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| Hindu temple Tamil Nadu. depositphotos.com/ |
The following incidents of temple idol thefts, etc in Tamil Nadu etc have angered the Hindu population of this state. The reasons are many, but the fact is there are thousands of Hindu temples of great antiquity with no proper pujas, strong rooms for the idols and most importantly they need proper periodic repairs, etc. These temples' estates need to be recovered and revenues spent on the improvemrnts of facilities for the visiting devotees.
The Hindu date 18 Aug. 2018 mentioned: From 1920 to 2017, a total of 2,145 icons and 478 idols have gone missing from 803 temples. These numbers are based on complaints preferred by temple officials to the police. Of this only around 60 have been recovered, and 18 have been restored to temples. Around 390 idols belonging to 33 temples remain non-traceable. ''Special court for cases under Prevention of Corruption Act sentenced a joint commissioner of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR and department for two years’ rigorous imprisonment (RI) for demanding Rs 2 lakh to make provision in the scheme for appointment of non-hereditary trustees for the Arulmigu Aganda Thandu Mariamman temple at Choolai''. https://www.dtnext.in/News/City/2020/03/12012418/1219562/HR-and-CE-Joint-Commissioner-gets-twoyear-RI-for-demanding-.vpf![]() |
| thehindu.com/ |
Protesting against the firm hand of the tough investigating officers and their impartial grilling of certain officials, the HR&CE Department has been demanding a fair probe into cases of missing idols. and was at loggerheads with the ''Idol Wing'' of the police. “If there are officials involved, we would be the last to protect them. We are dealing with public property here and cannot be careless. All that we want is a proper probe into the thefts of ancient idols. Issues pertaining to the making of recent idols would be looked into and action taken if need be,” said one HR&CE Commissioner. The Hindu temple protection groups are not happy the way temple properties are being manged by the state agency. Further, their careless handling of certain religious matters relating to temples rituals and periodic cleaning of idols, etc according to their whims without following the temple Agama sastras has become a subject of discussion among certain groups in the media. Why do Hindu temples do not enjoy the freedom unlike other places of worship? This moot question is on the Hindu devotees“https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/a-turf-war-over-missing-idols/article24728338.eceThe following are the grievances of Hindu temple groups of Tamil Nadu :01. The entire Hindu communities squarely blame the past governments both at center and state for the loss of thousands of Indian mental idols of gods and artifacts. 02. In the western society the govt and the church come under different entity. Politics should not get mixed with matters related to region. 03. The govt. has no rights over the places of Hindu worship and the estates owned by them, but they keep them under their control. They argue the administration of Hindu temples should be handed over to the Hindu groups 04. As for other religious groups like Christians and Muslims who come under the purview of minority, the govt does not control them and the estates owned by them. The manage their affairs on their own. No political interference in their cases. 05. Why does the HR & CE focus more on the famous and money-spinning temples and control them and the vast revenues. There is no clear record on the gods' jewelry and silver vessels stored in the temples. Who is managing the valuable items in temples and how they are being managed and safe guarded against tampering or thefts. No proper checking of annual stocks of idols and other items in the temples. If they do have information on such items, why there is no transparency . The local people are entitled to know what the temples possess and how the estates are being managed06. Across India with exceptions like Tirupathi Balaji temple or any other Hindu temples, most of them do not charge fees for pujas, fees for quick dharsan, etc. 07. At famous Tamil Nadu temples entrance fees, puja fees go up on important festival days as the temple would be over crowded. This means lots of money for the HR& CE. 08. The officials don't publicly announce the daily hundiyal collections (donations) either on weekly basis or fortnightly basis. At most of the Hindu temples the priests - either Shivachariars or Bhattacharyas get a monthly salary of less than Rs.2000.00 to rs.8000.00. This is also true of many pujaries who take care of certain temples in villages. These people take care of the sanctity of the temples by sweating in the air-tight sanctum for hours frequently doing pujas. Part of the collections on the plate (Thattu) goes to the staff and the part is shred by the priests. On the other hand a temple janitor or a peon gets more than rs. 15000.00 salary. 09. As for senior officials, including Asst. commissioners, they are provided with AC rooms and other facilities besides cars and other vehicles, free food, etc. The people in the public ask why this disparity? These temple officials get a salary of more than Rs.80,000.00 to 120,000.00 per month plus conveyance allowance, etc.But the temple priests are working like swear hogs in the Srikovil/grabagriga (sanctum) and take home a paltry amount10. Many temples own vast properties - cultivable agricultural lands, buildings house and houses in urban and semi urban areas. etc One estimate states the Tamil Nadu Hindu temples owned more than 500000 acres of land and now are left with only 420000 to 450000 acres of land, etc. 11. It is said more than 60000 acres of lands in the villages and valuable plots in the cities, towns, etc are dubiously transferred to real estate barons and a large cut went to the middle men. 12. In towns and cities the temple buildings and shops are rented out to certain influential people at a cheap rate far below the market rate. They, in turn, take a large rent by subletting them to shoppers. If a person has just 4 to five shops in his family members' name, with big rent, imagine how much he would make per month after paying the nominal rent to the temple. This way, using the Hindu places of worship, exploitation is going on and they earn a big chunk without sweating. 