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Temples are the foundation stones of Hindu Dharma

Temples are the foundation stones of Hindu Dharma

Hindu Temples are living institutions which ensure the survival of the traditions, customs, and communities associated with it

Hindu Temples help to preserve, increase, and spread positive spiritual energy for the purification of the individual & environment

Hindu Temples are the de facto spiritual, psychological, and community support centres, which serve to unite all Hindus

Hindu Temples are not merely places of worship or congregation. They play an extraordinary role in the protection, preservation and nurture of Hindu culture. The community supported the temples and the temples in turn nurtured commerce, art, culture, and learning. The marauding jihadi hordes realised this and burned our temples down. The wily British realised this and began to forcibly exert control over our temples. And in post-independence India, the Hindu temples have been relegated to being cash-cows for the ‘secular’ governments. The temple coffers have been looted, their lands plundered and sold. Loss of temple autonomy led to alienation of Hindus from temples, which in turn resulted in moral decline rendering Hindus ripe for conversion.

Hindu temples are crying out to be liberated!

And the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti has been fighting to save temples. The HJS has exposed rampant corruption, stopped malpractices, encouraged implementation of dress codes in temples. We call upon you to join this movement to free Hindu Temples

Plight of Hindu Temples in Secular India

Laws

Laws like the Places of Worship Act 1991, state level Endowment acts ensure that Hindus don’t have control over their temples

Government

State governments treat Hindu temples as cash cows and use temple fund donations for purposes other than Hindu welfare

Judiciary

Hindu temple traditions are sacred and inviolable, but the judiciary regularly dictates changes in centuries old traditions

Fanatics

Hindu temples continue to be the prime target of religious fanatics, who either encroach on temple land or destroy temple property with impunity

Hindu Temples affected by Government takeover

Tuljapur Devasthan Samiti scam

265 acres out of 3568 acres of land in Amrutwadi owned by Tuljapur Devasthan Samiti misappropriated in illegal manner in the name of 77 persons

47,000 acres of Tamil Nadu’ temple land missing

According to government records, there were 5.25 lakh acres of temple land between 1984-85 whereas the same has reduced to 4.78 lakh acres in 2019-20

Tirupati jewellery reported ‘lost’ after re-verification by TTD

Gold, silver items like necklaces and coins, and crowns worth lakhs have been reported missing from the Tirupati temple vaults in audits

Some 625 acres of temple land encroached in Karnataka

Survey of more than 5,700 temples under Karnataka endowment (Muzrai) deptment revealed that atleast 625 acres of land belonging to temples has been encroached upon

Muti-Crore Pandharpur Vitthal Mandir Scam

Misappropriation of funds by the govt appointed committee of Shri Vitthal Rukmini Temple at Pandharpur which manages the temple wealth

Shri Siddhivinayak Temple Trust Scam

Millions of rupees siphoned of into companies owned by Ministers. While matter was sub-judice, the trustees blew up millions on meetings in 7 stars hotels

Paschim Maharashtra Devasthan Samiti Scam

Heavy financial scams in the management and working of 3067 temples like Kolhapur Mahalakshmi temple, Jyotiba temple by this govt appointed committee

Shirdi Sai Sansthan Trust Scam

The trust purchased some material for police for providing security at Kumbh-Mela held at Nashik in 2015 at highly inflated prices with misappropriation of Rs. 66,55,997

Hindu Temples affected due to takeover by Government

Tuljapur Devasthan Samiti scam

265 acres out of 3568 acres of land in Amrutwadi owned by Tuljapur Devasthan Samiti misappropriated in illegal manner in the name of 77 persons

47,000 acres of Tamil Nadu’ temple land missing

According to government records, there were 5.25 lakh acres of temple land between 1984-85 whereas the same has reduced to 4.78 lakh acres in 2019-20

Tirupati jewellery reported ‘lost’ after re-verification by TTD

Gold, silver items like necklaces and coins, and crowns worth lakhs have been reported missing from the Tirupati temple vaults in audits

Some 625 acres of temple land encroached in Karnataka

Survey of more than 5,700 temples under Karnataka endowment (Muzrai) deptment revealed that atleast 625 acres of land belonging to temples has been encroached upon

Muti-Crore Pandharpur Vitthal Mandir Scam

Misappropriation of funds by the govt appointed committee of Shri Vitthal Rukmini Temple at Pandharpur which manages the temple wealth

Shri Siddhivinayak Temple Trust Scam

Millions of rupees siphoned of into companies owned by Ministers. While matter was sub-judice, the trustees blew up millions on meetings in 7 stars hotels

Paschim Maharashtra Devasthan Samiti Scam

Heavy financial scams in the management and working of 3067 temples like Kolhapur Mahalakshmi temple, Jyotiba temple by this govt appointed committee

Shirdi Sai Sansthan Trust Scam

The trust purchased some material for police for providing security at Kumbh-Mela held at Nashik in 2015 at highly inflated prices with misappropriation of Rs. 66,55,997

