Skip to content
Civil Services Notes Civil Services Notes Civil Services Notes

Institution of Temple and Mathas

Institution of Temple and Mathas

Section titled “Institution of Temple and Mathas”

2020-04-27 12:06 :46

Hermann Kulke : Donation to buttress authority

  • Brihadeeshvara temple
  • Lingaraj temple of Orissa, was predominantly Shaiva area, later after the construction of the Purushottama temple at Puri by Anantvarman Chodaganga, Ganga king Jagannatha/Purushottama worship started
  • In South India Royal grants were made in perpetuity, tax exemptions
  • Temples significantly enlarged
  • But relationship was of alliance and for patronage
  • Merchants and Guilds donated sheeps, coins etc for the maintenance of temples like lamps etc
  • Women appear as donor in all 3 religious traditions - Leslie Orr
    • Religious women like monks, nuns etc, queens, wives of landowners, chieftains etc donated
    • Active participation rather than total marginalisation
    • Devadasi women of 20th century was not the same as that during Chola period
    • Temple women made donations, mostly associated with small temple establishments, they did not marry, it was a privilege and honor for them

Social Impact of Temples, Mathas

Section titled “Social Impact of Temples, Mathas”
  • #todo

Role as an Employer

Section titled “Role as an Employer”
  • As the size of the temples grew the number of people employed for its construction and maintenance also increased. Craftsmen, architects etc.
  • Daily routine of temples provided employment to a number of priests, choristers, musicians, dancing girls, florists, cooks and other classed of servants.
  • Sthanattar administered temple properties, controlled temple servants and guarded the interest of temples.
  • Sivacharya or Bhattas were priests, Tavasigal wree assistant to priests.
  • Tanjore inscriptions of Rajaraja I provides information about the number of such employees who were appointed at the temple.
  • Gifts were made by Royals to such servants. Servants were appointed by the Cholas, Pandyas and Vijayanagra to do various services at the temple.

Role in Irrigation

Section titled “Role in Irrigation”
  • Many devadana villages granted to temples did not have irrigational facility.
  • They often encourage individual to take part in towards irrigation and reclatmation of of fallow land who were often given tax free lands for the maintenance of these. Tiruvannamalai inscriptions mention these.

Role in Land Reclamation

Section titled “Role in Land Reclamation”
  • Lands were favorably leased to reclaim for cultivation, miscellaneous privileges connected with temples were given.
  • Srirangam temple of Trichinopoly took such activities during the reign of Kulotonga Chola.
  • Pudukkottai inscription of Maravarma tells about reduction of taxes on temple land for reclamation purpose.
  • Concessional renting of such lands were also done.

Role as a Banker

Section titled “Role as a Banker”
  • Due to donations from Rulers, rich individuals, merchants etc temples became rich in gold and other precious items.
  • Their function as lenders was only a logical conclusion that helped the agrarian society.
  • Village assemblies were their regular client. Interest was paid in either cash or kind.
  • Various inscription from south arcot and kodumbalur that date back to Rajaraja II and Vira Pandya talk about this.
  • Village assemblies also mortgaged jewels etc to pay back dues.

Temples as Institutions of Learning

Section titled “Temples as Institutions of Learning”
  • #todo
  • Traditional educational institutions were called as mathas or mathapuras\
  • lands granted to mathas differed from those granted to temples in that the matha manager and chief teacher was considered the owner of the property granted to the matha
  • Such mathas gave out mostly religious teachings to its students ex Lingayat mathas of Telugu and Kannada areas.
  • Also acted as dissemination of cultural education. Itihasa and Puranas were expounded, sacred hymns recited.
  • Various festivals drew out crowd from far and wide to witness its spectacle esp Rath yatras.
  • These temples had paintings and acted as art galleries encompassing varioius religious themes ex Kailasnatha temple at Kanchi, Sittanavasal Jain temple.
  • Dance and Drama was used to disseminated religious beliefs. Puranic themes were developed in all linguistic regions of South India ex Yakshagana and Kuchipudi in Andhra.

PYQs and Answers

Section titled “PYQs and Answers”
  1. How far do you agree with the view that temples in early medieval period were catalysts in spreading education? [2010, 30m]