Update on how to build a temple in India

A friend of mine has sent me the following information. So, you will now be properly briefed if you are looking for a new line of work: starting a temple may not be the riskiest profession at present :)

"1. Anyone, who owns some land, can build a temple - legally, caste and gender are no bar - but he/she has to establish a trust first, which has to be registered with the governemnt. The trust runs the affairs of the temple. In villages the panvchayat gives the permission.

"2. The design is considered these days according to the 'New Age' ideas of auspicious directions of doors and windows!!

"3. The architect has to submit the plans to the local authorities for approval first. In villages the democratically elected panvchayat gives the permission.

"4. The date for laying down the foundation and opening of the temple is set by astrologers. "

Many thanks to my kind friend for providing this information.

BTW it is well known that if one set of astrologers gives you an inconvenient date, another set of astrologers can usually be found for a small fee to provide a more convenient date.

It would be most interesting to know how many temples are run by such registered trusts in our country. And what happens in forests and in areas just outside the legal jurisdiction of towns and villages.

And no doubt readers interested in setting up temples would find it most useful to know the scale of bribes that is required in different parts of the country for registering such a trust. Sphere: Related Content