Free All Hindu Temples ©RohitSinghNegiReshmiNair

Free Hindu Temples & Religion from Govt Control.

Hindu temples across India have historically been centers of not just spiritual but also social and cultural life. However, unlike places of worship of other religions in India, many Hindu temples are under the control of various state governments through Endowment Acts and Shrine Boards. These government bodies manage temple finances, appointments of priests, temple rituals, and even temple properties—functions that, in most democratic societies, would be handled autonomously by the religious community.

Shrine boards like those governing the Tirupati Balaji Temple (Andhra Pradesh), Sabarimala (Kerala), and Vaishno Devi (J\&K) are government-run or heavily government-influenced. While ostensibly meant for better management and transparency, this control has often led to allegations of financial mismanagement, erosion of traditional practices, and marginalization of hereditary temple priests and custodians.

Constitutional Concerns

This sustained control starkly contrasts with Article 26 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees every religious denomination the right to manage its own affairs in matters of religion. Hindus, unlike other religious communities, are denied this basic constitutional right through laws and practices that allow the state to manage Hindu religious institutions. This systemic infringement has persisted unchallenged since India became a republic in 1950.

Conclusion

It is a constitutional anomaly—and a discriminatory one—that only Hindu places of worship remain shackled by government control while others enjoy full autonomy. This violates the fundamental principle of secularism and religious equality. The continued denial of Hindus’ right to manage their own temples is an affront to democratic and constitutional values. The government must end its arbitrary and prolonged interference in Hindu religious institutions immediately, restoring to the Hindu community the freedom that is rightfully theirs. Anything less is state-sanctioned inequality.

Original Post on Instagram 

© Rohit Singh Negi/ Dr.Reshmi Nair