Tourism, Culture and Religious Endowments Department Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department Demand No.47 Policy Note 2016-2017 Index

Tourism, Culture and Religious Endowments Department Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department Demand No.47 Policy Note 2016-2017 Index SUBJECT PAGE NO INTRODUCTION 1 I - LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND ADMINISTRATION Hindu Religious and Charitable 3 Endowments Act Hindu Religious Institutions 5 Classifications of the Hindu Religious 5 Institutions Administrative Structure 6 Regional and District Administration 9 Inspectors 13 Personal Assistants 13 Deputy Commissioner, Palani 13 Verification Officers 14 Senior Accounts Officers 15 i Engineers 15 Departmental Sthapathy 17 Regional Sthapathys 18 Executive Officers 19 Laptop to Officials 20 Administration of Mutts 20 Audit of Religious Institutions 21 High Level Advisory Committee 21 Constitution of District Committee 22 Appointment of Trustees 23 Qualification for appointment of 23 Trustees Power to appoint Trustees 24 Appointment of Fit Person 26 II - LAND ADMINISTRATION Land Details 27 Fixation of Fair Rent 28 Revenue Courts 28 Retrieval of Lands 30 Appointment of retired Deputy 32 Collectors, Tahsildars and Surveyors Removal of Encroachments 33 Regularisation of Group 33 Encroachments ii III - SPECIAL SCHEMES Annadanam Scheme 35 Day Long Annadanam 36 Spiritual and Moral Classes 37 Special Poojas and Common Feasts 38 Elephant Rejuvenation Camps 39 Marriage Scheme for the Poor and 41 Downtrodden Cable Cars 43 Battery Cars 44 Government Grant for Kanyakumari 45 District Temples Oru Kaala Pooja Scheme 46 Pooja Articles for Small Temples 48 Revival of Kala Poojas in Ancient 49 Temples IV - TIRUPPANI Tiruppani (Conservation, Restoration 50 and Renovation) Tiruppani Fund 50 Donation 52 Temple Fund 52 Diversion of Funds 53 Government Grant 53 iii Religious and Charitable 54 Endowments Administration Fund Common Good Fund 55 Temple Development Fund 55 Village Temples Renovation Fund 56 Temple Renovation and Charitable 57 Fund Donor works 58 Tiruppani for the temples in the 59 habitations of Adi Dravida and Tribal Communities Finance Commission Grant 60 Tourism Fund 61 Conservation, Renovation and 62 Restoration works in the temples of Heritage Value - Archaeological Expert Committee Restoration and Maintenance of 64 Murals Renovation of Temple Tanks and 66 Rain Water Harvesting Software to follow up progress of 67 Tiruppani Chartered Engineers 68 Sthapathys 69 iv Kudamuzhukku(Kumbabishegam/ 69 Samprokshanam) Maintenance of Temple Cars 70 Temples with Golden Cars and 72 Silver Cars V - WELFARE MEASURES FOR DEVOTEES Drinking water 78 Modern Toilet Facilities 79 Facilities for Stay 79 Temple Sign/ Information Boards 81 High Quality Kumkum to Devotees 81 Donor Reception Centres 82 Manasarovar and Mukthinath Yatra 82 Distribution of Sarees and Dhoties 84 VI - CLEANLINESS AND ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION IN TEMPLES Uzhavarappani 84 Maintenance of Cleanliness by 85 Outsourcing Prohibiting usage of Plastic in 86 Temple Premises Alternate Energy Scheme 86 v VII - SECURITY MEASURES Safety of Icons and Valuables 87 Scheme for Installation of Burglar 88 Alarms Icon Centres 89 Temple Protection Force 91 VIII - EDUCATIONAL AND CHARITABLE SERVICES Educational Institutions 92 Vedha Agama Patasalas 99 Grading of Educational Institutions 100 Social Welfare Institutions 100 Karunai Illangal 101 Basic Amenities for Schools and 106 Colleges Goshalas 106 IX - TEMPLES AND TAMIL "Potri" Books 107 Tamil New Year Day 108 Paavai Vizha 109 Appointment of Musicians 110 X - ARULALARGAL VIZHA Sekkizhar Vizha 110 Thirugnana Sambandar Isai Vizha 111 vi Avvaiyar Vizha 112 Thayumanavar Vizha 112 Thiruvalluvar Day 113 Arunagirinathar Vizha 113 Kochenkatchozha Nayanar Vizha 114 Azhvargal Vizha 114 XI - PUBLICATIONS Thalavaralaru and Thalapuranam 114 District Guides for Pilgrims 115 “Thirukkoil” – Monthly Magazine 115 Publishing Agamas and other books 116 in Tamil XII - TRAINING PROGRAMMES Refresher Training Course 117 Short term course on "Heritage 117 Conservation and Restoration of Monuments " for Engineers Short term course on "Heritage 119 Conservation and Restoration of Monuments" for Executive Officers of temples Training on Human Values 119 XIII - WELFARE SCHEMES FOR TEMPLE SERVANTS Details of Welfare Schemes 120 vii Family Benefit Fund 121 Special Provident Fund and Gratuity 122 Scheme Health Insurance Scheme 122 Temple Employees Welfare Fund 123 Scheme Appointment on Compassionate 124 Grounds Regularisation of Services of 125 Temporary Employees Pension Scheme-Pension for 125 Archakas, Oduvars, Vedaparayanars, Arayars, Divya Prabandham Reciters and Musicians Pension Scheme for other servants 127 serving in Temples-Employees Provident Fund Scheme, Departmental Pension Scheme Educational Aid for the Children of 129 Temple Employees XIV -WELFARE SCHEMES FOR VILLAGE TEMPLE POOSARIS Village Temple Poosarigal Welfare Board 129 Village Temple Poosaris Pension Scheme 130 XV - MAHAMAHAM 131 CONCLUSION 132 viii Tourism, Culture and Religious Endowments Department Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department Demand No. 47 Policy Note 2016-2017 Introduction The greatness of the holy land of Tamils lie in the innumerable holy temples, tall gopurams touching the sky, arts, sculptures etc., which are associated with temples. “Ãw¥bg‹D« ngjik Ú§f¢ Áw¥bg‹DŠ br«bghUŸ fh©g j¿Î. ” One of the essential duties of the Government is to transform the human society into a cultured society as said by Thiruvalluvar. Hence, the temples of Tamil Nadu are to be considered as 1 centres of human resource development apart from being places of religious worship. In that respect, temples exist as centres of learning, art treasure and centres for reforming the mind. Hence, it is the essential duty of the Government to properly maintain these temples, to protect their properties, generate income and ensure performance of poojas from the income collected. Consistent with the meaning of the Thirumanthiram “nræD« ešy‹ mâa‹ ešm‹g®¡F¤ jhæD« ešy‹.....” that even greater than mother’s affection, during the illustrious regime of Honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Puratchi Thalaivi Amma, who is providing good governance with the vibrant policy, “k¡fshš eh‹, k¡fS¡fhfnt eh‹” several developmental schemes have been implemented. 2 I-LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND ADMINISTRATION Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act 2. The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act 1959(Act 22/1959) was enacted realizing the need for the administrative governance of Temples, Mutts and Endowments and the necessity to be monitored by the Government after carrying out the required modifications, examining the various prior enactments. 3. The Act is actually a successor to several previous enactments, the earliest of which was the Madras Endowments and Escheats Regulation No.VII of 1817. It was repealed by Act XX of 1863. The 1863 Act was replaced by the Madras Hindu Religious Endowments Act, 1926 3 (Act II of 1927), by which a statutory body called the Madras Hindu Religious Endowments Board was created. The Board was later abolished by Act XIX of 1951, which vested the administration of Religious and Charitable Endowments in a hierarchy of officers of defined jurisdiction and headed by a Commissioner. The 1951 Act was repealed by the present Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1959 (Act 22 of 1959) which also created a hierarchy of authorities such as the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners. 4. This Act prescribes the rights and duties of the Commissioner and other Subordinate Officers of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department. It also states various means for improving the administration of the Hindu Religious Institutions. This Act further empowers the Government to extend the 4 provisions to Jain Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments. Hindu Religious Institutions 5. There are 38,630 Hindu Religious and Jain Religious Institutions under the control of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department. The details are as follows:- 1. Temples 36,590 2. Holy Mutts 56 3. Temples attached to Holy 57 Mutts 4. Specific Endowments 1,721 5. Charitable Endowments 189 6. Jain Temples 17 Total 38,630 Classifications of the Hindu Religious Institutions 6. The Hindu Religious Institutions have been classified as listed and non listed institutions 5 based on the annual income. The details are as follows:- Classification Annual Sl. Number of of Religious Income of No. Institutions Institutions Institution 1. Non listed having an 34,077 Institutions – annual income Under Section of less than 49(1) Rs.10,000/- 2. Listed having an 3,571 Insitutions – annual income Under Section of Rs.10,000/- 46(i) and less than Rs.2 Lakh. 3. Under Section having an 662 46(ii) annual income of Rs.2 lakh and less than Rs.10 lakh. 4. Under Section having an 320 46(iii) annual income of Rs.10 lakh and above. Total 38,630 Administrative Structure 7. The Commissioner, functions as the Administrative Head of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department responsible 6 to maintain, protect and monitor the administration of the Hindu Religious Institutions according to the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1959. 8. In order to assist the Commissioner, in the activities such as general administration, establishment, management of movable and immovable properties of religious institutions, tiruppani, court cases, audit, etc, the following officers are serving in the headquarters: Sl. Post Number No. of Post 1. Additional Commissioner (General) 1 2. Additional Commissioner (Enquiry) 1 3. Additional

Load more