Swami Avimukteshwaranand Flays Govt Control Over Temples, Says They Are Not Shops Or Showrooms For Revenue Generation

Ajmer: Shankaracharya of Jyotish Peeth, Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, has launched a scathing attack on the Central and state governments over their "control on temples and their commercial exploitation".

Speaking to reporters last night, the Shankaracharya stated that "today the governments' perspective towards temples has become limited solely to the objective of revenue collection."

"Temples are neither our shops nor our showrooms. They were built not for the purpose of earning income, but to foster spiritual consciousness. The fundamental nature of temples is being tampered with," he said.

"Just as the places of worship belonging to followers of other faiths and religions are entrusted to their own care, Hindu places of worship, too, should remain under the control of Hindus, enabling them to manage these temples in accordance with traditional customs," he added.

He demanded that the administration of temples should be placed in the hands of individuals well-versed in traditional and religious rituals, rather than remaining under government control.

Applauding the 'Shat Gayatri Purashcharan Mahayagya'—which has been underway in Pushkar since March 8—the Shankaracharya described it as an 'ocean of virtue.'

Responding to a question regarding the Ram Temple, the Shankaracharya noted that he had already expressed his views on the matter extensively in the past.

He said, "The 'Jyoti' at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya is artificial. What, then, is there for us to discuss?"

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