointed panel has drawn attention, as she will be part of the process of scrutinising applications and preparing the list of eligible candidates for temple trustee appointments.

The committee has been constituted following the expiry of the earlier panel’s two-year tenure on July 24, 2026. The HR&CE department had proposed the formation of a fresh committee to examine applications, identify eligible persons and recommend their names to the government.

According to the government order, Sivagnana Balaya Swamigal of Bommapuram Aadheenam, Mayilam, has been appointed chairman of the committee. Dr. K. Ramachandran, retired district and sessions judge, is the vice-chairman.

The other members are Archana Kalpathi, retired IAS officer P. Sampath, M. Sumathi alias Sumathisri and Dr. T. Velmurugan. The HR&CE commissioner will function as the ex officio member-secretary.

The committee has been constituted under the provisions of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1959, and will scrutinise applications and prepare a list of suitable candidates for appointment as non-hereditary trustees of temples earning more than Rs.10 lakh a year.