* VivekaJyoti *: Seventy-eight percent of the temples under the control of the HR & CE Department in Tamil Nadu are in shambles. `They are being run like govt depts'

• * VivekaJyoti *

  tags: no_tag

  • from HARAN BR
  • Seventy-Eight percent of the temples under the control of the HR & CE Department are in shambles. According to activists, its time the government hands over the control of the temples to an independent, politically neutral body. – T.Muruganandam reports.
  • Kings built most of the temples, but they never intervened in the traditional worship there. Even the Britishers never interfered in the administration of temples, he points out, strongly arguing for handing over temple administration to a non-political independent body.

  • In figures 38,465 temples in the State are controlled by the HR&CE dept that comes under the State government.

    Under the pre text of land reforms, the State government drastically reduced the income of the temples over a period of time -- NARAYANASWAMI

    30,000 temples are getting less than Rs 5,000 as annual income. Of these many are in dilapidated state and need funds for renovation, according to the HR & CE dept's policy note.

  • “Most of the funds for temple kumbhabhishekham are raised by devotees and not the govt. So, why shouldn't they be allowed to run the temples themselves?”
  • Besides, cases of temple break-ins resulting in idol theft or breaking of hundis (fund collection boxes) and killing of temple watchmen have gone up manifold over the years, exposing the government's total ineptitude, they say.