The Study of Socio-Economic Conditions of the Temple Priests Hihelh Mysore Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from Public.Resource.Org https://archive.org/details/studyofsocioeconOOsara The Study of Socio-Economic Conditions of the Tempfe Priests of Southern Mysore G. Saraswathi ANTHROPOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE, YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS Department of Culture Government of India Calcutta - 700 016 No. 0.84 Published in January, 2000 Published by Director Anthropological Survey of India Government of India 27, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Calcutta - 700 016 ISBN : 81-85579-53-9 Printed by Gupta Press 37/7, Beniatola Lane Calcutta - 700 009 Price : Rs. 200 ; S 60 Without expressed permission from the Director, Anthropological Survey of India, Government of India, no portion of this publication can be reproduced partly or wholly. FOREWORD The book "The Study of Socio-Economic Conditions of the Temple Priests of Sourthern Mysore" by G. Saraswathi is the result of an in-depth study. Temples have always been an important part of Indian heritage and continues to enjoy an eminent position in our contemporary life. However, religion is also a source of economic sustenance and in some cases it promises a fair living to its servers/priests. The study is in keeping with the chain of studies on sacred complexes. It could have done with a little more detailed analysis of the layers of complex hierarchies that exist among the servers/ priests. The study amply highlights the rising aspirations of those associated with the various rituals of the temples and how the focus has shifted from devotion to a means of living. I am sure that the work will serve scholars who are interested in temples and will provide base-line data on the economics involved in temples and their activities. R. K. Bhattacharya {Director) ' . • ■ ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I express my sincere thanks to the Director General, AnSI, Delhi and the Director AnSI, Calcutta for giving the opportunity to work in this institution and also, permitting me to carry out research on this topic I have studied. I am grateful to the Regional Officer, AnSI (SR), Mysore-2 for giving me all the facilities and encouragement to submit my report in this form. This research has been guided and supervised throughout by Dr. S. G. Morab, SA(C), OIC/ cultural and Dr. S. R. Ghosh SA(C), without whose help and guidance, this report could not have been completed. I acknowledge my sincere thanks to Sri Venkatesh Moorthy (Executive Officer), Chamundi Hill; Executive Officer, Nanjangud; Peshkar Melkote and the Tahasildar of Pandavapura for their timely co-operation and constant help. My thanks are due to the various library authorities like — Chief Epigraphical Office, Mysore, Oriental Research Institute, Mysore; Mysore University Library and AnSI library Mysore, for extending all facilities and for their kind co-operation. Inevitably a work of this kind in an outcome of the co-operation of many informants. 1 shall be failing in my duty if I do not remember on this occasion the informants, who most generously gave me their co-operation. I am particularly indebted to Agamic Narayana Dikshit, Chamundi Hill; Sri SundaraRangachar, Sri Krishna Dikshit, Nanjangud, and others. I also express my thanks to all temple functionaries for lending all the necessary information and help. I am highly grateful to my Colleagues Smt Seetha, Librarian; Smt Raj am, Stenographer; Dr T. S. Naidu, A(C); Sri Janaki Ram, Librarian; Sri Bhaskaran, Photo Artist; Sri Rama Mohan, Sound Technician; Sri Kale, Head Artist; Sri Nirmal Chandra, Cartographer and Smt Rosily Francis, Statistician for their help at various stages. The author particularly express her gratitude to Sri Basu Dev Saha of Printing & Publication Section for the Keen interest and labours he took in its proof-reading and in its production. G. Saraswathi (iii) . 1 • ? • ■