CHENNAI, INDIA, October 25, 2007: The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department has expanded its orukaala puja (one puja a day) plan to ensure that at least one puja is performed every day in nearly 40,000 temples under its purview. While thousands of smaller temples, which do not have any significant income, remain closed, even in temples kept open, pujas are not performed for want of funds. Realizing this, the department, drawing on the phenomenal resources of bigger temples in the State, is creating a corpus fund for select smaller temples.
“Many of these temples are important from a historical or social point of view. We took up the exercise of making sure that at least orukaala puja is performed, keeping this in mind,” HR&CE Minister K.R. Periyakaruppan told The Hindu here.
There is a rider though: people of the area have to contribute a small portion of the corpus. Department officials say the people have to contribute US$62.50. If this is done, the department will give $562.
The total amount, $562, will be deposited in a fixed account in the name of the temple. The interest accruing will be used for performing puja once every day round the year. “The smaller temples need very little money for performing one puja a day. Hence the interest from the amount will be sufficient,” says a senior department official.
So far, 10,913 temples have benefited from the scheme and the department is in the process of creating more awareness about the scheme so that orukaala puja can be performed in more temples. In 2006-07, 466 small temples were added to the list where orukaala puja is performed.
The department has also embarked on an exercise to identify temples mentioned in ancient poems and writings. Some of these have remained closed for decades. The department managed to open 50 such temples this year. “Our efforts will continue to open more such temples and perform at least one puja every day,” the Minister added.