A brief, data-driven presentation that highlights various negative consequences involved in Government control of Hindu temples in India.

1. Government Control of Hindu Temples
Government run Temples &
Devotee managed Temples

2. The origin of the Hindu Temple
Endowment board
• For a thousand years India has faced invaders who came to loot,
pillage and plunder her repository of wealth, her temples. The
Somnath temple is a standing testimony to this.
• The arrival of the East India Company heralded a new
sophisticated and subtle, organised method of unsettling temple
systems and external administration.

3. The Legacy of the Hindu Temple
Endowment / Mujarai Board
• There were other rulers who levied taxes on
Hindus and temples and this legacy of
misusing temple wealth was carried forward
after Independence as well.
• Thus was born the Hindu Temple Endowment
Board or the Mujarai Board as it is called
today .

4. Justification by the Government for controlling
Hindu Temples
• Alleged mismanagement of funds and
property by trustees.
• Alleged mismanagement by traditional priest
families.
• Streamlining administrative procedures
• Preserving temple property and wealth
• Question: Does problems with some temples
and Mutts justify taking control of all?

5. Facts about Hindu Temples
• Ancient temples of India still retain a huge
share of gold, silver, precious gems and
priceless bronze images even after the
centuries of invasions and plunder. Anantha
Padmanabha Temple is a good example.
• Large temples also owned tracts of arable
land
• The land was to give self sufficiency to the
temple and also to feed the community in
times of scarcity.
• The entire community was responsible for
the upkeep and management of temples

6. Temples were Institutions
• Temples played a pivotal role in
the ecosystem of the society.
• Religion and spirituality were
practiced in temples
• They were homes to learning and
knowledge.
• Dance, music, literature art and
temple sciences flourished in
temples.
• Legal disputes of the community
were settled in temples.
• Values and culture were imbibed &
disseminated via the temple
ecosystem

7. Role of Temples in the Community
• Goshalas were maintained
• Nandanavanas were nurtured, which helped the ecology
and environment
• Kalyanis (temple tanks) conserved water
• Many temples maintained fish sanctuaries
• Annadhanam per the temple tradition was practiced
• Facilities were made for pilgrims
• Hari Katha and discourses on Shastras were regular features
in temples

8. Disastrous Government Control
• Only some puja activities take place
• Veda Patashalas have disappeared
• Goshalas have vanished
• No arable land left for most temples since they
have been misused and appropriated by
successive governments
• No support for music, dance, literature or art
• No platform for intellectual dialogue
• No more Nandanavanas—thus no support to
environment and ecology

9. Loss of Temple Culture
• No more Kalyanis in most of the temples and what is
left is not maintained
• Cities have developed and consumed these peaceful
heritage spaces with no planning or vision to preserve
these great institutions
• Interference by government in temple traditions and
practices
• Government interference has unsettled the ancestral
lineage of priesthood
• Poor pay scales and unbridled government
encumbrance= appointment of ill-qualified priests
• People of other religions on Hindu Endowment Boards

10. The differences
Government Run Temples
• Ancient heritage temples are
being run by the government
in the guise of saving them
• The wealth of the temples—
movable, immovable and
perpetual offerings by
devotees is what the
government takes from the
temples.
• Only a fraction, maybe less
than 1% of wealth of a temple
is utilized for temple activity.
Devotee Managed temples
• Private Temples built by
communities, traditional
Mutts or family trusts are
managed by devotees.
• In private temples the
devotees, philanthropists or
Mutts contribute
consistently to the temples.
• Almost 70% of the income
is spent for worship and
temple related activities

11. Mishaps in Govt run temples
• Hundis – ‘mamool’ during counting!!
Hundis are opened once in two months. In many cases, the
officials in connivance with local politicos loot large denomination
notes and gold / silver from the Hundis before documentation of
collection. They even block or turn off CCTV cameras.
From the official documented collection,
the Government takes away 12% (TN)
10%(Karnataka) as Admin Fee
& 4% (TN) Audit fee.
That’s almost one sixth of the revenue!

12. Incompetence in Government run Temples
Temple Properties
– Rents and lease are abysmal
– Typically less than 0.0005% of the land value is actually
collected as annual rent.
– In the case of Thiruvannamalai temple land in Chennai,
0.00002% of the value is collected as rent.
– As per Governments own audit report for the fasli year 1420, (2010-
11) total collection from 30 acres of prime property within
corporation limits worth around Rs. 2,700 crores.
Actual rent collected – average of Rs.7,080 per year across last ten
years

13. Leakages in Government-run Temples
Temple Land given away
between 1986 – 2013
47,000 acres.
(in Tamil Nadu – Policy Note 1986 & 2013)
Thiruvarur Temple land:
300 acres taken over
by the Tamil Nadu Govt without any
compensation to
temple
Pondicherry Government has taken over
Temple lands without compensating
temple.
Under Government watch, many temple
properties have been lost to
encroachments

14. Comparative Income Distribution
The Government-run Sugavaneswarar temple, Salem: Total income = ₹ 1.45 cr
The devotee-managed Jalakandeswrara temple, Vellore: Total income= ₹ Rs.1 cr

15. Where does the Temple Revenue go?
Government Run Temples
• Salary and Admin 66% 96L
• Govt Appropriation 20% 30L
• Temple-related 9% 13L
• Puja Expenses 5% 8L
• ONLY 14% for Temple activities
• No Veda/Agama Patashalas
• No Goshala, no Pravachanam
• No temple arts, no pilgrim
welfare
Devotee Managed Temple
• Salary and Admin 31% 33L
• Temple related 25% 26L
• Puja Expenses 44% 45L
• 69% for Temple Activities
• ONLY 31 % for Temple
Administration

16. An example -Pazhani temple
Audit report for fasli year 1419 (2009-10)
• Total Income
• Admin & Staff
• Government Appropriation
• Puja
• Schools: Arts,Vocation,
Music
• Orphanage
• 88.53 cr
• 10.22 cr
• 14.00 cr 27%
• 1.83 cr 2%
• 0.25 cr
• 0.13cr 0.5%
Veda / Agama Patashala 0.016 cr!
Goshala 0.43cr
Vehicle maintenance 0.4cr 2.5%
Pilgrim welfare 1.25cr

17. Restore the Temple Ecosystem
• Temples to become centers of learning
• Maintain Goshalas & Nandanavanas
• Nurture music, dance, literature, etc
• Take responsibility of our temples
• Direct resources to the right activities
• Preserve and nurture temple property
Please join this movement by signing up on this
website: www.templeworshippers.org

18. Temple Worshippers Society
28 (Old M 33/1)
3rd Main Road, Besant Nagar
Chennai - 600090, Tamilnadu, India
Write to
trramramesh@me.com
www.templeworshippers.org