Hindu Temples as Indic Institutions
Hindu Temples as Indic Institutions
The Hindu temples may have performed the role of financial, educational, healthcare and legal institutions. Since the government control only Hindu temples, it stifles the revival of the Indic system.
Introduction
Hindu temples are governed by the government unlike places of worship of other religions. That this is unequal, derogatory and unconstitutional treatment of Hinduism, is an important issue in itself.
However, the bigger issue is that the temples were central to the Indic ecosystem because they may be the institutional bulwark of the Indic civilisation. The Hindu temples may have performed the role of financial, educational, healthcare and legal institutions. And therefore by stifling temples under government control Indic system revival is also stifled.
Not just places of worship
The Hindu temples were more than simply places of worship but housed an entire complex comprising various, let us call them, departments. The place of worship was but one department within the temple complex.
The “department of worship” is what the temple has been reduced to. But even this part of the temple served as a community centre and support group. It nurtured faith, allowing room for philosophical debates and discussions. These community spaces allowed for debate for reform of social practices.
We have historical records of various saints conducting such seminars on temple premises. Anna Hazare too revived the village of Ralegan Siddhi through the village temple.
Important institutional duties
The temples may have fulfilled more elaborate institutional duties in the Indic civilisations.
Temples functioned as banks, as pointed out by Sanjeev Sanyal. The temples were also fairly advanced with the trade of finance using options, insurance and futures contracts to mitigate their risks. The temples also held money on account and financed certain public-spirited ventures.
That temples served as educational institutions is rather well known. It seems that the educational department of temples may have been connected with the gurukuls and the universities like Taxashila and Nalanda. (There were many more universities in ancient India)
Temples are also known to be centres of Dharma. In a sense they were legal offices, performing affirmation, notarization, contract signing, solemnising marriages etc. The temples may have performed interpretation of contracts and such other advisory roles as well. This role would connect with the village panchayat, or court of the ruler or their representative.
Considering the substantial focus on rituals, maintaining a certain level of cleanliness and hygiene would be easier in a temple. This would allow for medical services and support for the ill.
With temples having access to substantial income streams, it is not surprising that they extended social support during famines and other natural calamities (COVID??). The temple fund may have worked as a rainy-day emergency fund into which people deposit during times of prosperity and get supported during times of distress.
Benefits of this system
The temples seem to be the centre for all professional pursuits. Doctors, lawyers, bankers etc would be employed by the temple, strictly based on their qualifications and learning. Their payments would be separated from their benefactors/users of their service thereby eliminating any conflict of interest issue. Their payment would come directly from the temple.
These temple professionals would be in a similar position as an ideal conception of the tenured professors of US universities. They have no risk and their ventures are entirely focused on the improvement of society.
From this standpoint, everyone would be visiting the temple for some reason or other. Thus, it was never required to make temple visits mandatory.
Subversion of temples
The above institutional view of the temple is in direct competition with the government institutions created by the Constitution. I believe this was one reason why the government desired the control of temples. Further, by running the temple institutions to the ground, the government has in fact subverted the Indic civilisational system itself.
If the temple system is revived, Hindus will need to depend less on the government for many of the basic challenges. At the same time, since this institutional framework is housed within a “Hindu” temple, other communities may not get access to these institutes. This is a narrow-minded reason for stifling Hindu temples.
Freeing temples is critical
Temples can lead the effort to create institutions that conduct research into Indic ways of life. Temples can act as institutions for the revival of old dilapidated temples, restoring old temples, etc. by employing the best reconstruction/restoration experts and deploying the best tools and solutions to revive these old temples.
The temples, unshackled from government controls, can create an Institute that creates 3D virtual reality models for all old temples and create means for the study of temple architecture and design styles.
They can also create rich literature, art and music based on tradition and modern studies. These can be in the form of courses and online lectures. They may be able to create a forum for philosophical debate and sponsor research into Indic civilisations.
Freeing temples is not the only way to do this, but freeing temples will make all of this a lot easier. Freeing temples is absolutely critical.