Why we need to free Hindu Temples

Govt Control on Administration

Tax on Income

Govt Control on Assets

Restrictions on Rites and Rituals

Govt Control on Allied Institutions

Why we need to free Hindu Temples

Govt Control on Administration

Tax on Income

Govt Control on Assets

Restrictions on Rites and Rituals

Govt Control on Allied Institutions

Damage due to loss of temple autonomy

1

Temple immovable property is supposed to generate income for the temple. Less than 0.0005% land value is currently collected as rent, grossly devaluing temple assets

2

Temple land is donated for Dharmik purposes. Govt apathy resulted in this land being lost to encroachments. Even the govt utilises this land without proper compensation

3

Funds donated by Hindus are siphoned off to Govt run ‘development and construction’ schemes instead of being used for betterment of Hindus & propagation of Dharma

4

Temple income is taxed by the Govt. This is in addition to the control that the govt has over this income, which often goes underutilised and is simply diverted to the govt coffers

5

Temple officials, often in connivance with local politicians, make away with donations like cash, gold or silver, from the Hundi, even before they can be documented

6

Govt accuses temple trusts of mismanagement and uses various HR&CE Acts to takeover them in violation of Articles 25 to 30 as the Govt only targets Hindu temple for takeovers

This is where temple funds belong

Hindu Temples were centres of education, commerce, art, culture, spirituality. But since the day temples were deprived of their rightful earnings, all these went on the decline. This resulted in the overall decline of Sanatan Hindu Dharmik culture. To restore the glory of Sanatan Dharma, we need to reestablish the Hindu Temples as the centres of Hindu civilisation. So temple funds must only be utilised for the study, preservation and propagation of Hindu Dharma…

BUILD GOSHALAS

For preserving indigenous cattle population

START GURUKUL

For educating future generations on Hindu Dharma

TEMPLE RESTORATION

For the restoration and upkeep of centuries old temples

YAJNA SANSKRITI

For re-establishing the importance of the Dharmik Yajna culture

VED PATHASHALA

For educating Vedic scholars who will guide the masses on the basis of our Dharmik texts

DHARMIK EDUCATION

For imparting education on Dharma to imprint pride for swadharma (Hindu Dharma)

Hindu Janajagruti Samiti’s efforts to protect Hindu Temples

The Govt stalled the investigation into the 8 crore Shri Tuljabhavani temple scam. The HJS held protests demanding the withdrawal of this decision

HJS organised ‘Maharashtra Mandir-Nyas Parishad’, 300 temple trustees, priests, priests, auditors and advocates pledged to conserve and protect Hindu temples

HJS spearheaded a campaign to institute dress codes in temples. As a result 131 temples across Maharashtra have issued dress codes for visitors

Hindu Rashtra Jagruti Andolan organised across India to demand central government to immediately pass the Anti-Love Jihad law

Memorandum submitted to Govt officials at various places to implement effective measures in the context of the gruesome problem of ‘Love Jihad’

Successful Online campaigns launched against advt. of Tanishq Jewellery and TV serial ‘Begum Jaan’ which promoted love jihad

Share and make aware !

What Hindus must demand from the Government

1

Govt should comply with the Court orders by liberating the temples taken over by the Govt.

2

Govt should declare that temple property will not be used for development purposes

3

Govt should make budget provisions for immediate restoration of the temples of historical significance

4

Encroachments on pilgrimage centres and temples on forts should be surveyed and removed immediately

5

Govt should pay temple priests a monthly stipend since their income is negligible

6

Govt should issue a notification that liquor & meat cannot be sold in temple premises

7

Class ‘C’ temples with proper documents available should be immediately classified as class ‘B’

8

Orders should not be sent by Charity Commissioners to temples for donations for social purposes

9

Govt order should be issued to ensure that the funds of the temples are preferably used for religious purposes only

What you can do ?

Temple Trustee

Do this in your temples

Display posters that impart education on Dharma
Organise Dharmashiksha vargs and Balsanskar vargs
Implement a dress code for the visitors
Do not allow entertainment programs like orchestras in the premises.
Do not allow selling of liquor, gambling, etc. malpractices anywhere near the temples
Appoint priests who are humble, disciplined and free from addictions

Devout Hindus

Do this as your service to Dharma

Organise community activities to foster a sense of pride in protecting the temples
Participate in regular cleaning and maintenance activities in temples
Pressurise the government to give up control of temples
Use the RTI Act to expose corrupt practices in temples
Raise awareness among visitors about the temple’s spiritual importance
Advocate for legal protection and recognition of cultural and historical significance of temples

Videos

Listen to Hindu leaders

Vishnu Shankar Jain, Advocate at Supreme Court
Ramesh TR, Tamil Nadu
Dr. N. Ramesh Hassan, Sanjeevani Hospital, Karnataka
Shrihari Ambekar, Kanifnath (Kanhoba) Devasthan, Maharashtra
Anup Jaiswal, Secretary, Devasthan Seva Samiti, Maharashtra
Kishore Gangne, Maharashtra Mandir Mahasangh, Dharashiv, Maharashtra

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