The Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department of the Tamil Nadu government has clarified that archakas do not have the right to take home the money that is placed on the Archana/offering plate, emphasizing that these funds belong to the temple. This statement comes amid concerns raised regarding practices at the Kuzhandai Velappar Temple in Poomparai, Kodaikanal, one of over 30 sub-temples managed by the Palani Murugan Temple.
Reports surfaced alleging that priests at the Kuzhandai Velappar Temple were pressuring devotees to place their offerings on the archanai plate instead of the hundial. In response, the charity department issued a statement reinforcing that all contributions made by devotees are to be deposited in the temple’s bank account and not for personal use by any staff member.
The HR&CE department stated that Archakar Mohan employed at the temple was a permanent employee at the Kuzhandai Velappar Temple, received a monthly salary of ₹38,907 along with various benefits such as bonuses, pay increments, and leave encashment. It was stated that he is entitled to all government employee benefits, including pension and gratuity. The HR&CE department stressed that as a salaried employee, Mohan has no authority to “misappropriate” the offerings made by devotees.
It is alleged that three staff have been appointed to oversee whether the devotees are offering money in the hundial, CCTVs are also allegedly in place to keep an eye on the archakas.
(With inputs from Dinamalar)
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