Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department

Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (HR&CE Department) is a department under the Government of Tamil Nadu, India, that handles the administration of temples in the state. Formed under the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act XXII of 1959, the department administers 46,331 properties, including 43,800 Hindu temples, 22 Jain temples, 45 mutts, 69 temples attached to mutts, 1,262 charitable endowments, and 1,133 special endowments.