Secular Functions of the Temple

The religion of a community is not something unrelated to its secular activities any more than the religious experience of an individual is apart from his general mental development. The temple likewise was a powerful social and economic entity besides being a source of religious inspiration for the people. Inscriptions give some idea of the diverse secular functions of the Hindu temples were designed to discharge: they were fortresses and land holders, employers, treasuries, court houses, parks, fairs, exhibition sheds, the halls of learning and of amusement, the consumer of goods and services, as banks, schools, museums, hospitals and theatres.

Most of the activities centered round the village temple, which had grown by the time of the Cholas to dominate every aspect of social life all over the country. The role of the temple in the secular life of its neighborhood can hardly be exaggerated and the temple and its affairs were among the chief preoccupations of the local assemblies; and the temples had become a separate group who were in charge of their managements; but these authorities were subject to the double control of the local assemblies who exercised a general supervision and of the officer of the king who audited the accounts.

The temple was the center of all the institutions, popular culture and amusements. The assemblies often set apart land for the maintenance of persons who expounded in the halls of the temples, the national epics of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata and the Puranas; thus was called Bharatappangu and was usually made tax free.^[1]

Music and dancing, and theatrical presentation of popular tales and legends, formed part of the ordinary routine of the temple and received special attention on festive occasions. And natakasalas were specially constructed for these purposes.^[2]

The office of Manrattu is very much connected with temple. Manradi, the in charge of the office of Manrattu was made responsible for executing repairs in the temple and was in charge of collecting the income due to the temple.^[3]

An epigraph from Kaveri region reveals that the temple treasury was lost, which was to be replenished by way of a grant of land as Ponvilai devadanam and both the Devakanmis and the Manradis were involved in the transaction. Further, the temple accounts had to be supervised by the Sivabrahmana, Appan Virarajendra Chola Chakravarthi; who was conferred with the office of Manrattu of the temple by the king. Thus the office of Manrattu was very much connected with temple administratitn. The contextual analysis of the epigraphs referring to Manradi from this region and elsewhere indicate that the term office manradi was an office connected with temple affairs.^[4]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

A.R.E., 63 of 1897: 48 and 50 of 1923.

[2]:

A.R.E.,157of 1905, 199 of 1907, 253-254 of 1914, 398 of 1921,152 of 1925.

[3]:

A.R.E., 91 of 1915, 13 of 1922.

[4]:

A.R.E., 428 of 1959.