13. In the recent past for a pretty long time after 1970s the huge front temple halls were converted into shops and the HR & CE collected monthly or yearly rent from them. There was no proper audit on the annual rental income from the temple.14. A few years ago there was a fire mishap in the Meenakshi temple at Madurai in which several shops were gutted. This very much damaged the heritage pillars in the temple hall. Upon protests from people, the temple authorities do not run bazaars on the temple premises. It was a good decision taken by the govt. agencies. 15. The vast income fom the temples went to the govt coffers for other civic puposed. As for temple upkeep, etc, money is not allocated to improve the facilities. Though take care of some temples, it is not good.16. The Hindu groups ask the temple management: Why have they not yet built educational institutions/ schools or hospitals to take care of the common people from the vast temple revenues? What have they been doing ever since they took control of the Hindu temples in the 1960s? Why are they not renovating thousands of historical Hindu temples that are in a dilapidated state? 17. The various Hindu temple protection organizations point out because of sheer negligence on the part of the officials, many valuable Iyempon (an alloy of five metals) metal idols dating back to several centuries are stolen from the temple to the illegal exporters of India' artifacts.18. At some temples some unscrupulous officials stole the ornate and well carved stone pillars and columns. and replaced them with inferior ones.This novel theft is of recent origin!!19. The Hindu groups' grievances are about the appointment of people from other faiths in the Hindu temples. They neither know the temple Sastras, nor do they consult the authorities and act accordingly. 20. Each temple must be audited annually by an independent auduting firm, but this's done by govt accounts officers and they do not publish the anneal auditing reports on assets, revenues and expenses, etc. 21. Many heritage temples have lost the heritage values because of poor planning, use of improper restoration methods and lack of skill to deal with delicate sculptures. Further, such changes should be approved by the experts in Agama sastras. The decision making in this regard does not rest with HR & CE officials. A good example is Sri Villiputhur temple where high-pressure sand -blasting was used to clean the centuries old stone sculptures before Sambrokshanam (consecration) was done several years ago. 22. Many people do say though the govt. officials in the state capital are honest about their work, they can not keep visiting the temples every now and then to check on the integrity of the officials working in the temples. They depend on the local employees. When they make glaring mistakes, higher-ups in Chennai and others take the resposibility!!
23. It is to be borne in mind such corrupt and dishonest people on the holy temple premises besides spoiling their names and the state govt. as well purposely engage in degrading or disrespecting the the divinity and sanctity of the places of worship. This way they hurt the sentiments of tens of millions of Hindus. Elderly people say such dirty people who cheat the innocent public will face the consequences one day as the saying goes: ''the mills of God grind, but slowly''. Apathy, indifference and ignorance among Hindus besides lack of interest among them are the reasons why the Hindu temples are in a sorry state. Tit-Bits:![]() |
| HR & CE, TN. www.dtnext.in |
. It was in 1923, Madras Hindu Religious Endowments Act was passed by Madras Presidency. In 1925, the Government formed "The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Board"consisting of a President and two to four Commissioners nominated by the Government to function as a statutory body. Later in 1960 The Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act XXII of 1959 came into force effective from 1 January 1960.
An harm was done after 1991 and since then, no religious and spiritual leaders have been allowed to interfere in the maintenance and administration of the Hindu Temples and Charitable Endowments. The Hindus, of late, are of the view that the officials act on their own relegating old traditions, agama rules, etc to the back. Now at stake are our ethos, Hindu culture and old tradition. The slow degradation of temple arts and sculptures owing to poor management is a matter of deep concern. Revenues from the vast number of temples go to the govt. to take care of other social problems and not for restoring and saving thousands of Hindu temple rotting in many places. The act controls 36,425 temples, 56 mutts or religious orders (and 47 temples belonging to mutts), 1,721 specific endowments and 189 trusts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_Religious_and_Charitable_Endowments_Departmenthttps://swarajyamag.com/insta/idol-theft-case-around-3000-temples-in-tamil-nadu-to-finally-get-strong-rooms https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/1200-ancient-idols-stolen-from-tamil-nadu-temples-in-25-years-audit/articleshow/62611654.cms
