Inside Tirupati Balaji temple, just outside the garbha griha, where they give tirtham, the priests secretly take whatever the devotees offer (1 rupee, 2 rupees, 10 rupees).
Looking at that, I used to disgustingly think, "These priests are shameless. Even in the vicinity of God, they are running after money. They are not spiritual. They are money-minded, materialistic. Shameless creatures! Dirty Brahmins!". I used to think that way.
But, just a couple of years earlier, I came to know thay are paid very meager salaries such as Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000. Their salaries are about the same as the security guards stationed there.
After coming to know about that, I felt really bad. I stopped hating them.
Inside every temple, you will find a shameless board placed by our honourable governments, "Drop your offerings in hundis only", meaning that we must not give anything to the priests. After reading that, I sincerely used to drop my offerings into hundi only.
But, after coming to know that they are paid meagerly, I stopped dropping in the hundi and started giving to the priests directly. But, many times, I noticed that the priests drop the money back into the hundi. They are instructed to do so by the government officials (you know who they are!!!).
I urge all readers not to drop the offerings into the hundi, as much of your offerings ae used for "SECULAR" activities. Give as much as possible to the priest himself.
RE:The salary of the priests
by Surya K on Jun 07, 2007 03:43 PM Permalink
Dheeraj,
The last paragraph needs to be corrected. TTD(Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam) is a independent organisation and has nothing to do except appoint a Board and an Executive Officer (IAS Officer). The Government has no control over the funds or the day to day mangement of the temple. N T Rama Rao tried to take control with the funds and he failed. The same was with T Subbirami Reddy when he was the chairman of the Board tried to shift all the funds to ICICI Bank and he failed.
As far as the funds usage is concerned they are used to educational, medical and religious and charity.
The achariyas of the TTD are well paid and mostly they are heredietery.
RE:The salary of the priests
by Dheeraj Akula on Jun 07, 2007 03:55 PM Permalink
I am not talking about the TTD priests alone. I am talking about priests in all the temples.
But anyway, I am sure the priests in most of the temples (to my knowledge, that includes Tirupati too, and there was an article recently in a newspaper) are not well paid.
TTD may be using funds for religious activities.
The same can not be said for all other temples. Next time, when you visit any temple, look for a board which says, "Drop your offerings in hundi only". Also, look out for government executives (not in very small temples, but major temples), who keep watching where the devotees are dropping the offerings, and when they notice that the devotees are directly giving to thr priest, they keep a watchful eye to ensure that the priest drops the offerings back into the hundi.
RE:RE:The salary of the priests
by Surya K on Jun 07, 2007 03:46 PM Permalink
Priestly class has some purity attached to it, money is the least concern for real priest. Worldly needs are pure namesake for them. Our priests have become materialistic and lost the real Bhakthi. Serving the lord should be their main motive.
RE:The salary of the priests
by Subrahmshu Bhattacharya on Jun 07, 2007 04:35 PM Permalink
I urge all to do just the opposite. What you give to the priest goes only to him. What you put in the Hundi is used for the temple up keep, maintenance, payments to the non-regularised workers, upkeep of the poorer temples under Devaswam board, payments to the priests in those temples which get fraction of the visitors who come to bigger temples and such other activities. Ofcourse, the government mechanism also used the money to pay workers of the Devaswam Board, its offices and some money will get diverted by the governmental machinations. So some of the money does get diverted. But you can be sure that what goes to the priest goes only to him. I know of many small temples which were almost on the point of ruin due to the avaricious priests, but were revived by locals who took up the management of the affairs.
