Chennai: The 7th century Sri Vedaranyeshwar temple in Vedaranyam (Nagapattinam district) is a classic example of how ancient temples not only lose their lands but also don’t get the rent to augment the income or get a meager rent far below the market prices.
British records say the temple owns 23,000 acres, mostly agricultural lands and saltpans. Of it, about 17,000 acres land now belonging to the temple are in the hands of the cultivators or saltpans owners, of which 2,426 acres are with the Central government owned salt department.
Vedaranyam is considered sacred second after Rameswaram in terms of sanctity and it was also the place where Lord Ram was said to have stayed before setting out to Lanka to vanquish Ravana.
Originally the temple was administered by a Tamil family living in Jaffna till 1920. Centuries ago, the Rajas of Tanjore had granted 2,400 acres land situated in the Agastiyampalli village to the temple devasthanam as “inam” and they comprised mostly of salt pans. In 1806, the British East India Company took possession of the properties following the passing of Regulation I of 1805, which prohibited manufacture of salt except on account of the Government or with their express sanction.
In return, the company promised to pay a sum of 1,848 Pagodas (a Pagoda equals 3.5 grams gold) annually for taking possession of the land (as compensation) to the devasthanam, annually. Out of this, 1,200 Pagodas was the rent of the property, which was paid till 1858. After Independence, the property came under the control of the government “on same terms” and it made an annual payment of the said sum till 1937 and thereafter the properties came into the possession of the government following when the salt revenue administration was taken up.
The salt department has been paying an annual lease / rent sum of '4,200 to the temple for the 2,425.95 acres of temple lands (in Vedaranyam taluk) in its control.
“The Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments department has identified 17,000 acres land originally belonging to the temple but most of them are in the hands of cultivators. Of this, about 2,400 acres are with the Central government’s Salt Department,” says Ramesh T.R., president of Temple worshippers Society.
He claims properties belonging to temples cannot be alienated or taken away from the temples or mutts as they are properties of temples and not trust properties, Mr Ramesh said in several instances, the rent from agriculture land is not collected.
“The collection of rent for the Srirangam Sri Ranganathaswamy temple is less than 10 per cent of amount due. In Vadavur temple, for instance, out of 5,000 acres land given by Serfoji Maharaja, what is with the temple till 1966, is only 50 acres. The Varugunapandishwar temple in Tirunelveli had 4,500 acres of dry lands around 1917, but now the holdings are said to be less than 3,000 acres. Similarly, Tiruvarur temple had 6,250 acres and now it is less than 2,000 acres,” he claimed.
