Kanchi Shankaracharya bats for freeing temples from govt control

Prayagraj: Shri Shankara Vijayendra Saraswathi, the 70th Jagadguru Peethadipathi of Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, Kanchipuram, has advocated for handing over the temples and their property to the temple authorities, thus freeing the temples of the country from govt control.
"Every Kumbh here at Prayagraj has raised a demand which was fulfilled in due course of time—the voice for Ram temple was raised in 2013—and now the voice for freeing all the temples from govt control has echoed from Maha Kumbh 2025," said Shankaracharya Vijayendra Saraswathi, here on Sunday.
"I demand that firstly, all the temples should be restored; secondly, proper puja should be done in these temples; and thirdly, all the offerings (income) that come to the temple should belong to the temples. Temples spanning from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, their land, assets, and other holdings should be the sole property of the temple concerned," said the Jagadguru, who was in Prayagraj to take a dip in Sangam and to attend an event at his camp in sector 20 of Maha Kumbh Mela. The income of these temples should be spent on propagating Sanatan Dharma, preparing pupils who are well-versed in Vedas, gurukul, opening gaushalas, and patronising classical music, he added.
"There should be a system of PPP – ‘Praja' (devotees), ‘Purohit', and ‘Pujari'. This ‘Triveni' will surely uplift not only the temples but Sanatan Dharma," he said while talking to TOI exclusively. There should be a pujari (priest) in every panchayat and a temple like Tirupati in every village, he added.
On being asked whether the youths are moving away from religious practices, the Shankaracharya said, "No, it is not true that the youngsters are not inclined towards Aastha (faith). I have seen young boys and girls at the Maha Kumbh, arriving in huge numbers, putting tilak on their foreheads with full devotion. There is still Aastha in the country; what we lack is ‘Sanstha' (organisation) and Vyavastha (rules and regulations)," he said.
He said that there are a lot of problems in the country and families, but we have to start from our families, and by conserving the Sanatan Dharma, our democracy will be saved. More importantly, when the country is safe, only then will there be peace in the world, he said. "Therefore, India should be safe, and to keep the country safe, it is utmost necessary to propagate Sanatan Dharma. The values propagated by our traditions and ancestors are not to fight, but to make the country strong," the seer said.
He said that youth should be involved in every sphere, and the govt should start preparing for the next Maha Kumbh. "All the achievements and lessons learnt in this Maha Kumbh should be properly documented, and not only the experience of UP govt, but also those of the adjacent states, including Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, etc., should contribute to preparing a document for the successful organisation of events such as Kumbh," said Shankaracharya Vijayendra Saraswati.
While praising the efforts of the state govt, he said, "There is a temple called Shankar Viman Mandapam in Prayagraj, and the airport of Prayagraj has become ‘Viman kaa Mandap'."