Temple trusts/ boards
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| − | + | These are newspaper article selected for the excellence of its content.<br/>You can help by converting it into an encyclopedia-style entry,<br />deleting portions of the kind normally not used in encyclopaedia entries.<br/>Please also put categories, paragraph indents, headings and sub-headings,<br/>and combine this with other articles on exactly the same subject.<br/> | |
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| + | =Atheists can't use temple property in Tamil Nadu= | ||
| + | B Sivakumar, TNN | Sep 12, 2013 | ||
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| + | [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Atheists-cant-use-temple-property-in-Tamil-Nadu/articleshow/22497765.cms The Times of India] | ||
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| + | A circular was sent to all temple executives advising them not to rent out properties to non-believers. The circular also banned renting out of temple property to functions in which liquor and non-vegetarian food are served. | ||
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| + | CHENNAI: A move by the state Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department to ban 'non-believers' from using temple properties have atheists and rationalists up in arms. The circular issued by temple custodians prohibits 'non-believers' from hiring marriage halls or leasing out shops on premises owned by temples. | ||
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| + | The provocation for the circular appears to be a farmers' wing meeting held at a marriage hall in a village in Tiruvarur district in July 2013. | ||
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| + | The meeting, which apparently raised pro-rationalist slogans, caused a furore in the district and representations were given to the chief minister's cell and the HR&CE department against leasing or renting out temple property to atheists. | ||
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| + | Following this, a circular was sent to all temple executives advising them not to rent out properties to non-believers. The circular also banned renting out of temple property to functions in which liquor and non-vegetarian food are served. | ||
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| + | Justifying the circular, a senior official said, "As the property is in the name of a temple or its presiding deity, we cannot allow meetings or gatherings that criticise religion or speak against the belief in God. Such meetings can be held in any other government or private property but not on a temple property. This goes against religious ethos." | ||
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| + | The circular specifies that the property either on the temple premises or outside it should be rented out only for religious discourses or for any other spiritual purposed only. | ||
Revision as of 01:00, 12 September 2013
These are newspaper article selected for the excellence of its content. |
Temple trusts/ boards
Shirdi gives away more than Siddhivinayak
Nitin Yeshwantrao timesofindia 2013/05/13
The more generously devotees give, the more they receive too, it seems. The Shirdi Saibaba temple grossed Rs 1,009 crore in cash collections from grateful devotees in the past four years while the Siddhivinayak temple earned Rs 206 crore. The two religious trusts — the richest in Maharashtra — spent 50% and 13% of their earnings, respectively, on charity in the same period, shows a document tabled in the state assembly by the state law and judiciary department.
For perspective, in 2011 alone, the Tirupati Devasthanam in Andhra Pradesh earned Rs 1,100 crore in donations from devotees, in addition to interest earned from fixed deposits in banks. The Vaishnodevi shrine reported an annual income of nearly Rs 500 crore in the same period.
The Shirdi shrine, administered by the Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust, spent Rs 540.49 crore of its cash collection on charity while the Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai spent Rs 27.02 crore.
At the Shirdi temple, cash received from devotees rose from Rs 196.7 crore in 2009-10 to Rs 298.4 crore in the eight month period from April to November 2012, a 51% increase. The average annual income of the Shirdi trust for the period worked out to Rs 252-plus crore while the average financial assistance provided by it was Rs 135 crore, a politician familiar with the trust said.
The audit statements of the Sansthan at the end of 2012 showed that close to Rs 150 crore of its money was deposited in nationalized banks, in addition to Rs 50 crore worth of jewellery received from devotees, he said.
Officials said the Siddhivinayak shrine’s average annual cash collection was around Rs 51.5 crore while it spent an average of Rs 6.8 crore every year from 2009 to 2012 on charity. The bulk of its funds are in bank deposits.
The temple trusts say they would spend more on charity but for the many restrictions on imposed on charity spending by the Maharashtra government.
Temple trusts also seat of politics
As much as temple trusts have to do with religious activities and charity, politicians have long jostled for their control, given the generous funds they have and their clout and goodwill. The trustees, who are political appointees, have an important say in how the funds are spent. For instance, the Congres and the NCP have been vying for control of the Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust which runs the Shirdi Saibaba temple.
NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad says the Shirdi shrine’s funds should be used for the welfare of the devotees. “Ideally, the Sansthan should give 85% of its collection to the chief minister’s relief fund. The remaining 15% of the funds should be retained with the trust for dayto-day upkeep and administrative work. A small portion from this amount should be used to build shelters for devotees who trek hundreds of miles to reach Shirdi.’’
He added the Sansthan should spend more upgrading the road leading to Shirdi, rather than on fancy projects like building airports.
Atheists can't use temple property in Tamil Nadu
B Sivakumar, TNN | Sep 12, 2013
A circular was sent to all temple executives advising them not to rent out properties to non-believers. The circular also banned renting out of temple property to functions in which liquor and non-vegetarian food are served.
CHENNAI: A move by the state Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department to ban 'non-believers' from using temple properties have atheists and rationalists up in arms. The circular issued by temple custodians prohibits 'non-believers' from hiring marriage halls or leasing out shops on premises owned by temples.
The provocation for the circular appears to be a farmers' wing meeting held at a marriage hall in a village in Tiruvarur district in July 2013.
The meeting, which apparently raised pro-rationalist slogans, caused a furore in the district and representations were given to the chief minister's cell and the HR&CE department against leasing or renting out temple property to atheists.
Following this, a circular was sent to all temple executives advising them not to rent out properties to non-believers. The circular also banned renting out of temple property to functions in which liquor and non-vegetarian food are served.
Justifying the circular, a senior official said, "As the property is in the name of a temple or its presiding deity, we cannot allow meetings or gatherings that criticise religion or speak against the belief in God. Such meetings can be held in any other government or private property but not on a temple property. This goes against religious ethos."
The circular specifies that the property either on the temple premises or outside it should be rented out only for religious discourses or for any other spiritual purposed only.
