Protecting the Sacred: Wakf type law for temples?

INDIA'S religious institutions - temples, mosques, gurudwaras, and churches are not only spiritual centres but also custodians of vast assets acquired over centuries.

- Jagdish Mohanty

Among them, Hindu temples possess some of the largest tracts of land and immovable property, donated by kings, patrons, and devotees. However, despite this enormous wealth, temple properties suffer from rampant encroachment, mismanagement, and legal neglect. The Waqf properties have recently received considerable institutional and legislative protection through various amendments in the Wagf Act, setting a precedent worth emulating.

Itis time that similar attention is given to Hindu temples through a structured legal and institutional framework that ensures transparency, accountability, and the safeguarding of religious heritage.

The scale of Hindu temple landholding is humongous. Temples in various states own extensive land parcels. For example, in Tamil Nadu, the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department controls around 4.78 lakh acres of agricultural land. Admittedly by May 2021, the HR&CE Board has reclaimed 4,502 acres of agricultural lands, 809 acres of vacant plots, and various buildings and temple tank bunds worth over Rs. 5132 crore from encroachers. Audit reports have revealed thousands of cases of encroachment and untraceable property records.

In Telangana as of June 2019, nearly 20,124 acres of temple land, constituting 25% of the state's 87,000 acres of endowment land, were reported as encroached.

The Jagannath Temple in Puri owns spanning 7,754 acres. These assets include agricultural and non-agricultural lands across various locations. Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala is considered one of the wealthiest globally, with assets estimated around Rs 1,20,000 crore. The treasure includes gold idols, antique jewellery, and precious stones discovered in its vaults. Approximately 400,000 of India's