TN: Call to ‘Protect Temples’ From Private Players and Divisive Hands Grows Louder

Chennai: A conference titled ‘Let's Protect Temples’ was held on June 26 evening in Madurai on behalf of the Makkal Otrumai Medai (Tamil Nadu Platform for People’s Unity - TNPPU). It took place in response to the rising demand to “free temples” from the state’s hold by right-wing groups.

The conference resolved to isolate communal and divisive forces in the state. It reiterated that it is the duty of the state’s Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (HR & CE) to protect and manage temples in Tamil Nadu. Earlier this year, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president K Annamalai said that the party would abolish the HR & CE department if voted to power in the state.

Speaking at the event, Tamil Nadu Minister of HR & CE department, P K Sekar Babu, said, “There is no place in Tamil Nadu for political parties that divide people on the basis of faith.” However, he did not name the BJP in this regard.

Babu cited the works the HR & CE department has carried out since the M K Stalin-led government came to power in 2021. He said using temples for holding political meetings was stopped, a survey of village temples was done and funds were increased for them, the provision for all caste members to become priests was ensured, and prayers in Tamil are now recited in temples.

‘TEMPLES WERE ALWAYS STATE-CONTROLLED’

Professor Arunan, the conference coordinator, said, “All the great old temples of Tamil Nadu were built by the kings. The Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple was built by the Pallavas. The Great Temple of Tanjore was built by the Cholas. The Pandyas built the Madurai Meenakshi Temple. And the kings who built them also maintained them. There are inscriptions of the lands, ornaments and lives that people sacrificed for the temple.”

Speaking at the event, K Ramaraj, former joint commission of the HR & CE department, said, “For a period of 20 years during the British rule, the government loosened its control over the temples. There was so much plundering of temple jewels and land during the time. The British government had to intervene and bring the situation under control.”

“It is the responsibility of the state to safeguard temples and their properties; if it slips into private hands, we will lose our temples,” he added.

In 1923, the Madras Hindu Religious Endowments Act was passed by Madras Presidency. Then, in 1925, the government constituted The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Board, which was subsequently modified in 1960 as a department by an act of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.

‘TEMPLES ARE SAFE WITH THE STATE’

“Some jewels went missing in Rameshwaram temple. When the department raised questions, the temple staff said it melted into thin air. Right-wing groups are angry because the state is a hurdle for them to usurp temple property in such a way. They are not concerned about the god inside the temple, but their true concern is about the jewels, hundi and other temple property,” said Muthukoor Ramalingam, editor of Tamil daily Theekkathir.

“A day ago, the HR & CE minister deposited Rs 100 crores worth of gold belonging to the Thiruchendore temple with the State Bank of India. This will yield an interest amount of about Rs 2.5 crores per year,” Ramalingam added.

Su Venkatesan, the Madurai MP,  said, “The HR & CE department runs 54 schools and 44 social organisations, such as homes for the mentally ill, orphanages and hospitals. Does this happen in states where temples are managed by mutts?” 

Image: Madurai M P Su Venkatesan. Image courtesy: TNPPU

Citing Tamil saint Vallalar, Su Venkatesan said, “Spirituality is the opposite of hate politics. The present dispensation in India is spreading a politics that is contrasting to what the vast spiritual literature has propagated all along.”

RECENT WORKS OF HR & CE DEPT

The HR & CE department manages over 44,000 temples and trusts in Tamil Nadu. It freed over 530 acres of land and several hundred grounds of buildings and plots worth Rs 2,000 crore from encroachment within the first year of the DMK government.

Praising the present DMK government, minister Sekar Babu said, “This government has the honour of conducting Kudamuzku after 300 years for the Thiruvattar Adikesava temple.” Kudamuzku or Kumbabishekam is a temple ritual carried out every 12 years whereby the temple kumbha/gopuram or crown is given an abhisekam or ritual bathing.

The present government allocated Rs 129 crores to 13,589 temples. The temple funds were increased from Rs 1 lakh to 2 lakh, and rituals are now conducted at least once daily in the temples.

Image: Around 500 people attended the conference. Image courtesy: TNPPU

Realising that more than 10,000 priests do not have any income, the HR & CE department fixed a Rs 1,000 per month stipend for them.

The department has identified 517 temples that are thousands of years old, and effort is underway to preserve the ancient symbols of the temples built during the reign of kings. Another 68 temples are identified as being on the verge of destruction, and 48 temples have been given a grant of Rs 100 crore in 2022-23 to carry out renovation work.