#THE PLACES OF WORSHIP (SPECIAL PROVISIONS) ACT, 1991 
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##ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 
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###SECTIONS 

1.  Short title, extent and commencement. 
2.  Definitions. 
3.  Bar of conversion of places of worship. 
4.  Declaration as to the religious character of certain places of worship and bar of jurisdiction of 
courts, etc.
5.  Act not to apply to Ram JanmaBhumi-Babri Masjid. 
6.  Punishment for contravention of section 3. 
7.  Act to override other enactments.
8. [Repealed]


 
#THE PLACES OF WORSHIP (SPECIAL PROVISIONS) ACT, 1991 

##ACT NO. 42 OF 1991 

[18th September, 1991.] 

An Act to prohibit conversion of any place of worship and to provide for the maintenance of the 
religious character of any place of worship as it existed on the 15th day of August, 1947, and 
for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. 

BE it enacted by Parliament in the Forty-second Year of the Republic of India as follows:— 

1. **Short title, extent and commencement.**—(1)  This  Act  may  be  called  the  Places  of  Worship 
(Special Provisions) Act, 1991. 

(2) It extends to the whole of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir[^1].

(3) The provisions of sections 3, 6 and 8 shall come into force at once and the remaining provisions of 
this Act shall be deemed to have come into force on the 11th day of July, 1991.

2. **Definitions.**—In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— 

(a) “commencement of this Act” means the commencement of this Act on the 11th day of July, 
1991; 

(b)  “conversion”,  with  its  grammatical  variations,  includes  alteration  or  change  of  whatever 
nature; 

(c) “place of worship” means a temple, mosque, gurudwara, church, monastery or any other place 
of public religious worship of any religious denomination or any section thereof, by whatever name 
called.

3. **Bar of conversion of places of worship.**—No person shall convert any place of worship of any 
religious denomination or any section thereof into a place of worship of a different section of the same 
religious denomination or of a different religious denomination or any section thereof. 

4. **Declaration as to the religious character of certain places of worship and bar of jurisdiction 
of courts, etc.**—(1) It is hereby declared that the religious character of a place of worship existing on the 
15th day of August, 1947 shall continue to be the same as it existed on that day. 

(2) If, on the commencement of this  Act,  any  suit,  appeal  or  other  proceeding  with  respect  to  the 
conversion of the religious character of any place of worship, existing on the 15th day of August, 1947, is 
pending before any court, tribunal or other authority, the same shall abate, and no suit, appeal or other 
proceeding with respect to any such matter shall lie on or after such commencement in any court, tribunal 
or other authority: 

Provided that if any suit, appeal or other proceeding, instituted or filed on the ground that conversion 
has taken place in the religious character of any such place after the 15th day of August, 1947, is pending 
on  the  commencement  of  this  Act,  such  suit,  appeal  or  other  proceeding  shall  be  disposed  of  in 
accordance with the provisions of sub-section (1).

(3) Nothing contained in sub-section (1) and sub-section (2) shall apply to,— 

(a)  any  place  of  worship  referred  to  in  the  said  sub-sections  which  is  an  ancient  and  historical 
monument  or  an  archaeological  site  or  remains  covered  by  the  Ancient  Monuments  and 
Archaeological  Sites  and  Remains  Act,  1958  (24  of  1958)  or  any  other  law  for  the  time  being  in 
force; 

(b) any suit, appeal or other proceeding, with respect to any matter referred to in sub-section (2), 
finally  decided,  settled  or  disposed  of  by  a  court,  tribunal  or  other  authority  before  the 
commencement of this Act; 

[^1]. Vide notification No. S.O. 3912(E), dated 30th October, 2019, this Act is made applicable to the Union territory of Jammu 
and Kashmir and the Union territory of Ladakh. 


 
(c) any dispute with respect to any such matter settled by the parties amongst themselves before 
such commencement; 

(d) any conversion of any such place effected before such commencement by acquiescence; 

(e) any conversion of any such place effected before such commencement which is not liable to 
be challenged in any court, tribunal or other authority being barred by limitation under any law for the 
time being in force.

5. **Act not to apply to Ram Janma Bhumi-Babri Masjid.**—Nothing  contained  in  this  Act  shall 
apply to the place or place of worship commonly known as Ram Janma Bhumi-Babri Masjid situated in 
Ayodhya in the State of Uttar Pradesh and to any suit, appeal or other proceeding relating to the said place 
or place of worship. 

6. **Punishment for contravention of section 3.**—(1) Whoever contravenes the provisions of section 
3  shall  be  punishable  with  imprisonment  for  a  term  which  may  extend  to three  years  and  shall  also  be 
liable to fine.

(2) Whoever  attempts  to  commit  any  offence  punishable  under  sub-section  (1)  or  to  cause  such 
offence to be committed and in such attempt does any act towards the commission of the offence shall be 
punishable with the punishment provided for the offence. 

(3) Whoever abets, or is a party to a criminal conspiracy to commit, an offence punishable under sub-
section  (1)  shall,  whether  such  offence  be  or  be  not  committed  in  consequence  of  such  abetment  or  in 
pursuance  of  such  criminal  conspiracy,  and  notwithstanding  anything  contained  in  section  116  of  the 
Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), be punishable with the punishment provided for the offence.

7. **Act to override other enactments.**—The provisions of this Act shall have effect notwithstanding 
anything inconsistent therewith contained in any other law for the time being in force or any instrument 
having effect by virtue of any law other than this Act.

8. [Amendment  of  Act  43  of  1951.]—Rep.  by  the  Repealing  and  Amending  Act,  2001 
(30 of 2001), s. 2 and the First Schedule (w.e.f. 3-9-2001).