Briefly stated, the facts giving rise to this appeal are: on June 23, 1966, about 40 villagers of village Bantala in Nayagarh Sub Division of Puri District filed an application before the Assistant Commissioner of Endowments Orissa, for appointment of nonhereditary trustees under section 27 of the Act of Shiva Temple known as "Sri Lokenatheshwar Mahadev" situate in the said village alleging that villagers from 11 villages worshipped and offered 'bhog ' to '`Lokenatheshwar Deb ' installed in the temple which is more than hundred years old and possessed about 24 acres of land endowed by The ancestors of the villagers; that a new temple in place of the old one which was in a dilapidated condition had been constructed with the labour and money contributed by the villagers.