State Control of Hindu Temples in India, From 1817 to HR&CE
In many Indian states, Hindu temples are run by the government in a way that mosques, churches and other religious institutions are not. State control began under British rule with the Madras Regulation of 1817 and continues through state Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Acts, under which government departments manage temple lands, funds and appointments.
This documentary traces how temples went from self-sustaining institutions that also ran schools and hospitals to state-controlled revenue centres, how Articles 25 to 30 of the Constitution apply differently to different faiths, and the growing demand to free Hindu temples from state control.
Chapters
00:00 Why are only Hindu temples under state control?
00:50 How temples worked 1,500 years ago
02:10 British Raj: how state control began
03:27 Independent India: state control continues
04:58 Temple administration today
06:41 The aftermath
Read the full essay
State Control of Hindu Temples, with full sources.
