Temples as an Employer

The temples developed as an institution of largest employment opportunities. The construction and maintenance of these temples required many specialized and general skilled and unskilled services. These works employed a large number of architects and craftsmen. Icons in stone as well as in metal were made by sculptors. Some of the larger metal statues cast in this period indicate the developments which had taken place in this industry. After the temple was set up, its daily rites, rituals and pujas, especially of the larger temples, gave constant employment to priests, musicians, dancing girls, florists, cooks and many other classes of servants. It also encouraged the local industries by consuming their finished products.^[1] Thus the temples acted as a great landlord, bank, school, hospital, fortress and what not.^[2]

In early period only priests and their families, who were supported by the village community on a collective basis, managed the temples. Even as late as the Pallava period, the temples had a small number staff. The early Pallava temples generally employed one or two Brahmana priests, a manager and one or two readers of religious texts. The number of employees in the service of the temple, and the variety of interests represented therein made the temple an employer of considerable importance.

The employees of the temples can be divided into two main categories viz., religious functionaries and non-religious functionaries. The first category included priests, dancing girls, musicians and supervisory and menial staff. Those who were mainly concerned with the religious functions of the temple were known as non-religious functionaries. Those who worked in the educational and charitable institutions attached to the temples. The second category included the teachers, professors, doctors, nurses and others. A record of Narasingadevar, the regent of Vijayanagar ruler mentions a gift of land for burning the Thiruvilakku of Arulala Perumal temple by one Annamarasar the governor. The record reveals that the land donation was entrusted to one Manradi meaning a temple servant.

Temples as direct and indirect employer

The temples played a unique role as an employer by providing employment to a large number of people for multifarious activities either directly or indirectly. The direct staff refers to those servants who were employed permanently as regular staff of the temple establishment. The indirect staffs were the casual labourers, employed by the lease holders or the caretakers like the Panmahesvaras who sought their services then and there either to cultivate the temple lands or to breed the livestock donated to the temple or to look after such other related works. In addition to permanent employees, many persons were appointed by the temple temporarily or on part-time basis. They formed a group of their own. It is possible to say something about the functions and conditions of these various groups of employees.^[3] The temples provided accommodation to the houseless servants. The houses constructed in the temple premises were distributed among them for a minimum rate of rent. The different categories of servants employed as administrative staff, spiritual functionaries, quasi-' religious functionaries and manual and menial labourers.^[4] The huge number of employees confirm the fact that Adavalleswarar temple and Arulala Perumal temple served as big sources of employment in Munnur region. Generally, appointments in these temples were hereditary.^[5]

Qualifications

Qualifications and gotras were also taken into consideration at the time of appointment. Siva Brahmanas of certain qualifications^[6] and specific gotras alone were employed as priests. For instance special priest but when qualified persons were not found among the descendants, competent persons could be selected from among their relatives.^[7]

Preference for local peoples

Especially for certain appointment, local people were given special reference to others. A Bhattan should be a native of the village.^[8] This is one of the qualifications prescribed for the appointments in temple. Even for the cultivation of temple lands and breeding of livestock, local people were chosen.

This method was adopted perhaps for the employed to be near the temple executives. Besides, many people from distant areas might not come forward to accept such works owing to their limited returns or share. However, by employing the local people, the temples exercised control over the local population.

Appointment of outside people

The non-availability of qualified persons in the local area was probably the reason for the appointment of temple servants. Further, the creation of agraharas by inducing Brahmins to settle near the temple is also in support of the above fact. On certain occasions, people from distant areas were also posted to some categories. For instance, a group of Brahmins of North India was appointed to guard the treasury of the Srirangam Temple.^[9] A record of Sundarapandya from the Nelliappar Temple also refers to the appointment of eleven reciters in the same temple from various parts of the country.

Remuneration

In this temple, certain servants were paid in grain or in cooked rice. The nature of remuneration was differing according to their position in the temple hierarchy. The temple functionaries were paid in kind by assigning land as jivita^[10] or grain or cooked rice. The nature and quantum of remuneration given to the temple staff differed from temple to temple probably according to the position and rank they held. In addition to remuneration, some of the employees were provided with accommodation in the Tirumadaivilagam. Thus, as the religious institution, this temple provided large scale employment opportunities, a striking feature in the socio -economic life of the people.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

B.K. Pandeya, Temple Economy Under the Cholas, New Delhi, 1984, p.55.

[2]:

V. N. Harriram, "Services in Srirangam Temple in Medieval Times," IHC, 24^th Sessions,1961.

[3]:

T.V. Mahalingam, Administration and Social Life Under Vijayanagar, Pt. I, Madras, 1940, p. 228.

[4]:

Ibid.,

[5]:

A.R.E.,565 of 1916-1917.

[6]:

S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar, 'Bhattavritti', The Indian Historical Quarterly, Vol. XVI, 1940, pp. 382-383.

[7]:

A.R.E.,150 of 1967-1968.

[8]:

S. Krishnaswami Aiyengar, Op.Cit,, pp.382-83.

[9]:

V.N. Hari Rao, Koil Olugu (Srirangam Temple Chronicle), (ed.), Madras,961.

[10]:

A.R.E., 217 of 1932-33.