NEW DELHI, INDIA, July 11, 2011 (Hindustan Times): Senior officials in the Delhi government said most temples do not have a trust or an agency to oversee the management, which is resulting in poor upkeep of the temple and lack of basic amenities to thousands of visitors everyday.
Officials said the government has two ministers to work out a plan in this regard. While there are hundreds of big and small temples in Delhi, Goswami said there are at least six temples – Kalkaji temple, Hanuman Mandir at Connaught Place, Hanuman Mandir near Yamuna Bazaar, Jhandewalan Mandir, Gauri Shankar Mandir opposite Red Fort and Siddh Peeth Yogmaya in south Delhi – that need proper management.
“The NDMC spent more than US$1.3 million on redevelopment of the Hanuman Temple near CP but there is hardly any improvement. A Shrine Board would not only help providing better facilities to devotees but would also ensure that the temple staff gets proper wages, the assets of the temples including its land are properly managed and there is a uniformity among all temples in announcing dates and timings of various festivals,” Delhi industry minister Ramakant Goswami said.
Meanwhile, Delhi chapter of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has asked the government to stay away from the management and assets of temples.
[HPI note: It is always good to remember that the Indian government will only intervene in Hindu temples, not daring to encroach on other religions. Though the justification for action sometimes stems from the real need to improve a temple, there are always more forces involved. The income that the government receives from large temples, for example, is astounding.]