‘State should not interfere in temple affairs’

Blaming the mismanagement by Endowments Department for the temples, which have been the centres of socio-cultural life of people for centuries, losing prominence, Hindu Devalaya Parirakshana Samiti founder Kamalananda Bharati Swamiji has advocated that it is high time the governments should keep them away from the functioning of the religious shrines.

“At least, the temples with less than Rs.1 crore income per annum should be brought under the Andhra Pradesh Hindu Dharmika Parishad so that the past glory of the spiritual centres can be restored,” he opined while talking to reporters here on Thursday.

Lamenting the irregular payment of salaries to the temple priests, he said that the priests of 80 temples in Nellore district have not got their wages the last eight months.

“The State government is not suited for maintaining temples and promoting the Bhakti culture among devotees. It will be better if it concentrates on governance and keep it away from the religious matters.”

Proper maintenance of temples can be done in a best way only by the Dharmika Parishad comprising persons with spiritual bent of mind, he said adding that there was an urgent need for a sustained movement to put pressure on the government to keep it away from temples.