A temple in Bengaluru has decided to ban weddings on its premises. Their decision came to light after a man filed a complaint with the Karnataka Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), alleging that the temple authorities refused to conduct his wedding. When the CMO asked for an explanation, the priests shared that the reason behind their decision was simple: they did not want to make rounds of courtrooms when the marriage failed.
The centuries-old Halasuru Someshwara Swamy Temple is among Bengaluru’s most frequented heritage shrines, has long been a popular venue for weddings. But the temple management said the number of couples who married at the premises and later approached the temple for verification during separation has significantly increased
over the last few years.
Temple Authorities Say They Banned Weddings After They Were Dragged To Court Over Divorce Cases
According to a report by the Indian Express, the temple authorities also revealed that courts would often direct priests to appear before them during divorce proceedings. “Many couples elope from home and produce fake documents to get married. After a few days, the parents of these couples turn up, and in some instances, court cases are filed,” said V Govindaraju, the chief administrative officer of the temple committee.
They clarified that the temple had conducted nearly 100-150 weddings before it stopped doing so about six to seven years back to prevent any “untoward incident” that could affect the image of the temple, which comes under the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Department of the Karnataka government.
While the temple continues to perform other rituals and religious ceremonies, weddings have been suspended. The temple authorities have shared that the policy might be reassessed later, but for now, no wedding ceremonies will take place. The move has drawn mixed reactions from people on the internet.
Bangalore temple bans weddings after noticing surge in divorce cases and priests being called as witnesses
The Halasuru Someshwara Swamy Temple in Bengaluru has stopped conducting weddings after temple authorities expressed concern over a growing number of couples returning to… pic.twitter.com/KEHxXtgPsi
— Amish Aggarwala (@AmishAggarwala) December 8, 2025
Internet Says It’s Bizarre That Priests Are Asked To Appear In Court
One user said, “Why would priests be called in a divorce case? Even if you are married in a temple, your marriage certificate is issued by a local governing body. We haven’t heard of this phenomenon anywhere else.”
“It’s hardly a comedy show, but even priests are fed up with how fast marriages are collapsing under today’s divorce rate,” another quipped.
Someone else mentioned, “A temple is a sacred place and an abode of the presiding deity. It should not be reduced to a “Kalyana Mandapam” just to accommodate some devotees. Let couples go through the registry marriage process at the Registrar’s office and then come to the temple just to seek the blessings of the deity.”
“First of all, why is Temple involved in divorce cases? It looks bogus. If I get married in a function hall, nobody is going to the marriage function hall owner for getting divorced, so how will a temple get entangled here legally?” a different user asked.
