JOIN USThe Rajya Dharmika Parishat (State Religious Council) on Tuesday resolved to recommend to the State government to increase the annual grants (tastik) for 32,000 temples to Rs 24,000 from Rs 12,000 per year.
The decision was taken at the Council meeting chaired by Muzrai Minister Kota Srinivasa Poojary in Bangalore. Archaks (priests) had been seeking increase in the tastik as they were finding it difficult to perform pujas with a grant of Rs 1,000 a month.
The 10-member Rajya Dharmika Parishat is a statutory body constituted under the provisions of the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act. “The Finance Department will consider our proposal and later it will be placed before the State Cabinet”, Poojary said. He said the Muzrai department is preparing a list of temples requiring grants from the government for restoration. A final decision in this regard would be taken at the next meeting of the Council on August 27, Poojary said. Made Snana To a query on the government’s stand on banning ‘Made Snana,’ the controversial ritual of people rolling on leftovers of food partaken by upper castes, Poojary said a decision would be taken only after extensive public consultation. “It is a very sensitive issue. We will consult progressive thinkers, devotees and all stakeholders before taking a final decision,” he said.